RECENT ADVANCES IN GEOLOGICAL RESEARCH IN PARTS OF LESSER AND TETHYS HIMALAYA OF INDIA, SOUTH OF TIBETAN PLATEAU (KUMAON, GARHWAL AND ARUNACHAL PRADESH)

Recent advances in geological, palaeobiological and stable isotopic research in Kumaon\|Garhwal Lesser and Tethys Himalaya suggest that India was part of a major single super continent Rodinia during Neoproterozoic—Lower Palaeozoic times. The breakup of Rodinia and fragmentation of Gondwana land, existence of large Proto\|Tethys ocean, low latitude glaciation and global warming reflected by carbon isotopes and imprints of Pan African rifting events have been recently recorded in the Indian Himalaya, South of Tibetan Plateau (Tewari, 1998). A detailed correlation of these events in other parts of the NW and NE Himalaya and China further supports that these events are of global significance.The complete sequence of Lower Palaeozoic is missing in the Lesser Himalaya after regression of sea in the Lower Cambrian, however three major marine transgressions during Permian, Cretaceous and Eocene have been recorded over Terminal Proterozoic/Cambrian sequences. The discovery of microstromatolites and microbiota from the Menga (Buxa) dolomite of eastern Himalaya, Arunachal Pradesh (Tewari, 1999) also confirm Terminal Proterozoic age and sedimentation. The Permian marine transgression throughout the Himalaya suggest birth of Neotethys sea.Shallow marine reef builders, cyanobacteria\|bacteria and stromatolites of Early Carboniferous age were thriving in the Himalayan Tethys of India. 13 C records from Lesser and Tethys Himalaya reflect global isotopic variations in Neoproterozoic to Palaeozoic oceans of the world.