NU hosts special lecture on climate, tectonics, and ichnofossils

The Department of Geology, Nagaland University (NU), Kohima Campus, organized a one-day special lecture on climate, tectonics, and ichnofossils on May 2, 2025, in blended mode. The first lecture was delivered by Dr. Jaishri Sanwal Bhatt from the Geosciences Unit, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bangalore, on the topic “Climate and Tectonics Interplay: Insights from the Himalayan Mountains to the Andaman Islands.”

Dr. Bhatt discussed geochronological dating for reconstructing paleoclimatic variations using sediments & speleothems and the significance of speleothems in active tectonics, which can present as potential earthquake recorders. These illustrations were supported with special emphasis on her work on cave monitoring in the Himalayas and the chronological study of tsunami sediments at the Andaman Islands.

The second lecture was delivered online by Prof Bhawani Singh Desai, Department of Petroleum Engineering, PDEU Gandhinagar, Gujarat, entitled “Ichnology-An effective tool to investigate Palaeoenvironments.” He emphasized the study of ichnology and its application techniques for recognizing palaeoenvironments based on Seilacher’s Ichnofacies concept, as well as ichnofacies and ichnofabric models. Case studies in Kachchh Basin, the Indian Ocean, and Crimea (Black Sea) were also presented for a more methodical discussion.

The third lecture was delivered by Prof SK Srivastava, Department of Geology, Nagaland University on the topic “Cenozoic Sedimentation in parts of Inner Fold Belt, Nagaland, India”, in which he highlighted the ichnology, sedimentary structures, lithofacies analysis and petrographic compositions of the sediments, drawing conclusions on various depositional environments and provenance of the sediments which interpret the geological history of sedimentation process ie during the Palaeogene-Miocene age.

The lecture series concluded with a vote of thanks from Prof Vikoleno Rino, Head of the Department of Geology, Nagaland University. The program was supported by South Eastern Book Agency, Guwahati, and attended by the faculty, research scholars, and PG students of the department, besides several faculty and PG students of Kohima Science College, Jotsoma, and Patkai Christian College (Autonomous), who attended the lecture online.

MT