Palynology and palaeoenvironment of Late Permian Sawang OCM, East Bokaro Coalfield, Damodar Basin, India

Palynodating of Sawang Open Cast Mine (OCM) section from East Bokaro Coalfield, Damodar Basin has been done. Recovered palynofossils are characterized by the dominance of Striatopodocarpites–Faunipollenites complex. The other stratigraphically significant taxa recorded from this section are Guttulapollenites hannonicus, Crescentipollenites fuscus, Rhizomaspora indica, R. triassica, Distriatites sp., Weylandites lucifer, Microfoveolatispora gondwanensis, Dictyotriletes invisus, Indotriradites spp., Arcuatipollenites pellucidus, Alisporites indicus and Klausipollenites schaubergeri. Other rare palynotaxa include Parasaccites, Corrisaccites, Dicapipollenites, Striomonosaccites, Barakarites, Plicatipollenites, Scheuringipollenites, Densipollenites, Callumispora, Tiwariasporis, Praecolpatites and Distriatites. On the basis of the total palynocomposition, the studied section has been dated as Late Permian age. This age correlation also gets support from comparative studies with similar palynoassemblages known from other coalfields of Indian Gondwana basins such as Damodar, Son–Mahanadi, Rajmahal, Wardha–Godavari and Satpura basins of India and from known Gondwanan continents. Palynofossil evidences indicate prevalence of warm and humid conditions. The dominance of conifers and subdominance of Glossopterids, cordaites and low percentage of triletes (filicopsids and lycopsids) suggests that the Inland Sawang OCM was deposited under freshwater environment.