Mantle heterogeneity,plume-lithosphere interaction at rift controlled ocean-continent transition zone:Evidence from trace-PGE geochemistry of Vempalle flows,Cuddapah Basin,India

This study reports major, trace, rare earth and platinum group element compositions of lava flows from the Vempalle Formation of Cuddapah Basin through an integrated petrological and geochemical approach to address mantle conditions, magma generation processes and tectonic regimes involved in their formation. Six flows have been identified on the basis of morphological features and systematic three-tier arrangement of vesicular-entablature-colonnade zones. Petrographically, the studied flows are porphyritic basalts with plagioclase and clinopyroxene representing dominant phenocrystal phases.Major and trace element characteristics reflect moderate magmatic differentiation and fractional crystallization of tholeiitic magmas. Chondrite-normalized REE patterns corroborate pronounced LREE/HREE fractionation with LREE enrichment over MREE and HREE. Primitive mantle normalized trace element abundances are marked by LILE-LREE enrichment with relative HFSE depletion collectively conforming to intraplate magmatism with contributions from sub-continental lithospheric mantle(SCLM) and extensive melt-crust interaction. PGE compositions of Vempalle lavas attest to early sulphur-saturated nature of magmas with pronounced sulphide fractionation, while PPGE enrichment over IPGE and higher Pd/Ir ratios accord to the role of a metasomatized lithospheric mantle in the genesis of the lava flows. HFSEREE-PGE systematics invoke heterogeneous mantle sources comprising depleted asthenospheric MORB type components combined with plume type melts. HFSE-REE variations account for polybaric melting at variable depths ranging from garnet to spinel lherzolite compositional domains of mantle. Intraplate tectonic setting for the Vempalle flows with P-MORB affinity is further substantiated by(i) their origin from a rising mantle plume trapping depleted asthenospheric MORB mantle during ascent,(ii) interaction between plume-derived melts and SCLM,(iii) their rift-controlled intrabasinal emplacement through Archeane Proterozoic cratonic blocks in a subduction-unrelated ocean-continent transition zone(OCTZ). The present study is significant in light of the evolution of Cuddapah basin in the global tectonic framework in terms of its association with Antarctica, plume incubation, lithospheric melting and thinning, asthenospheric infiltration collectively affecting the rifted margin of eastern Dharwar Craton and serving as precursors to supercontinent disintegration.

Geochemical cycling during subduction initiation:Evidence from serpentinized mantle wedge peridotite in the south Andaman ophiolite suite

The ophiolite suite from south Andaman Islands forms part of the Tethyan Ophiolite Belt and preserves the remnants of an ideal ophiolite sequence comprising a basal serpentinized and tectonised mantle peridotite followed by ultramafic and mafic cumulate units, basaltic dykes and spilitic pillow basalts interlayered with arkosic wacke. Here, we present new major, trace, rare earth(REE) and platinum group(PGE) element data for serpentinized and metasomatized peridotites(dunites) exposed in south Andaman representing the tectonized mantle section of the ophiolite suite. Geochemical features of the studied rocks, marked by Al_2 O_3/TiO_2 > 23, LILE-LREE enrichment, HFSE depletion, and U-shaped chondrite-normalized REE patterns with(La/Sm)N > 1 and(Gd/Yb)N <1, suggest contributions from boninitic mantle melts. These observations substantiate a subduction initiation process ensued by rapid slab roll-back with extension and seafloor spreading in an intraoceanic fore-arc regime. The boninitic composition of the serpentinized peridotites corroborate fluid and melt interaction with mantle manifested in terms of(i) hydration, metasomatism and serpentinization of depleted, MORB-type, sub-arc wedge mantle residual after repeated melt extraction; and(ii) refertilization of refractory mantle peridotite by boninitic melts derived at the initial stage of intraoceanic subduction. Serpentinized and metasomatized mantle dunites in this study record both MOR and intraoceanic arc signatures collectively suggesting suprasubduction zone affinity. The elevated abundances of Pd(4.4-12.2 ppb) with highΣPPGE/∑IPGE(2-3) and Pd/Ir(2-5.5) ratios are in accordance with extensive melt-rock interaction through percolation of boninitic melts enriched in fluid-fluxed LILE-LREE into the depleted mantle after multiple episodes of melt extraction. The high Pd contents with relatively lower Ir concentrations of the samples are analogous to characteristic PGE signatures of boninitic magmas and might have resulted by the infiltration of boninitic melts into the depleted and residual mantle wedge peridotite during fore-arc extension at the initial stage of intraoceanic subduction. The PGE patterns with high Os + Ir(2-8.6 ppb)and Ru(2.8-8.4 ppb) also suggest mantle rejuvenation by infiltration of melts derived by high degree of mantle melting. The trace, REE and PGE data presented in our study collectively reflect heterogeneous mantle compositions and provide insights into ocean-crust-mantle interaction and associated geochemical cycling within a suprasubduction zone regime.

Geochemistry and petrogenesis of Rajahmundry trap basalts of Krishna-Godavari Basin,India

The Rajahmundry Trap Basalts （RTB） are erupted through fault-controlled fissures in the Krishna-Godavari Basin （K-G Basin） of Godavari Triple Junction, occurring as a unique outcrop sandwiched between Cretaceous and Tertiary sediments along the east coast of India. Detailed geochemical studies have revealed that RTB are mid-Ti （1.74-1.92） to high-Ti （2.04-2.81） basalts with a distinct quartz tholeiitic parentage. MgO （6.2-13.12 wt.%）, Mg# （29-50） and Zr （109-202 ppm） suggest that these basalts evolved by fractional crystallization during the ascent of the parent magma along deep-seated fractures. Mod- erate to high fractionation of HREE, as indicated by （Gd/Yb）N ratios （1.71-2.31） of RTB, suggest their generation through 3-5% melting of a Fe-rich mantle corresponding to the stability fields of spinel and garnet peridotite at depths of 60-100 km. Low K2O/P2O5 （0.26-1.26）, high TiO2/P2O5 （6.74-16.79）, La/Nb （0.89-1.45）, Nb/Th 〉 8 （8.35-13）, negative anomalies at Rb reflect minimum contamination by granitic continental crust. （Nb/La）PM ratios （0.66-1.1） of RTB are attributed to endogenic contamination resulted through recycling of subducted oceanic slab into the mantle. Pronounced Ba enrichment with relative depletion in Rb indicates assimilation of Infra- and Inter-trappean sediments of estuarine to shallow marine character. Geochemical compositions such as A1203/TiO2 （3.88-6.83）, medium to high TiO2 （1.74 -2.81 wt.%）, positive Nb anomalies and LREE enrichment of these RTB attest to their mantle plume origin and indicate the generation of parent magma from a plume-related enriched mantle source with EM 1 signature. Ba/Th （46-247）, Ba/La （3.96-28.51） and Th/Nb （0.08-0.13） ratios suggest that the source enrichment process was marked by recycling of subduction-processed oceanic crust and lithospheric components into the mantle. Zr/Hf （37-41） and Zr/Ba （0.51-3.24） indicate involvement of an asthenospheric mantle source. The Rajahmundry basalts show affinity towards FOZO （focal zone mantle） and PSCL （post-Archaean subcontinental lithosphere） which reflect mixing between asthenospheric and lithospheric mantle components in their source. Origin of RTB magma is attributed to plume-lithosphere interaction and the upward movement of melt is facilitated by intrabasinal deep-seated faults in the K-G Basin.

Phanerozoic magmatism in the Proterozoic Cuddapah Basin and its connection with the Pangean supercontinent

Magmatic pulses in intraplate sedimentary basins are windows to understand the tectonomagmatic evolution and paleaoposition of the Basin.The present study reports the U-Pb zircon ages of mafic flows from the Cuddapah Basin and link these magmatic events with the Pangean evolution during late Carboniferous-Triassic/Phanerozoic timeframe.Zircon U-Pb geochronology for the basaltic lava flows from Vempalle Formation,Cuddapah Basin suggests two distinct Phanerozoic magmatic events coinciding with the amalgamation and dispersal stages of Pangea at 300 Ma(Late Carboniferous)and 227 Ma(Triassic).Further,these flows are characterized by analogous geochemical and geochronological signatures with Phanerozoic counterparts from Siberian,Panjal Traps,Emeishan and Tarim LIPs possibly suggesting their coeval and cogenetic nature.During the Phanerozoic Eon,the Indian subcontinent including the Cuddapah Basin was juxtaposed with the Pangean LIPs which led to the emplacement of these pulses of magmatism in the Basin coinciding with the assemblage of Pangea and its subsequent breakup between 400 Ma and 200 Ma.

Tectono-magmatic evolution of Tethyan oceanic lithosphere in supra subduction zone fore arc regime:Geochemical fingerprints from crust-mantle sections of Naga Hills Ophiolite

The Naga Hills Ophiolite(NHO)belt in the Indo-Myanmar range(IMR)represents a segment of Tethyan oceanic crust and upper mantle that was involved in an eastward convergence and collision of the Indian Plate with the Burmese Plate during the Late Cretaceous-Eocene.Here,we present a detailed petrological and geochemical account for the mantle and crustal sections of NHO,northeastern India to address(i)the mantle processes and tectonic regimes involved in their genesis and(ii)their coherence in terms of the thermo-tectonic evolution of Tethyan oceanic crust and upper mantle.The NHO suite comprises well preserved crustal and mantle sections discretely exposed at Moki,Ziphu,Molen,Washelo and Lacham areas.The ultramafic-mafic lithologies of NHO are mineralogically composed of variable proportions of olivine,orthopyroxene,clinopyroxene and plagioclase.The primary igneous textures for the mantle peridotites have been overprinted by extensive serpentinisation whereas the crustal section rocks reflect crystal cumulation in a magma chamber.Chondrite normalised REE profiles for the cumulate peridotite-olivine gabbro-gabbro assemblage constituting the crustal section of NHO show flat to depleted LREE patterns consistent with their generation from depleted MORB-type precursor melt in an extensional tectonic setting,while the mantle peridotites depict U-shaped REE patterns marked by relative enrichment of LREE and HREE over MREE.These features collectively imply a dual role of depleted MORB-type and enriched arc-type mantle components for their genesis with imprints of melt-rock and fluid-rock interactions.Tectonically,studied lithologies from NHO correspond to a boninitic to slab-proximal Island Arc Tholeiite affinity thereby conforming to an intraoceanic supra subduction zone(SSZ)fore-arc regime coherent with the subduction initiation process.The geochemical attributes for the crustal and mantle sections of NHO as mirrored by Zr/Hf,Zr/Sm,Nb/Ta,Zr/Nb,Nb/U,Ba/Nb,Ba/Th,Ba/La and Nd/Hf ratios propound a two-stage petrogenetic process:(i)a depleted fore arc basalt(FAB)type tholeiitic melt parental to the crustal lithologies was extracted from the upwelling asthenospheric mantle at SSZ fore-arc extensional regime thereby rendering a refractory residual upper mantle;(ii)the crust and upper mantle of the SSZ fore arc were progressively refertilised by boninitic melts generated in response to subduction initiation and slab-dehydration.The vestiges of Tethyan oceanic lithosphere preserved in NHO represent an accreted intra-oceanic fore arc crust and upper mantle section which records a transitional geodynamic evolution in a SSZ regime marked by subduction initiation,fore arc extension and arc-continent accretion.

Extensional collapse of the Gondwana orogen: Evidence from Cambrian mafic magmatism in the Trivandrum Block, southern India

The assembly of Late Neoproterozoice Cambrian supercontinent Gondwana involved prolonged subduction and accretion generating arc magmatic and accretionary complexes, culminating in collision and formation of high grade metamorphic orogens. Here we report evidence for mafic magmatism associated with post-collisional extension from a suite of gabbroic rocks in the Trivandrum Block of southern Indian Gondwana fragment. Our petrological and geochemical data on these gabbroic suite show that they are analogous to high Fe tholeiitic basalts with evolution of the parental melts dominantly controlled by fractional crystallization. They display enrichment of LILE and LREE and depletion of HFSE with negative anomalies at Zre Hf and Ti corresponding to subduction zone magmatic regime. The tectonic affinity of the gabbros coupled with their geochemical features endorse a heterogeneous mantle source with collective melt contributions from sub-slab asthenospheric mantle upwelling through slab break-off and arc-related metasomatized mantle wedge, with magma emplacement in subduction to post-collisional intraplate settings. The high Nb contents and positive Nbe Ta anomalies of the rocks are attributed to inflow of asthenospheric melts containing ancient recycled subducted slab components and/or fusion of subducted slab materials owing to upwelling of hot asthenosphere. Zircon grains from the gabbros show magmatic crystallization texture with low U and Pb content. The LA-ICPMS analyses show ^(206) Pb/^(238) U mean ages in the range of 507-494 Ma suggesting Cambrian mafic magmatism. The post-collisional mafic magmatism identified in our study provides new insights into mantle dynamics during the waning stage of the birth of a supercontinent.

Greenstone belts and their mineral endowment:Preface

The granite-greenstone terranes nested in Archean cratonic nuclei of continents over the world are composed of variably metamorphosed igneous and sedimentary remnants of ancient ocean basins.These rocks preserve distinct geological and geochemical imprints of mantle evolution and differentiation of primordial crust。

Hydro-uvarovite from Mantle Peridotites of Naga Hills Ophiolite: A Mineral Tracer for Neo-Tethyan Mantle Wedge Metasomatism

Hydrous Cr-bearing uvarovite garnets are rare in natural occurrences and belong to the ugrandite series and exist in binary solid solutions with grossular and andradite garnets. Here, we report the occurrence of hydrous uvarovite garnet having Cr_(2)O_(3) upto 19.66 wt% and CaO of 32.12–35.14 wt% in the serpentinized mantle peridotites of Naga Hills Ophiolite(NHO), India. They occur in association with low-Cr diopsides. They are enriched in LILE(Ba, Sr), LREEs, with fractionating LREE-MREE [avg.(La/Sm)_(N) = 2.16] with flat MREE/HREE patterns [avg.(Sm/Yb)_(N) = 0.95]. Raman spectra indicate the presence of hydroxyl(OH^(–)) peaks from 3500 to 3700 cm^(-1). Relative abundances in fluid mobile elements and their close association with clinopyroxenes are suggestive of the formation of uvarovite garnets through low temperature metasomatic alteration of low-Cr diopsides by hydrothermal slab fluids. The high LREE concentration and absence of Eu anomaly in the garnet further attest to alkaline nature of the transporting slab dehydrated fluid rather the involvement of low-p H solution. The chemical characteristics of the hydroxyl bearing uvarovite hosted by the mantle peridotite of NHO deviate from the classical features of uvarovite garnet, and their origin is attributed to the fluid-induced metasomatism of the sub arc mantle wedge in a suprasubduction zone regime.

Geochemical Features of Bellara Trap Volcanic Rocks of Chitradurga Greenstone Belt, Western Dharwar Craton, India: Insights into MORB-BABB Association from a Neoarchean Back-Arc Basin

This study presents a comprehensive account of the petrogenetic and geodynamic evolution of the Bellara Trap volcanic rocks from the Ingaldhal Formation, Chitradurga Group, western Dharwar Craton(WDC). Geochemical attributes of these rocks are consistent with two groups with distinct evolutionary trends: one comprising tholeiitic, MORB(mid-ocean ridge basalt) type basalts(BTB) and the other corresponding to calc-alkaline andesites(BTA). Basalts are essentially composed of clinopyroxene and plagioclase whereas the andesites are porphyritic with phenocrysts of plagioclase, clinopyroxene and polycrystalline quartz embedded in a groundmass of K-feldspar, quartz and opaques. Primary igneous mineralogy is overprinted by greenschist facies metamorphism resulting in chlorite-actinolite-plagioclase assemblage. The BTB samples reflect nearly flat REE patterns with weak LREE enrichment in contrast to pronounced LREE enhancement over HREE discernible for BTA. Tectonically, the BTB samples correspond to an active mid-oceanic ridge-rift setting with a MORB composition, whereas a back-arc basin(BAB) regime is corroborated for the BTA samples fractionating from back-arc basin basalts. Geochemical imprints of subduction input are more pronounced in BTA compared to BTB as mirrored by their elevated abundances of incompatible fluid mobile elements like Ba, Th, U and LREE. The BTB is endowed with an N-to E-MORB signature attributable to minor contributions from subduction-related components at the inception of a back-arc basin in the vicinity of an active subduction system. The BTA derived through differentiation of a basaltic magma with BABB(back-arc basin basalt) affinity compositionally akin to a heterogeneous source mantle carrying depleted MORB-type and enriched arc-type components inducted with progressive subduction. The BABB-type andesites and MORB-type basalts from Bellara Traps record a compositional heterogeneity of mantle in an intraoceanic arc-back arc system. Mantle processes invoke a BABB-MORB spectrum with a MORB-like endmember and an arc-like endmember associated with a juvenile back-arc basin. This study infers a Neoarchean analogue of Mariana-type back-arc rift setting proximal to the arc with a gradual transition from anhydrous to hydrous melting processes synchronized with MORB-mantle and arc-mantle interaction during initiation of a nascent back arc adjacent to the arc. The MORB-BABB compositional spectrum for the Bellara Traps conforms to a Neoarchean back-arc basin that evolved under an extensional tectonic regime associated with incipient stages of back-arc rifting and incorporation of subduction-derived components in the mantle output. This study complies with Neoarchean intraoceanic accretionary cycle plate tectonics in WDC.