Meghalaya has a unique geological history of more than 2,000 million years. To preserve the geological site and raise awareness, the Geological Survey of India (GSI) North Eastern Region (NER) recently installed two geological display boards at two important sites -- Mawmluh cave and Therriaghat, Sobhar in East Khasi district.
GSI is the premier organisation that studies various aspects of the Earth forming processes and evolution of life. GSI is also the primary custodian of the rocks and fossils of the country, which are a part of our natural heritage.
The boards were recently unveiled at Mawmluh cave and Therriaghat, Sobhar in East Khasi Hill district in Shillong in the presence of Meghalaya Tourism Department officials, and local villagers.
"This is one of the longest caves in Meghalaya. GSI did some research but besides that many scientists have worked inside this cave. And inside, there are huge stalactites and stalagmites and scientists who are doing the monsoon studies are very much interested," said Dr Tapan Pal, director PSS, GSI, NER.
These sites have already made the state famous to the international geological community.
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Mawmluh cave made headlines earlier as high resolution stable isotopic studies of the stalagmites from the cave showed that there was a major climatic event about 4,200 years ago.
"Along with the state government, we are going to preserve this site and do the preliminary studies, and the place will be preserved for geo-tourism purposes as well. This is one step towards a declaration to preserve the geological monument in the future," said Dr Bashab Nandan Mahanta, Central Geological Service, Geologist and PRO, NER.
According to studies, about 65 million years ago, the Earth experienced a major global extinction event that marks the boundary between the Mesozoic and Cenozoic eras and on a finer scale, the Cretaceous and the Palaeogene.
Most of the large vertebrates on the Earth, most plankton and many tropical invertebrates, suddenly became extinct at the end of the Cretaceous Period. Many land plants were severely affected and some organisms survived too and they gave rise to many of the plants and animals.
Dr Bashab said, "Not only the scientist from the GSI but this place was very much focused by researchers all over the world. So this is a very important boundary, which should be preserved. So the display board has been erected."
The stalagmite in the Mawmluh cave has now been tagged a Global Boundary Stratotype Section and Point GSSP. This is the first formally ratified marker of a geological time period in India.
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