Solid Earth Research Group (SERG)

Dr. Tomson J. Kallukalam

Education

Professional career

• Scientist E, NCESS (2021 - Present)
• Scientist D, NCESS (2017-2021)
• Scientist C, NCESS (2013-2017)
• Scientist B, NCESS (2010-2013)
• CSIR – Research Associate (2008-2010): at LAM-MC-ICPMS Laboratory, National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI), Hyderabad
• CSIR-UGC Research fellow (2002-2007): at National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI), Hyderabad. Ph.D. awarded in Geology in 2008 from Osmania University, Hyderabad

Research Profile

• Ph.D. in Geology with specialization in Geochemistry/Isotope Geochemistry/Geochronology

Research Interests

• Precambrian granulite terrains-crustal evolution and tectonics; U-Pb geochronology; Mass spectrometry techniques.

Present activities

• Involved in different research programmes of Solid Earth Research Group, NCESS.
• Established new analytical facilities such as thin section and mineral separation facility, LA- ICPMS and MC-ICPMS facility at NCESS.

Honors/Awards/Fellowships/Recognitions

• Member, Geological Society of India
• Member, Geochemical Society
• Member, Indian Society of Remote Sensing

Memberships

• Member, Geological Society of India
• Member, Geochemical Society
• Member, Indian Society of Remote Sensing

Ph.D Guideship

• Registered guide in Geology in Cochin University of Science and Technology, Kochi, Kerala

Ongoing Projects

Involved in different research programs of Solid Earth Research Group, NCESS.

Co-Project Investigator of Department of Science & Technology (DST, India) sponsored project "Geochemistry, palaeomagnetism and isotopic studies of mafic bodies in the Gwalior, Bijawar and Cuddapah Bains: A synthesis of Paleoproterozoic large igneous province in India" (2013-).

Projects Completed

Title: "Structure and Evolution of the South Indian Craton & Mobile belts from Deep Seismic profiling & other Geophysical and Geological studies." (DST Sponsored No: ESS/16/158/2002, dtd. May, 2004) Name of PI: Dr. Y.J. BHASKAR RAO; Name of Co-PIs: Mr. T.VIJAYA KUMAR, Dr. TOMSON J.K.

Title: U-Pb zircon geochronology of the Precambrian Southern Granulite Terrain (SGT), southern India: Reconstruction of terrane assembly and resolution of crust formation and recycling events (CSIR-India sponsored).

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Publications

1. 1. Dev, J. A., & Tomson, J. K. (2025). Metamorphic evolution of south Indian granulites: New results from in-situ U–Pb dating and Nd–Hf isotope fingerprinting of zircon, titanite, monazite, and apatite. Geochemistry. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemer.2025.126317.
2. Sorcar, N., Dev, J. A., Mukherjee, S., & Tomson, J. K. (2025). Differential cooling of granulites from Grovnes Peninsula, Larsemann Hills, East Antarctica: New evidence from garnet diffusion speedometry. New Zealand Journal of Geology and Geophysics.
3. Bivin, G. G., Ray, J. S., Milan, K. M., Dev, J. A., Tomson, J. K., Haripriya, J., & Alok, K. (2025). Geochronology of the Vindhyan Supergroup: Implications for the closure of Proterozoic basins of India. Precambrian Research.
4. Sahu, M., Banerjee, A., Prabhakar, N., Dev, J. A., Ghosh, S., Sheth, H., & Tomson, J. K. (2025). The Gyangarh–Anjana granitoids in the Sandmata Complex (Aravalli Craton, northwestern India): Syn-kinematic batholith emplacement during Late Palaeoproterozoic continental convergence. Geological Magazine. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0016756825000068.
5. Talukdar, D., Chalapathi Rao, N. V., Dev, J. A., Tomson, J. K., Alok, K., & Ashutosh, P. (2025). Palaeoproterozoic lamproite pulses from the Eastern Dharwar Craton, southern India: Some geodynamic implications. Journal of the Geological Society of India.
6. Dev, J. A., & Tomson, J. K. (2024). U–Pb geochronology of metamorphic rutiles: Deciphering the cooling history of south Indian granulites. Precambrian Research. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.precamres.2024.107408 .
7. Tomson, J. K., & Dev, J. A. (2024). Detrital zircon U–Pb ages and Hf isotopes of quartzites from Southern Granulite Terrane: Implications for Precambrian crustal evolution and paleogeography. Precambrian Research. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.precamres.2024.107348.
8. Deepchand, V., Dev, J. A., Rajesh, V. J., Sorcar, N., Tomson, J. K., & Kumar, R. B. (2024). Origin and thermal evolution of Cr–V–Ti magnetites (lodestones) from Coorg Massif, South India. Geochemistry. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemer.2024.126142.
9. Mukherjee, S., Ghosh, G., Sorcar, N., Dev, J. A., Tomson, J. K., & Bose, S. (2024). Pre-Himalayan tectono-metamorphic imprints in the Baijnath klippe, Kumaun Himalaya, northwest India: Implications for the Paleoproterozoic–Neoproterozoic crustal evolution of the northern Indian cratonic margin. Geological Society of America Bulletin. https://doi.org/10.1130/B37719.1 .
10. Priti, R., Borgohain, B., George, M., Dev, J. A., & Tomson, J. K. (2024). Tale of Eastern Himalayan river captures and upper Assam uplift: The paleo-Brahmaputra conundrum and migration. Gondwana Research. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gr.2024.06.004 .
11. Parvez, K., Mondal, M. E. A., Dev, J. A., Ahmad, I., Wamiq, M. K., & Tomson, J. K. (2024). Geochemistry and geochronology of 1.7–1.8 Ga peraluminous A-type granites and granite–gneiss from the Mahakoshal Basin, Central Indian Tectonic Zone (CITZ): Implications for an accretionary orogen. International Geology Review. https://doi.org/10.1080/00206814.2024.2400694 .
12. Francis, K. A., Tomson, J. K., Dev, J. A., Anjitha, J., Sarathlala, K. P., Ajay, K. K., & Dilipkumar, P. G. (2024). Himalayan-type strongly peraluminous leucogranite from the western Madurai Block, Southern Granulite Terrane, India: Evidence for Tonian crustal reworking. Journal of Earth System Science. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12040-024-02405-0.
13. Roy, A., Sharma, R. K., Jash, D., Rao, B. P., Dev, J. A., & Tomson, J. K. (2024). Imaging of Moho topography with conditional generative adversarial network from observed gravity anomalies. Journal of Asian Earth Sciences. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jseaes.2024.106093.
14. Rajak, P. K., Prabhakar, N., Banerjee, S., Dev, J. A., Bivin, G. G., & Tomson, J. K. (2024). Provenance of Mesozoic sandstones in the Saurashtra Basin using heavy mineral chemistry, geochemistry, and geochronology: Implications for paleo-drainage and paleogeographic reconstruction in western India. Marine and Petroleum Geology. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpetgeo.2024.106732
15. Anjaneyulu, D., Rao, Y. B., Kumar, T. V., Rajesham, T., Dev, J. A., Tomson, J. K., & Babu, E. V. S. S. K. (2024). Geochemistry of granitoids along the eastern margin of Eastern Dharwar Craton, southern India, and their tectonic setting. Journal of Applied Geochemistry, 26(3), 162–174.
16. Tomson, J. K., & Dev, J. A. (2023). Tracing the crustal evolution of Precambrian Southern Granulite Terrane in East Gondwana: New insights from zircon U–Pb/Hf geochronology. Geological Society of America Bulletin. https://doi.org/10.1130/B36777.1
17. Dev, J. A., Tomson, J. K., Vijayakumar, T., & Sorcar, N. (2023). Age and petrogenesis of mafic granulites from central Madurai Block, south India: Implications on regional tectonics. Geological Magazine.
18. Mukherjee, S., Das, P., Ghosh, G., Bose, S., Dev, J. A., Das, K., & Tomson, J. K. (2023). Detrital zircon geochronology and geochemistry of the Srisailam Formation, Cuddapah Basin, India: Implications for sedimentation, provenance, Hadean crustal components, and stratigraphy. Precambrian Research.
19. Mondal, A. K., Bose, S., Dev, J. A., Tomson, J. K., Sorcar, N., & Mukherjee, S. (2023). Petrological, geochemical, and geochronological evolution of massif-type charnockite from the Eastern Ghats Province, India: Implications for the Rayner–Eastern Ghats orogeny. Precambrian Research.
20. Sajna, S., Tomson, J. K., Dev, J. A., & Sorcar, N. (2023). Timing of garnet growth in granulites from southern India: Insights from zircon–monazite–garnet REE partition modeling. Journal of the Geological Society of India.
21. Dev, J. A., Sorcar, N., Mukherjee, S., & Tomson, J. K. (2022). Phase equilibrium modeling and zircon–monazite geochronology of HT–UHT granulites from Kambam Ultrahigh-Temperature Belt, south India. International Geology Review, 1–19.
22. Dev, J. A., Tomson, J. K., Sorcar, N., & Francis, K. A. (2022). Timing of UHT metamorphism and cooling in south Indian granulites: New P–T–t results from a sapphirine granulite. Precambrian Research, 371, 106582. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.precamres.2022.106582.
23. Dev, J. A., Tomson, J. K., Sorcar, N., & Nandakumar, V. (2021). Combined U–Pb/Hf isotopic studies and phase equilibrium modelling of HT–UHT metapelites from Kambam Ultrahigh-Temperature Belt, South India: Constraints on the tectonothermal evolution of the terrane. Lithos, 406, 106531. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lithos.2021.106531.
24. Joshi, K. B., Sorcar, N., Pant, N. C., Nandakumar, V., Ahmad, T., & Tomson, J. K. (2021). Characterization of multiple episodes of melt generation from lower crust during the Archaean using amphibole composition. Episodes Journal of International Geoscience, 44(4), 443–466. https://doi.org/10.18814/epiiugs/2021/021034.
25. Sribin, C., Rao, B. P., Kumar, M. R., & Tomson, J. K. (2021). Mantle deformation beneath the Western Ghats, India: Insights from core-refracted shear wave splitting analysis. Journal of Asian Earth Sciences, 218, 104848. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jseaes.2021.104848.
26. Sebastian, S., Bhutani, R., Balakrishnan, S., Tomson, J. K., & Shukla, A. D. (2021). Geochemical and isotopic studies of potassic granite from the western Dharwar Craton, southern India: Implications for crustal reworking in the Neoarchean. Geological Journal, 56(6), 2930–2949. https://doi.org/10.1002/gj.4048.
27. Sorcar, N., Joshi, K. B., Oliveira, E. P., Tomson, J. K., & Nandakumar, V. (2021). Corrigendum to “Characterization of partial melting events in garnet-cordierite gneiss from the Kerala Khondalite Belt, India.” Geoscience Frontiers, 12(2), 693–694. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gsf.2020.06.001.
28. Joshi, M., Prasobh, P. R., Rajappan, S., Rao, B. P., Gond, A., Misra, A., Eldhose, K., & Tomson, J. K. (2021). Detection of soil pipes through remote sensing and electrical resistivity method: Insight from southern Western Ghats, India. Quaternary International, 575, 51–61. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quaint.2020.04.028.
29. Radhakrishna, T., Tomson, J. K., Chandra, R., & Ramakrishna, C. (2020). Geochemistry of NW–SE trending Palaeoproterozoic mafic dyke intrusions in the Bundelkhand Craton, India and subcontinental lithospheric mantle processes. Precambrian Research, 351, 105956. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.precamres.2020.105956.
30. Sorcar, N., Joshi, K. B., Oliveira, E. P., Tomson, J. K., & Nandakumar, V. (2020). Characterization of partial melting events in garnet-cordierite gneiss from the Kerala Khondalite Belt, India. Geoscience Frontiers, 11(2), 597–611. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gsf.2019.02.009.
31. Kumar, T. V., Rao, Y. J. B., Plavsa, D., Collins, A. S., Tomson, J. K., & Babu, E. V. S. S. K. (2017). Zircon U–Pb ages and Hf isotopic systematics of charnockite gneisses from Ediacaran–Cambrian high-grade terrains, southern India: Constraints on crust formation and recycling. Geological Society of America Bulletin, 129(5–6), 625–648. https://doi.org/10.1130/B31503.1
32. Tomson, J. K., Rao, Y. J. B., Kumar, T. V., & Choudhary, A. K. (2013). Geochemistry and neodymium model ages of Precambrian charnockites, Southern Granulite Terrain, India: Constraints on terrain assembly. Precambrian Research, 227, 295–315. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.precamres.2012.10.001
33. Tomson, J. K., Rao, Y. J. B., Kumar, T. V., & Choudhary, A. K. (2009). Widespread intracrustal melting and generation of charnockites in the Neoproterozoic Madurai Block, South India. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta Supplement, 73, A1339.
34. Vijaya Kumar, T., Rao, Y. J. B., Choudhary, A. K., & Tomson, J. K. (2009). Role of deep crustal contamination in the genesis of Perinthatta anorthosite massif, South India. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta Supplement, 73, A1383.
35. Vijaya Kumar, T., Rao, Y. J. B., & Tomson, J. K. (2008). A Mesoproterozoic Sm–Nd age for the Oddanchatram anorthosite massif, South India: Evidence for ancient crustal contamination and significance to regional terrane assembly. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta Supplement, 72(12), A984.
36. Tomson, J. K., Rao, Y. J. B., Kumar, T. V., & Choudhary, A. K. (2008). Geochemistry and Sr–Nd isotopic systematics of Archaean and Neoproterozoic charnockites from the Southern Granulite Terrain, South India: Magma genesis and tectonics. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta Supplement, 72(12), A951.
37. Tomson, J. K., Rao, Y. J. B., Kumar, T. V., & Rao, J. M. (2006). Charnockite genesis across the Archaean–Proterozoic terrane boundary in the South Indian Granulite Terrain: Constraints from major-trace element geochemistry and Sr–Nd isotopic studies. Gondwana Research, 10(1–2), 115–127. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gr.2005.10.001.

List of papers presented in conferences

1. Crustal evolution of south Indian granulites: Insights from zircon Hf isotopes. JK Tomson, JA Dev (2022) Goldschmidt Conference
2. U-Pb baddeleyite and zircon ages from Kambam Carbonatite, south India and implications on regional tectonics. JA Dev, JK Tomson, (2022) Goldschmidt Conference
3. Unravelling the cooling history of HT-UHT rocks from South India: New evidences from LA-ICPMS analysis of rutiles JA Dev, N Sorcar, JK Tomson (2021) Goldschmidt Conference
4. Decoding Rodinia events in South India: Evidences from late-Tonian ages within granulites JK Tomson, S Sajna, N Sorcar, V Nandakumar (2020) AGU Fall Meeting
5. Mantle deformation beneath the southern part of Western Ghats. C Sribin, P Rao, JK Tomson (2020) AGU Fall Meeting
6. "Zircon U-Pb ages and Hf-isotopic compositions of Late Archean charnockites from the Biligiri Rangan, Nilgiri, Vythiri, and Coorg granulite massifs, the Southern Granulite Terrain, S. India: constraints on terrane assembly and charnockite precursors."T. Vijaya Kumar, Y.J. Bhaskar Rao, Chris Clark, Richard Taylor, J.K. Tomson, B. Sreenivas, E.V.S.S.K. Babu and B. Vijaya Gopal (2013) in Granulites & Granulites Conference, Hyderabad.
7. "NGRI LAM-MC-ICPMS National Facility: Reproducibility of Sr, Nd and Hf isotopic measurements." Y.J. Bhaskar Rao, B.Vijaya Gopal, EVSSK Babu, N.P.Sukumaran, T.Vijaya Kumar, KVSS Krishna, J.K.Tomson (2009), In Proceedings of 11th ISMAS-TRICON-2009, Hyderabad, pp.52-57.
8. "Sr, Nd, Hf and Pb isotopic characterization of the USGS BCR-2 Standard: Results from the NGRI MC-ICPMS Facility." N.P.Sukumaran, T.Vijaya Kumar, J.K.Tomson, KVSS Krishna, B.Vijaya Gopal, Y.J. Bhaskar Rao, EVSSK Babu (2009), In Proceedings of 11th ISMAS-TRICON- 2009, Hyderabad, pp.518-521.
9. "Sm-Nd and Rb-Sr ages and isotopic constraints on Precambrian terrain assembly aroundCauvery shear zone system, Southern Granulite Terrain, South India." Y.J.Bhaskar Rao, T. Vijayakumar, J.K. Tomson, A.M.Dayal (2004), In Proceedings of the International Workshop on Tectonics and Evolution of the Precambrian Southern Granulite Terrain, India and Gondwanian correlations, Feb.18-25, NGRI, Hyderabad.