Tertiary Sedimentation in the Andaman-Nicobar Geosyncline

Andaman orthogeosyncline is continuous with Assam-Burma in the north and Indonesian geosyncline in the south. Andaman-Nicobar group of islands constituting the non-volcanic outer arc of the East Indian Orogen, has a more or less continuous history of Sedimentation throughout the Tertiary era commencing from sometime in the Upper Cretaceous right on to the Recent. The sedimentation gradually changed character with the tectonic development of the geosyncline through geologic time.

Euxinic sediments consisting of black pyritous shales with minor amount or dark impure limestone and gritty sandstones represent the earliest episode of geosynclinal sedimentation in the restricted basins formed by submarine ridges and valleys due to emplacement of ophiolites.

These ophiolites were subaerially denuded to some extent; and during Palaeocene-Lower Eocene, algal limestone and conglomerate and subsequently more finer fractions such as tuffaceous basic wacks and serpentinous and chloritic clay beds followed. Subsidence of the geosyncline which commenced with sedimentation of the Euxinic beds produced a uniform configuration of the geosyncline during Middle Eocene (Kirthar). Andaman flysch consisting of altetnatcly bedded graywackes, siltstone and grey illitic clay beds were deposited throughout the length and breadth in this regular geosynclinal basin till Upper Oligocene when a major orogenic movement overcame sedimentation.

Shallower basins formed within and in the outer margins of the rising emhryonic island arc were filled up during Lower Miocene with foraminifcrallimcstone and shale, and radiolarian and foraminiferal chalk beds.

Middle Miocene witnessed another major orogenic movement which brought out the present configuration of the island arc. Fossiliferous clays and limestones were deposited in peripheral basins during the Pliocene-Pleistocene which are partly raised during quite recent times.