Gautam Ghosh

Professor and Head of the Department

BSc (Geology), Calcutta University, 1982

MSc (Geology), Calcutta University, 1984

PhD. (Science), Calcutta University, 1999

I did my doctoral thesis on unclassified Mesoproterozoic sequences of the Pranhita-Godavari valley bordering the Bastar and East Dharwar cratons of the southern Indian block from Calcutta University. I started working on the problem while I was enjoying a Junior Research Fellowship at Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata and pursued the work after joining the West Bengal Educational Service and earned Ph. D. I joined Presidency University in 2013 after serving in two Government Colleges for nearly twenty four years. 

At present, I am particularly interested in identification and quantification of crustal scale deformation processes associated with discrete tectonic events in fold-thrust belts from Precambrian terrains. I am also interested in microstructural evolution and grain-scale deformation processes in low-to-high grade metamorphic terrains.

My long-term research goals include:

(1) Field-based structural geology and tectonic evolution of Precambrian orogens in India.

(2) Integration of structural geology with palaeomagnetism to solve regional tectonic problems.

(3) Strain analysis and partitioning of strain data for understanding grain-scale deformation processes.

(4) Understanding structural control on mineralization with particular emphasis on iron and uranium.

(5) Tectonostratigraphic evolution of the Himalayan Frontal Fold-Thrust belt

I have successfully completed and pursuing several major research projects funded by DST, BRNS, CSIR and MOE as Principal Investigator and Co-Investigator. 

I have been engaged in teaching for about last 25 years. I teach Structural Geology, Tectonics and Precambrian Stratigraphy at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. The Structural Geology courses include both theory and laboratory based classes.

I have supervised about 25 M.Sc. dissertations in different branches of Structural Geology as part of the regular postgraduate course. Till date, one Ph. D. scholar has submitted her thesis to Calcutta University and there are several others pursuing their Ph. D. programmes under my supervision.

1. Principal Supervisor to Susmita Guha (JRF, UGC sponsored Departmental Research Project), submitted thesis to University of Calcutta (Title- Stratigraphy and Structural Analysis of the Iron Ore Group of rocks in between Tamka–Rengali, Orissa and its implicatios on remobilization of the southern margin of the archaean Singhbhum craton during Eastern Ghats orogeny) 

2. Principal Supervisor to Snehalata Kumari (JRF, DST sponsored Major project), registered for Ph D degree under University of Calcutta (Title- Stratigraphic, Structural and AMS analyses of the Precambrian rocks of the western Iron Ore Basin, Singhbhum Craton, Eastern India); (Status- Seminar and 5000 words synopsis approved by Ph.D. Committee, University of Calcutta).

3. Joint Supervisor to Kalyan Chakraborty (Scientist- F, Atomic Minerals Directorate for Exploration & Research, Jamshedpur), registered for Ph D degree under University of Calcutta (Title- Study of Sediment-hosted Uranium Mineralization in the Precambrian Siliciclastic Succession around Mankarchua Area, Singhbhum Craton, Eastern India).(Status- 5000 words synopsis submitted to Ph.D. Committee, University of Calcutta).
4. Joint Supervisor to Brundaban Mishra (Scientist- G, Atomic Minerals Directorate for Exploration & Research, Jamshedpur) registered for Ph D degree under University of Calcutta (Title- Nature And Controls On Sedimentary Uranium Mineralization In The Mahagiri Quartzite, Jajpur, Orissa).

5. Principal Supervisor to Bhaskar Ghosh (Teacher Fellow, Lecturer, Jogamaya Devi College), registered for Ph D degree under University of Calcutta (Title- Structural analysis of the Precambrian rocks in between Chaibasa-Chakradharpur, Singhbhum Craton, eastern India).

Member Indian Statistical institute (1989-2010)

Member Structural Geology and Tectonic Studies Group-India (SGTSGI)

Some significant publications:

1.      Ghosh, G., and Saha, D., 2003. Deformation of the Proterozoic Somanpalli Group, Pranhita-Godavari valley—implications for a Mesoproterozoic basin inversion. Journal Asian Earth Science (2.24), 21, p. 579-594.

2.      Ghosh, G., and Saha, D., 2005. Kinematics of large scale asymmetric folds and associated smaller scale brittle-ductile structures in the Proterozoic Semnur Formation, Pranhita-Godavari Valley, South India. Journal Earth System Science, 114, 125-142.

3.      Ghosh, G., Chakraborty S., Mukhopadhyay, J., Ray, A., 2006. Grain-scale deformation in the Palaeoproterozoic Dongargarh Supergroup, central India: implications for shallow crustal deformation mechanisms from microstructural analysis. Geological Magazine (2.207), 143, 531-543.

4. Mukhopadhyay, J., Ghosh G., Nandi, A., Cahudhuri, A. K., 2006. Depositional setting of the Kolhan Group: its implications for the development of a Meso to Neoproterozoic deep-water basin on the South Indian craton. South African Journal of Geology (1.013), 109, 183-192.

5. Mukhopadhyay, J., Ghosh, G., Beukes, N.J. and Gutzmer, J., 2007. Precambrian colluvial iron ores from Singhbhum craton, eastern India: Implications for the origin, age of BIF-hosted high-grade ore and stratigraphy of the Iron Ore Group of Noamundi-Jamda-Koira Valley. Journal Geological Society of India.(0.396) 70, 34-42.

6.      Ghosh, G. and Mukhopadhyay, J., 2007. Reappraisal of the ‘Horse-Shoe Syncline’ structure of the Archaean western Iron Ore Group, Singhbhum Craton, eastern India: Implications for the Exploration of Bif-Hosted Iron Ore Deposits. Gondwana Research (5.503). 12, 525-532.

7.      Mukhopadhyay, J., Beukes, N. J., Armstrong, R. A., Zimmermann, U., Ghosh, G. and Medda, R. A. 2008. Dating the Oldest Greenstone in India: A 3.51 Ga Precise U-Pb SHRIMP Zircon Age for Dacitic Lava of the Southern Iron Ore Group, Singhbhum Craton. Journal of Geology (2.978), 116, 449-461.

8.      Ghosh, G., Bose, S., Guha, S., Mukhopadhyay, J. and Aich. S. 2008 (published January 2010). Remobilization of an Archean cratonic margin during Mesoproterozoic Eastern Ghats orogeny: evidences from southern margin of the Singhbhum craton, eastern India. (Precambrian Terrain and Tectonics, Ed.- D. Saha), Indian Journal of Geology, 80, 97-114.

9.      Ghosh, G., Kumari, S., Patil, S.K., Mukhopadhyay, J. and Ray, A., 2010. Superposed deformation fabrics in the Precambrain metabasic rocks of the Iron Ore Group, Singhbhum Craton, Eastern India: evidences from anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility studies. Journal of Structural Geology (2.388), 32, 249-261.

10.   Mukhopadhyay, J., Ghosh, G., Zimmermann, U., Guha, S and Mukherjee T., 2012. A 3.51 Ga bimodal volcanic-BIF-ultramafic succession from Singhbhum Craton: implications for Palaeoarchaean geodynamic processes from the oldest greenstone succession of the Indian subcontinent. Geological Journal (1.07), 47, 284-311.

11. Ghosh, G. Ghosh B., Mukhopadhyay, J., 2014. Palaeoarchaean-Mesoproterozoic sedimentation and tectonics along the west-northwest margin of the Singhbhum Granite body, eastern India: a synthesis, Special Publication, Geological Society of London (in press).