Permian Gondwana Palaeocurrents in Bellampalli Coal Belt of Godavari Valley Basin, Andhra Pradesh and Palaeogeographic Implications

The Permian Gondwana sequence of Bellampalh coal belt ot Godavar~ valley basin comprises Barakar Barren. Measures and Raniganj Formations in ascending order Lithofacies composition suggests a slight decline in the bulk sandstone at the expense of fine clastics,through time from Barakar up to Raniganj Forrnation Paleocurrent analysis based on 379 trough cross beds indicate that the Permian Gondwana formations of Bellampalli area were deposited on a northwesterly and northeasterly paleoslope. The resultant mean pa1eoccurrent at formation levels is 351°±17° for Barakar 13°±36° for Barren Measures and 348°±36° for the Raniganj, respectively. The close harmony between northwesterly paleoslopes here deduced, the Permian paleoslopes in the southern parts and the NW-SE structural trend of Godavari valley is indicative of rift valley filling of the area atleast during early Permian. It is suggested that the bulk of sediments of given area were supplied from the southerly and southeasterly situated provenance.