D. Rameshwar Rao

Mafic granulites of the Schirmacher region, East Antarctica: fluid inclusion and geothermobarometric studies focusing on the Proterozoic evolution of the crust

In the Proterozoic complex of the Schirmacher region of East Antarctica, a retrograde pressure–temperature (P–T) history has been inferred through quantitative geothermobarometry and fluid inclusion studies of the mafic granulites. Microthermometric investigations of the fluid phases trapped in quartz and garnet identified three types of inclusions, namely, earliest pure CO 2 inclusions (0·987–1·057 g cm −3 ), CO 2 –H 2 O inclusions and aqueous inclusions. The temperature and pressure of metamorphism have been estimated through different calibrations of geothermometers and geobarometers. The mineral reactions and compositional zoning in the minerals record P–T conditions from nearly 837 ± 26°C, 7·1±0·2 kbar to 652 ± 33°C, 5·9 ± 0·3 kbar. A good correlation between the fluid and mineral data is observed. The isochores typical of highdensity CO 2 fluids fall well within the P–T box estimated by mineral thermobarometry. The abundance of primary CO 2 inclusions in early metamorphic minerals (notably quartz and primary garnet) and the general correspondence between fluid and mineral P–T data indicate a ‘fluid-present’ carbonic regime for the high-grade metamorpism; however, from the present data largescale CO 2 advection could not be envisaged. The subsequent stages involved a decrease in CO 2 density, a progressive influx of hydrous fluids and the generation of retrograde amphibolite facies metamorphism in the area. The estimated P–T conditions of the region suggest that the rocks were metamorphosed at a depth of 19–24 km, with a geothermal gradient of c. 3°5C km −1 . The estimated P–T conditions of the rocks imply a clockwise P–T–t path with a gradual decrease in temperature of around 250°C and a decrease in pressure of around 1700 bar. They have a d P /d T gradient of ≈7 ± l bar °C −1 , arguing for an isobaric cooling history of the terrane under normal thickened crust after the underplating of mantle-derived material.

Origin of Mg-Metatholeiites of the Schirmacher Region, East Antarctica: Constraints from Trace Elements and Nd-Sr Isotopic Systematics

Abstract The mafic granulites of Schirmacher region, East Antarctica, the rocks under study, occur more or less as concordant sills or as lenses or as boudinage structures within the felsic rocks, charnockites or metapelites of the region. They show variation from garnet bearing two-pyroxene granulites and garnet free pyroxene granulites to transitional amphibolite-pyroxene granulites. Their major, trace, REE and isotopic chemistry are not distinct from each other and they represent Mg-basalts with MgO >7% and Al 2 O 3 The majority of the analyzed samples plot in the tholeiitic field or show tholeiitic trends, suggesting their metatholeiitic nature as well as general preservation of original composition. The rocks are characterized by enriched large-ion lithophile elemental concentrations than that of mid-oceanic ridge basalts. Their high-field strength elements and heavy rare-earth elemental concentrations, however, are as that of mid-oceanic ridge basalts, a feature which is also reflected in the ratios of their large-ion lithophile elements against high-field strength elements and heavy rare-earth elements, wherein we find these ratios are higher than N-type MORB. Further, the rocks show negative Nb anomaly, high Th/Ta ratio and low La/Nb ratio, which are also characteristics of subduction-related magmatism. The isotopic studies carried out on these samples show that, the Sm-Nd and Rb-Sr dating did not yield much spread, but suggested a Sm-Nd metamorphic age of ∼960 Ma. Rb-Sr dating gave ages ∼886 Ma, suggesting the reworking of the Rb and Sr elements during subsequent tectonothermal overprinting. The Nd model ages (T DM Nd ) of these rocks show a relatively restricted range of 1120 to 1357 Ma, suggesting mafic magmatism ∼1200 Ma. The positive eNd values (+4.22 to +6.07) shown by these rocks, represent a juvenile crustal fragment derived from melting of mantle precursors, without significant reworking of older crustal material. It is proposed that these rocks were produced by partial melting of a mantle source, characterized by LILE enrichment, related principally to dehydration of subducted oceanic crust.

Metamorphic Evolution of Charnockites and Felsic Gneisses from the Schirmacher Region, East Antarctica

Abstract The structural and petrographic studies of the metamorphic rocks of the Schirmacher region, East Antarctica, indicate polyphase metamorphism, dominantly of an early granulite and later amphibolite facies metamorphism. In order to understand the metamorphic evolution of the region, the temperature and pressure of metamorphism has been estimated for felsic gneisses and charnockites using conventional models of geothermometry and geobarometry. The studies showed that, the early granulite facies metamorphism and charnockitization took place around 827±29°C at 7.3±0.3 kbar, while the later amphibolite facies metamorphism and granitization took place around 654±27°C at 5.4±0.4 kbar. The pressure and temperature recorded in these rocks suggest that metamorphism was initiated at 20 to 27 km depth, with a geothermal gradient of around 32°C/km. The P-T conditions reflect isobaric cooling path, with a gentle dP/dT slope (∼10±1 bar/°C). The isobaric cooling path owes its origin to the underplating of crust by mantle derived magmas.

Geochemistry of the Mafic Xenoliths from the Kinnaur Kailash Granite, Baspa Valley, Himachal Pradesh

The geochemistry of the mafic xenoliths from Baspa valley of Himachal Pradesh, India has been investigated to characterize their protoliths on the basis of immobile elements, especially trace elements including REE. The mafic xenoliths occur within the Kinnaur Kailash granite (KKG) and their geochemistry show that they have tholeiitic nature with basaltic composition. Compositionally, they range from ‘depleted’ to ‘enriched’ MORB as observed on the binary diagrams of Ti vs V and Zr vs Ti and on ternary diagrams of Zr-Ti-Y and Th-Zr-N. Likewise, they match with various enriched or ‘transitional’ MORB types as evident from their Zr vs Nb binary plot. Their enriched character when compared with N-MORB, E-MORB and OIB rocks on chondrite and primordial mantle normalized plots reveals that it is intermediate to that of E-MORB and OIB. The geochemistry of the rocks suggest that the enriched components are probably derived by melting of a mantle source with E-MORB or OIB rather than due to the crustal contamination. The study carried out emphasize that the mafic xenoliths have developed in rift environment, and that they are not volcanic rocks of island arc related to subduction tectonics. It is visualized that the mafic xenoliths were formed as cumulate rocks from the tholeiitic magmas that were rising to lower crust levels in a rift environment, which at a later stage got entrapped as restitic material in the host Kinnaur Kailash granite formed in a collision environment, and propose a change of regime from rift related to collision environment prior to Palaeozoic period.