How Old are Laterites in the Indian Peninsula? - A Suggestion

The Indian Peninsula lies within the zone of Koppen's 'A' climate to which laterite formation at present is restricted. The moot point is whether, the laterites which are widely distributed at varied altitudes in the Peninsula are to be related to the present day climate alone or whether palaeoclimates also favoured lateritisation.

The problem of the age of laterites is viewed on the basis of global models of weather patterns and palaeogeography for Eocene and Oligocene and also floral evidences from the Peninsula. It is suggested that in Tertiary, lateritisation process could have been intense at intervals.