Abstract Various geological studies have been done worldwide of Upper Cretaceous palaeosols, however similar extensive palaeosol studies are lacking in India. It is well established that palaeosols of any age are one of the best proxies for palaeoclimate reconstructions and for local to regional stratigraphic correlations of continental deposits. The Cretaceous deposits in Central India occur as isolated outcrops along the Narmada valley, known as the Lameta Formation. The Upper Cretaceous Lameta (~infratrappean) Formation of the Jabalpur area (Madhya Pradesh, Central India) preserves one of the most diverse Late Cretaceous reptilian assemblages (largely dominated by dinosaurs) and other significant biotic elements of the Indian subcontinent. The Lameta Formation in the Jabalpur region comprises excellent exposures, wherein the Mottled Nodular Bed (MNB) consists of sandy marl lithofacies together with palaeosol facies. Therefore, detailed pedofacies investigations on the basis of morphological, micromorphological and geochemical studies have been carried out in the MNB exposed at the Chui Hill (CH) and the Chhota Simla Hill (CSH) locations in Jabalpur city of Madhya Pradesh (Central India). These studies reveal the presence of various in-situ pedofeatures. For example, abundant bioturbation features, moderately developed blocky and granular microstructure, crystallitic and undifferentiated b-fabrics, Fe–Mn oxide/clay, silica to carbonate coatings, hypocoatings as well as quasicoatings, nodules/concretions and other textural as well as depletion pedofeatures. These palaeosols are interpreted as moderately to well-developed palaeosols that formed under tropical warm, humid climatic conditions rather than semi-arid conditions as deduced on the basis of diagnostic pedogenic characters. Tropical humid conditions are further supported by indices of base loss, salinization and hydrolysis in these palaeosols. The calculated mean annual precipitation (MAP) values range 779.44 ± 182 to1150.02 ± 235 mm/yr and CIA-K (Chemical Index of Alteration without potassium) values document significant chemical weathering. The present study will be important for future studies such as Upper Cretaceous palaeosol investigations along the east-west and central Narmada valley of peninsular India in order to utilize them as stratigraphic tools, taking into account worldwide reports of contemporaneous dinosaur-bearing Upper Cretaceous palaeosols in different parts of the world.

中文翻译：

---

印度中部 Maastrichtian Lameta 组的古土壤和古气候重建

摘要 世界范围内对上白垩统古土壤进行了各种地质研究，但在印度还缺乏类似的广泛的古土壤研究。众所周知，任何时代的古土壤都是古气候重建和大陆沉积物局部到区域地层相关性的最佳代表之一。印度中部的白垩纪矿床是沿着纳尔马达山谷的孤立露头，被称为拉梅塔组。贾巴尔普尔地区（中央邦，印度中部）的上白垩纪 Lameta（~infratrappean）地层保留了最多样化的晚白垩世爬行动物组合之一（主要由恐龙主导）和印度次大陆的其他重要生物元素。Jabalpur 地区的 Lameta 地层包含极好的暴露，其中斑驳结节床（MNB）由砂质泥灰岩岩相和古土壤相组成。因此，在形态学、微形态学和地球化学研究的基础上，在中央邦贾巴尔普尔市（印度中部）的崔山 (CH) 和 Chhota Simla 山 (CSH) 地点的 MNB 中进行了详细的土壤调查。这些研究揭示了各种原位土壤特征的存在。例如，丰富的生物扰动特征、适度发达的块状和粒状微观结构、结晶和未分化的 b-织物、Fe-Mn 氧化物/粘土、二氧化硅到碳酸盐涂层、低涂层以及准涂层、结核/结核和其他纹理以及耗尽的土壤特征. 这些古土壤被解释为在热带温暖潮湿的气候条件下形成的中度至发育良好的古土壤，而不是根据诊断成土特征推断的半干旱条件。这些古土壤中的碱损失、盐渍化和水解指数进一步支持热带潮湿条件。计算的平均年降水量 (MAP) 值范围为 779.44 ± 182 至 1150.02 ± 235 毫米/年，CIA-K（不含钾的化学变化指数）值记录了显着的化学风化。本研究对于未来的研究具有重要意义，例如沿印度半岛东西和中部纳尔马达河谷的上白垩纪古土壤调查，以便将它们用作地层工具，