Search for Provenance of Oligocene Barail Sandstones in and Around Jotsoma, Kohima, Nagaland

Provenance of the Oligocene Barail sandstones has been ascertained by means of petrographic and heavy mineral studies. Petrography reveals an abundance of angular to sub-rounded monocrystalline, non-undulatory quartz followed by lithic fragments. The overall composition of sandstones matches with those of sublith-arenites. The heavy mineral suite of Barail sandstones displays rounded to sub-rounded as well as euhedral/angular grains of iron oxide, zircon, tourmaline, rutile, kyanite, sillimanite and staurolite in decreasing order of abundance. Petrography coupled with heavy mineral suite suggests for a mixed provenance dominated by a sedimentary source of recycled orogenic provenance in a foreland basin setup.