Earth-Science Reviews 221 (2021) 103770 Available online 13 August 2021 0012-8252/© 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. The Bastar Craton of Central India: Tectonostratigraphic evolution and implications in global correlations Sarada P. Mohanty Department of Applied Geology, Indian Institute of Technology (Indian School of Mines), Dhanbad 826004, India A R T I C L E INFO Keywords: Crustal evolution Great Oxidation Event Paleoproterozoic glaciation ocean chemistry atmospheric evolution continental assembly ABSTRACT The Bastar Craton occupies a key position in the Peninsular India, being located between three cratonic nuclei of India, the Dharwar Craton in the southwest, the Singhbhum Craton in the northeast, and the Bundelkhand Craton in the northwest. The southeastern and the northern margins of the craton are bordered by the Proterozoic orogenic belts constituting the Eastern Ghats Mobile Belt and the Central Indian Tectonic Zone (the Satpura Mobile Belt), respectively. Analysis of the tectonostratigraphic evolution of the craton indicates the formation of the craton during Paleoarchean Era (~3582 Ma). The Archean evolution of the craton is marked by the devel- opment of granite-greenstone belts containing chemogenic sediments (Banded Iron Formations) and gold min- eralisation. High-grade gneisses and granulites were developed during three orogenic episodes in the terrane (~2700 Ma Bailadila orogeny, ~2900 Ma Bengpal orogeny and ~3400 Ma Sukma orogeny). The Paleoproter- ozoic evolution of the craton is gleaned from the record of siliciclastic, volcaniclastics and chemogenic pre- cipitates (carbonates, Banded Manganese Formation, and Banded Iron Formation) on the northern margin of the craton, which were deposited during the Great Oxidation Event (GOE; 2500–2300 Ma) and Paleoproterozoic glaciation (2400–2300 Ma) as well as immediately after the GOE (2050–1850 Ma). Effects of orogenic activities in the adjacent mobile belts are marked by the metamorphic and magmatic activities affecting the rocks at the margin of the craton. The Satpura orogenic event on the northern margin of the craton led to the amalgamation of the Bastar Craton with the Bundelkhand Craton at ~2250 and ~2100 Ma, forming the major part of the Peninsular India. Orogenic collapse (extension) developed basins transverse to the orogenic trend, where clastic, volcaniclastic and chemogenic sediments (Khairagarh and Chilpi Groups) were deposited. The southeastern margin of the craton has records of migmatisation and granite emplacement during the Eastern Ghats orogeny at ~1700 Ma. A number of sedimentary basins, aligned along a line parallel to the Eastern Ghats Mobile Belt, were developed during the orogenic collapse of the Eastern Ghats. Later orogenic activities along the Eastern Ghats were responsible for the development of depositional hiatus/unconformity within these sedimentary basins of the craton. Mafc dykes of different generations (2400 Ma, 2100 Ma and 1890 Ma) cutting across the Archean basement complex provide suitable markers for paleomagnetic reconstructions of the craton. The Archean and early Paleoproterozoic rock assemblages and mineralisation patterns in the craton show a broad similarity with the Western Australian Craton, indicating near-neighbourhood positions of the two ancient cratonic blocks. Paleomagnetic studies have shown the separation of these two blocks at ~2000 Ma, with the development of a paleo-ocean which closed subsequently during the amalgamation of the Bastar Craton with the East Antarctic Shield to form the Eastern Ghats Mobile Belt in three phases at ~1700–1600 Ma, ~1050–950 Ma and ~500 Ma, with extensional phase between 1450 and 1100 Ma. The Bastar Craton preserves important clues regarding the evolution of the ocean and atmospheric conditions in the early Earth. 1. Introduction The models of crustal evolution developed over last two decades have undergone substantial changes, which are different from the pre- vious decades following the formalizations of the plate tectonic model and quantifcation methods to establish the ideas. These changes include the investigation leading to identifcation of the processes responsible for the oxygenation of the atmosphere, changes in ocean chemistry, the evolution and diversifcation of biota, and mineralisation through time. The results apparently show a close relationship between these changes E-mail address: mohantysp@yahoo.com. Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Earth-Science Reviews journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/earscirev https://doi.org/10.1016/j.earscirev.2021.103770 Received 30 December 2020; Received in revised form 27 July 2021; Accepted 10 August 2021