Singhbhum Craton
Why in News?
The Singhbhum Craton is in the news because scientists have discovered a 3.5-billion-year-old rock containing potentially the oldest directly dated chemical evidence of life on Earth.
About Craton
- Definition: A craton is an ancient, exceptionally stable portion of the Earth's continental crust and topmost mantle.
- Characteristics: They are found in the deep interiors of tectonic plates, have survived billions of years without major tectonic disruption, and act as the foundational bedrocks of modern continents.
Geological Features & Composition
- Region: Located in eastern India, spanning major portions of Jharkhand and Odisha, with extensions into West Bengal.
- Boundaries: Situated between the Chhota Nagpur plateau to the north and the Eastern Ghats mobile belt to the south.
- Age: Houses some of the planet's oldest geological formations, dating between 3.2 to 3.8 billion years old (Archean Eon).
- Greenstone Successions: It features unique "greenstone belts"—rock assemblages consisting of submarine volcanic rocks (like komatiites and pillowed lava) mixed with minor sedimentary rocks.
- Global Links: Its geology shares stark similarities with South Africa’s Barberton area and Western Australia's Pilbara Craton, indicating these regions experienced identical underwater volcanic activity 3.5 billion years ago.
- First Landmass Theory: A previous breakthrough study in 2021 established that parts of the Singhbhum Craton formed Earth's earliest beach and continental landmass exposed to air around 3.2 billion years ago, challenging the previous timeline that continents only emerged 2.5 billion years ago.
Economic and Mineral Wealth
The Singhbhum Craton is one of India's richest mineral storehouses:
The Singhbhum Craton is one of India's richest mineral storehouses:
- Iron Ore: Contains world-class Banded Iron Formations (BIFs) mined heavily at Noamundi, Gua, and Badampahar.
- Uranium & Copper: Hosts the famous Singhbhum Shear Zone, which contains India's premier uranium and copper deposits.
- Other Minerals: Rich in massive deposits of chromite, manganese, limestone, and gold.
