Provenance, Depositional and Diagenetic Reconstruction of the Early Palaeozoic Succession in Kupwara District, Kashmir, North-western Himalaya

Early Palaeozoic succession in Kupwara district of Jammu and Kashmir, North-western Himalaya comprise of sandstone, shale, carbonates and slate. The petrological properties of these rocks were used to work out the provenance, depositional environment and their diagenetic history. The siliciclastic sediments with interbedded carbonate rocks indicate shifts in sea level and consequent changes in energy conditions of the basin as well as biogenic interferences leading to carbonate precipitation in a shallow marine depositional environment. Provenance of these rocks has been of mixed nature with monocrystalline quartz dominant in sandstones indicating greater contribution from igneous sources.