Examine the tectonic history and paleogeography of the Indian plate: Statement I: During the Late Cretaceous epoch, the northward drifting Indian continental plate traversed the equator and passed over the Réunion hotspot, generating massive flood basalt eruptions known as the Deccan Traps. Statement II: The northward drift of peninsular India was initiated after its separation from the supercontinent of Laurasia during the Paleozoic era.

💡 Solution & Explanation

Statement I is correct because the Deccan Traps volcanism occurred when the Indian plate moved over the Réunion mantle plume during its northward migration. Statement II is incorrect because peninsular India broke away from Gondwana, not Laurasia, during the Mesozoic era, subsequently drifting across the Indian Ocean to collide with Eurasia. Plate tectonic reconstructions explain modern global physiography and mineral distributions.