Palynofloristics and wildfire evidence from Permian deposits of the Satpura Gondwana Basin, India: a multiproxy approach

Miofloral and fossil charcoal analyses of the Permian deposits of the Barakar and Motur formations from core PKK-2B, located in the Pench-Valley Coalfield, Satpura Basin (India) were carried out to assess the floral diversity, evidence for palaeo-wildfire and age. Two distinct palynoassemblages are identified: Faunipollenites varius palynoassemblage and Gondisporites raniganjensis palynoassemblage dated as Kungurian (Cisuralian) and Guadalupian (Wordian-Capitanian), respectively. These assemblages show dominance of pollen attributable to Glossopteridales followed by Cordaitales and Coniferales. The occurrence of charcoal at two levels in the sedimentary sequence indicates the occurrence of repeated wildfires in the surrounding area. Macroscopic charcoal fragments exhibit anatomical features such as bordered pitting, rays and helical thickenings on cell walls of tracheids suggesting a gymnospermous wood affinity. Most of the charcoal specimens exhibit rounded edges suggesting an allochthonous origin. Furthermore, fusinite reflectance (1.03-6.61%) of studied charcoal/inertinite fragments suggests that the temperature was in the range of similar to 305-962 degrees C during charring. This indicates co-occurrence of high-temperature crown fires, together with medium- and low-temperature surface and ground fires, respectively. Our data emphasise the dominance of gymnospermous vegetation during the Permian in India and adds further evidence for the widespread occurrence of wildfires during this period in India and on entire Gondwana as well.