Heavy Minerals as Provenance and Maturity Indicator of The Barail Group Exposed Between Khawzawl and Champhai, Mizoram, India

Abstract Objectives: To evaluate heavy mineral assemblages as reliable indicators of sediment provenance and mineralogical maturity in the Barail Group sandstones exposed between Khawzawl and Champhai, Mizoram. Methods: Heavy mineral analysis was performed to determine provenance and maturity using standard petrographic and mineral separation techniques. Twenty-eight representative sample portions were gently crushed and soaked to remove clay coatings, followed by chemical treatments to eliminate carbonate, iron oxides, and organic matter. After drying and sieving (80‑mesh fraction), heavy minerals were separated using bromoform and mounted on glass slides with Canada balsam. Mineral identification and counting were carried out under a polarizing microscope, and the ZTR index was calculated to quantify sediment maturity. Findings: The heavy mineral suite includes zircon, tourmaline, rutile, sillimanite, kyanite, staurolite, garnet, epidote, hornblende, and opaque minerals, indicating mixed metamorphic, igneous, and recycled sedimentary sources from an orogenic hinterland. ZTR values range from 43.24 to 71.25, signifying mineralogically immature to submature sandstones. These results suggest moderate degrees of weathering, sediment recycling, and hydraulic sorting during transport and deposition. Novelty: This study provides the first detailed heavy‑mineral‑based assessment of Barail sandstones in Mizoram, establishing new insights into Oligocene sediment routing, provenance, and depositional maturity within the Indo‑Myanmar foreland region. Keywords: Heavy minerals, provenance, Barail Group, ZTR Index, Mizoram