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

Abstract The Permian Gondwana sequence of Bellampalli coal belt of Godavari 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 elastics, through time from Barakar up to Raniganj Formation 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 paleocurrent 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