Record of Charcoal from Early Maastrichtian Intertrappean Lake Sediments of Bagh Valley of Madhya Pradesh:Palaeofire Proxy

Abstract

Presence of charcoal in intertrappean lake sediments associated with the Malwa Group of the Deccan trap, India is recorded. The finding provides the first evidence of palaeofire in the Indian late Cretaceous. Though previous studies have shown the presence of carbonaceous clays and coal bands in the Deccan volcanic associated sediments, the presence of fossil charcoal in the sediments is rarely reported. The fossil charcoal was identified based on optical microscope, Scanning Electron Microscope and Pyrolysis-Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometer (Py-GC-MS). This study indicates that charcoal is derived from burning of plants caused by forest fire during the Maastrichtian (Chron 30N).