12 – 1 pm

Rm 312.222

Diana Plavsa

Curtin University, Dept. Applied Geology

The tectonic evolution of the Southern Granulite Terrane of India and its role in the amalgamation of Gondwana

Abstract

The southernmost portion of the Indian subcontinent, the Southern Granulite Terrane of India, holds a pivotal role in the reconstructions of the Ediacaran-Cambrian supercontinent Gondwana. Bound to the west by Madagascar and the East African continental fragments and to the east by Sri Lanka and Antarctica, this terrane offers a breadth of information regarding across terrane correlations and palaeotectonic settings. Arguably, within the Southern Granulite Terrane of South India, the most debated issue of all is the existence of a late Neoproterozoic (ca. 550 – 500 Ma) suture zone between the Salem and Madurai Blocks, termed the Palghat Cauvery Shear Zone (or alternatively, the Cauvery Shear Zone).
An integrated approach, using geochronological, geochemical, isotopic and structural methods, was used to help address the ambiguity associated with the location of this late Neoproterozoic suture zone.

Biographical Details

Diana recently joined Curtin University as a Postdoctoral Research Associate on the Distal Footprints Science and Industry Endowment Fund (SIEF) research project looking at the tectonic evolution of the Capricorn Orogen. Prior to her arrival at Curtin, she completed a BSc (Hons) at the University of Adelaide in 2005. At the completion of her studies, she went on to work in the mining industry (including coal mining and gold exploration in Queensland and Northern Territory respectively) for 3 years. She then returned to the University of Adelaide to complete her PhD in 2014.