126 ~ RANIGANJ COAL FIELD. [ClIAP. V. 



by denudation before the deposition of the Panchet group, as has 

 been the case, to all appearance, further West near Asansol, 

 Gopalpur, &c. Judging from the general strike of the rocks, the 

 beds of Nunia bridge are about equivalent to those of Mainanagar 

 to the North-west, but to the South-east little more than guesses can 

 be made, as large faults unquestionably come in. But, on the whole, 

 it appears probable that the beds of Jemeri, Raniganj, Sirsol, &c, 

 are higher in the series than those of Nunia bridge — such would cer- 

 tainly be the case if the strike were considered as constant and 

 unaffected by faults.* 



In this case they must also have been denuded in the area West of 

 the Nunia, before the deposition of the Panchets, and they are con- 

 sequently very closely the equivalents of the beds of Chinakuri. The 

 beds of Tapassi, Chokidanga, &c, on the Singaran, will thus be on 

 nearly the same horizon as those of Nunia bridge, Mainanagar, 

 Gharwi, &c. If this be the case, and it bears every impress of proba- 

 bility, there can be no question that the coal seams of the Raniganj 

 series, although far more constant than those in the Lower Damuda, 

 have not the same general distribution over a wide area, as is generally 

 the case in the deposits of the true Carboniferous age in Europe. 



Chapter V. — Panchet Group. 



* 



The evidence of the unconformity of these beds upon the Damuda 



Unconformity on Da- rocks has already been alluded to incidentally in 



muda rocks. ^ description of the Raniganj series, but it will be 



well briefly to recapitulate. In no place is it very conspicuous, but. it 



* The Bhangabar.d seam may be the same as the lower seam at Nunia bridge, but this is 

 only a possibility. 



