Geochronological Constraints on Evolution of Singhbhum Mobile Belt and Associated Basic Volcanics of Eastern Indian Shield

The Singhbhum Mobile Belt (SMB) of the eastern Indian shield represents a roughly east-west-trending arcuate belt of folded supracrustals overlying the granite-greenstone basement of the Singhbhum-Orissa Craton along its northern, eastern and western margins and is bounded by the Chotanagpur Gneissic Complex to further north. The radiometric ages of the basement Singhbhum and equivalent granites and the intrusive anorogenic Mayurbhanj granite pluton constrain the time of evolution of this mobile belt between 3.12 and 3.09 Ga. Hence, the SMB supracrustals also known as Singhbhum Group, is late Mesoarchaean in age and not Proterozoic as thought earlier. The evolution of the SMB was followed by emplacement of some major basic igneous rocks within or adjacent to the supracrustals. These include Simlipal volcanics at >3.09 Ga on the SMB, Mayurbhanj gabbro along with Mayurbhanj granite at 3.09 Ga along the marginal part of the craton near the SMB, and the Dalma volcanics on the SMB along with the Dhanjori volcanics adjacent to SMB at 2.80 Ga. The 2.80 Ga old basic volcanics is also associated with emplacement of some small granite plutons occurring along the marginal part of the craton, one of them, the Tamperkola granite intrudes the SMB. The >3.09 Ga onward igneous activities along the marginal part of Singhbhum-Orissa Craton took place essentially under anorogenic tectonic setting before being affected by a major metamorphism at 2.50 Ga, which is recorded on the Dalma volcanics and on some small granite pluton occurs along the marginal part of the craton. The Jagannathpur and stratigraphically equivalent Malangtoli volcanics, occurring within the Singhbhum-Orissa Craton at the west, were erupted at 2.25 Ga. The boundary between the SMB supracrustals and the Singhbhum-Orissa Craton is demarked by a prominent shear zone known as the Singhbhum Shear Zone, which shows multiple reactivation, the oldest being at 3.09 Ga, followed by subsequent reactivation during Palaeo- and Mesoproterozoic periods at 2.2, 1.8, 1.6-1.5, 1.4 and 1.0 Ga respectively. The Singhbhum Group and the adjacent Chotanagpur Gneissic Complex appear to have evolved from a near shore syn-rift and a distal post-rift stable shelf sedimentary assemblages respectively, which were deposited without any stratigraphic break in a marine basin existed in the present north of the Singhbhum-Orissa Craton. Both of these assemblages were deformed and metamorphosed together during Proterozoic at 2.5 to >2.3 Ga, 1.6 Ga and 1.0 Ga.     

Geodynamic evolution and crustal growth of the central Indian Shield: Evidence from geochemistry of gneisses and granitoids

The rare earth element patterns of the gneisses of Bastar and Bundelkhand are marked by LREE enrichment and HREE depletion with or without Eu anomaly. The spidergram patterns for the gneisses are characterized by marked enrichment in LILE with negative anomalies for Ba, P and Ti. The geochemical characteristics exhibited by the gneisses are generally interpreted as melts generated by partial melting of a subducting slab. The style of subduction was flat subduction, which was most common in the Archean. The rare earth patterns and the multi-element diagrams with marked enrichment in LILE and negative anomalies for Ba, P and Ti of the granitoids of both the cratons indicate interaction between slab derived melts and the mantle wedge. The subduction angle was high in the Proterozoic. Considering the age of emplacement of the gneisses and granitoids that differs by ∼ 1 Ga, it can be assumed that these are linked to two independent subduction events: one during Archaean (flat subduction) that generated the precursor melts for the gneisses and the other during the Proterozoic (high angle subduction) that produced the melts for the granitoids. The high values of Mg #, Ni, Cr, Sr and low values of SiO₂ in the granitoids of Bastar and Bundelkhand cratons compared to the gneisses of both the cratons indicate melt-mantle interaction in the generation of the granitoids. The low values of Mg#, Ni, Cr, Sr and high values of SiO₂ in the gneisses in turn overrules such melt-mantle interaction.     

Structure and Evolution of the Eastern Part of the Southwest Indian Ridge

Geotectonics - The structure and evolution of the eastern part of the Southwest Indian Ridge are discussed. Based on geological-geophysical data and cartographic materials, analysis of spatial and...     

Upper mantle anisotropy inferred from shear wave splitting beneath the Eastern Indian Shield region

We estimate the shear wave splitting parameters vis-à-vis the thicknesses of the continental lithosphere beneath the two permanent seismic broadband stations located at Dhanbad (DHN) and Bokaro (BOKR) in the Eastern Indian Shield region. Broadband seismic data of 146 and 131 teleseismic earthquake events recorded at DHN and BOKR stations during 2007–2014 were analyzed for the present measurements. The study is carried out using rotation-correlation and transverse component minimization methods. We retain our “Good”, “Fair” and “Null” measurements, and estimate the splitting parameters using 13 “Good” results for DHN and 10 “Good” results for BOKR stations. The average splitting parameters (ϕ, δt) for DHN and BOKR stations are found to be 50.76°±5.46° and 0.82 ± 0.2 s and 56.30°±5.07° and 0.95 ± 0.17 s, and the estimated average thicknesses of the anisotropic layers beneath these two stations are ∼ 94 and ∼109 km, respectively. The measured deviation of azimuth of the fast axis direction (ϕ) from the absolute motion of the Indian plate ranges from ∼8° to 14°. The measured deviation of azimuth of the fast axis direction (ϕ) from the absolute motion of the Indian plate ranges from ∼8° to 14°. The eastward deviation of the fast axis azimuths from absolute plate motion direction is interpreted to be caused by induced outflow from the asthenosphere. Further, the delay time found in the present analysis is close to the global average for continental shield areas, and also coherent with other studies for Indian shield regions. The five “Null” results and the lower delay time of ∼0.5–0.6 s might be indicating multilayer anisotropy existing in the mantle lithosphere beneath the study area.     

Phanerozoic Geodynamic Evolution of the Circum-Italian Realm

The Phanerozoic geodynamic evolution of Europe is reviewed for the purpose of identifying its bearing on the petrogenesis of the Cenozoic European Volcanic Province. Several events capable of modifying the chemistry and mineralogy of the mantle, such as subduction of oceanic crust, continent-continent collision, and ocean formation are emphasized. The area now occupied by the Mediterranean Sea and, in general, all of Europe, underwent a complex geodynamic evolution, involving large relative crustal movements. The Paleozoic to Recent evolution of the circum-Mediterranean Sea area can be summarized as follows: (1) extension during the Precambrian (presence of ～3000 to 4000 km wide oceanic crust between Laurussia (consisting of the Laurentian and Baltica-Fenno-scandian cratons) and Gondwana (South America, Africa, Australia, India, and Antarctica); (2) collisional movements with the formation of “Andean-type” margins during the Late Precambrian to Middle Paleozoic, followed by “Himalayan-type” margins during the Carboniferous (Hercynian orogeny sensu stricto); (3) change of plate movements and development of tensional (transtensive) stresses at the end of the Paleozoic, as indicated by the formation of the North Atlantic-Tethys rift system, with the Cretaceous formation of the Ligurian-Piedmontese and the Mesogean Ocean; (4) the Alpine orogeny, with a two-stage compressive cycle-(a) Eoalpine (Paleogene closure of the Ligurian-Piedmontese Ocean; formation of the Betic Cordillera, western-northern Alps, and Carpatho-Balkan Arc), with Europe-verging thrusts; and (b) Neoalpine (Neogene-Pleistocene formation of the Apennine, Maghrebide, Dinaride, and Hellenide chains, plus the backthrusted southern Alps, all with African vergence; opening of two diachronous backarc basins-the Ligurian-Provencal Basin and the Tyrrhenian Sea-in the western Mediterranean). Hercynian-age modifications (the most important of which are subduction-related) led to almost unique isotopic ratios, such as low ¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd, ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴Pb, ³He/⁴He, and slightly radiogenic ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios.

During the Cenozoic and Quaternary, widespread magmatic activity developed throughout Europe. These products, mainly represented by mildly to strongly alkaline rocks with sodic affinity and tholeiitic mafic rocks (basanite, alkali basalts, tholeiitic basalts), show quite uniform geochemical and isotopic compositions typical of a within-plate tectonic setting. Moreover, subduction-related magmatism (mainly represented by low-to high-K calc-alkaline and shoshonitic series + ultrapotassic rocks such as lamproites) developed in response to the subduction systems of the Alpine orogeny. With respect to the circum-Italian realm, the igneous rocks emplaced during the last 30 Ma are essentially related to the Alpine orogeny. This activity is represented by rocks of extremely variable composition (alkaline-both sodic and potassic to ultrapotassic-and subalkaline [tholeiitic and calc-alkaline]) and probably carbonatitic.     

Mineralogical study of gabbro-anorthosite from Dumka, Chhotanagpur Gneissic Complex, Eastern Indian Shield

The Chhotanagpur Gneissic Complex (CGC), bearing imprints of widespread high grade metamorphic and magmatic history since Palaeoproterozoic, represents an integral crustal segment of Eastern Indian Shield. The gabbroanorthosite intrusives constitute a part of mafic-ultramafic magmatism in the CGC. The study area around Dumka (24°16?? to 24°20??N: 87°13?? to 87°22??E) predominantly comprises of granite gneiss and charnockitic country rocks within which gabbro-anorthosite intrusions occur as lenses. Field relations and structural studies reveal that the country rocks of Dumka have suffered three phases of deformation represented by F₁, F₂ and F₃ folds. The gabbro-anorthosite intrusives maintain a sharp contact with the host rocks, deformed and metamorphosed. Relict igneous layering or primary igneous foliation (S_ig) is recorded where metamorphic overprint is minimal. Mineral phases of gabbro-anorthosite rocks suggest that clinopyroxene compositions from gabrro correspond to diopside and clinoferrosilite, while those from anorthosite are clinoferrosilite. Amphiboles from the gabbro-anorthosite rocks are calcic, and range from ferroan pargasite in gabbro to ferroan pargasitic hornblende in anorthosite. Plagioclase from gabbro and anorthosite belong to bytownite and andesine respectively. Chemical composition of garnet in gabbro is almandine. Thermobarometric estimates for Dumka gabbroanorthosites correspond to 511°C to 915°C and 5.0?C7.5 kb pressure, comparable to that estimated for Bengal Anorthosite (593?C795°C, 4.1?C7.3 kb). Fractionation trend of plagioclase substantiates a single parental magma in the evolution of Dumka gabbro-anorthosite intrusives.     

Petrology and Geochemistry of Some Ophiolitic Metaperidotites from the Eastern Desert of Egypt: Insights into Geodynamic Evolution and Metasomatic Processes

Ophiolitic peridotites exposed in the Eastern Desert(ED) of Egypt record multiple stages of evolution, including different degrees of partial melting and melt extraction, serpentinization, carbonatization and metamorphism. The present study deals with metaperidotites at two selected localities in the central and southern ED, namely Wadi El-Nabá and Wadi Ghadir, respectively. They represent residual mantle sections of a Neoproterozoic dismembered ophiolite that tectonically emplaced over a volcano-sedimentary succession that represents island–arc assemblages. The studied metaperidotites are serpentinized, with the development of talc-carbonate and quartz-carbonate rocks, especially along shear and fault planes. Fresh relics of primary minerals(olivine, orthopyroxene and Cr-spinel) are preserved in a few samples of partiallyserpentinized peridotite. Most of the Cr-spinel crystals have fresh cores followed by outer zones of ferritchromite and Crmagnetite, which indicates that melt extraction from the mantle protolith took place under oxidizing conditions. The protoliths of the studied metaperidotites were dominated by harzburgites, which is supported by the abundance of mesh and bastite textures in addition to some evidence from mineral and whole-rock chemical compositions. The high Cr#(0.62–0.69; Av. 0.66) and low TiO2(0.3 wt%) contents of the fresh Cr-spinels, the higher Fo(89–92; Av. 91) and NiO(0.24–0.54 wt%, Av. 0.40) contents of the primary olivine relics, together with the high Mg#(0.91–0.93; Av. 91) and low CaO, Al2 O3 and TiO2 of the orthopyroxene relics, are all comparable with depleted to highly depleted forearc harzburgite from a suprasubduction zone setting. The investigated peridotites have suffered subsequent phases of metasomatism, from oceanfloor hydrothermal alteration(serpentinization) to magmatic hydrothermal alteration. The enrichment of the studied samples in light rare earth elements(LREEs) relative to the heavy ones(HREEs) is attributed to most probably be due to the contamination of their mantle source with granitic source hydrothermal fluids after the obduction of the ophiolite assemblage onto the continental crust. The examined rocks represent mantle residue that experienced different degrees of partial melting(～10% to 25% for W. El-Nabá rocks and ～5% to 23% for W. Ghadir rocks). Variable degrees of partial melting among the two investigated areas suggest mantle heterogeneity beneath the Arabian-Nubian Shield(ANS).     

Geodynamic Evolution Model of the Major Structures of Amerasian Basin

We have analyzed the geodynamic evolution of the lithosphere and upper mantle of the Amerasian basin based on the stress-strain state simulation. It is shown that the asthenospheric spreading in the return upflow region of the mantle convection, results in formation of two local uplifts, which can be interpreted as Lomonosov Ridge and Mendeleev/Alfa Ridge. The further long-term action of the mantle convection leads to formation of Makarov and Podvodnikov Basins.     

The Archean of the Baltic Shield: Geology, Geochronology, and Geodynamic settings

The Archean provinces and lithotectonic complexes of the Baltic (Fennoscandian) Shield are considered. The supracrustal complexes are classified by age: <3.2, 3.10–2.90, 2.90–2.82, 2.82–2.75, and 2.75–2.65 Ga. The data on Archean granitoid complexes and metamorphic events are mentioned briefly, whereas the recently found fragments of the Archean ophiolitic and eclogite-bearing associations are discussed in more detail. The Paleoarchean rocks and sporadic detrital grains of Paleoarchean zircons have been found in the Baltic Shield; however, the relatively large fragments of the continental crust likely began to form only in the Mesoarchean (3.2–3.1 Ga ago), when the first microcontinents, e.g., Vodlozero and Iisalmi, were created. The main body of the continental crust was formed 2.90–2.65 Ga ago. The available information on the Paleoarchean complexes of the Baltic Shield is thus far too scanty for judgment on their formation conditions. The geologic, petrologic, isotopic, and geochronological data on the Meso-and Neoarchean lithotectonic complexes testify to their formation in the geodynamic settings comparable with those known in Phanerozoic: subduction-related (ensialic and ensimatic), collisional, spreading-related, continental rifting, and the setting related to mantle plumes.     

Neoproterozoic Crustal Evolution of Northwestern Indian Shield: Implications on Break up and Assembly of Supercontinents

The Neoproterozoic geological history in western Rajasthan, northwest Indian Shield began with the intrusion of anorogenic bodies of diorites at ca. 1000 Ma. Recently available single zircon dates indicate possible continuity of the “Grenville belt” beyond Eastern Ghats through the Satpura Orogenic Belt into the Aravalli Mountains. Closely following this tectono-thermal event at the Meso-Neoproterozoic boundary, some narrow basins opened west of the Aravalli Mountains. The basin closing related to the tectonic inversion and associated magmatism at ca. 835 Ma completed the cratonisation process of the Precambrian Aravalli crust. Subsequent geological events witnessed over a wide region to the southwest of the Aravalli Mountains, were in the form of “plume-related” magmatism of the Malani Group, which comprises bimodal volcanics (dominantly felsic and minor mafic), minor sediments, and peraluminous and peralkaline granitoids. An unconformity indicating a hiatus is noticed at the base of the Malani Group. The final phase of the Neoproterozoic cratonic history is associated with thick platformal deposits of the Marwar Supergroup. The Marwar basins show a clear sedimentological affiliation with the sub-Himalayan basin of “Saline Series” in Pakistan.The beginning of the Neoproterozoic history in the northwestern Indian Shield is correlated with the events related to the possible break up of the Rodinia Supercontinent. Much of the later phases of the Neoproterozoic geological events witnessed in the Indian Shield are traditionally described as the “Pan-African”. However, the geological events recorded in the northwestern part of Indian Shield are neither strictly coeval nor are tectonically correlatable with the ‘orogeny and fabric-forming contemporary events’ of the East African Orogeny (EAO), which is undoubtedly the type terrane of the Pan-African Tectono-thermal Belt. The evolution of the northwestern Indian Shield during the Neoproterozoic does not appear to be related in any way with the Pan-African events observed in EAO. Further, the most talked about ‘Pan-African’ dates at ca. 500±50 Ma, are manifestations of anorogenic thermal event, which possibly marks an aborted attempt to fragment the ‘Greater Gondwana’ during the early Palaeozoic.     

Blastomylonite Complexes of the Western Yenisei Ridge (Eastern Siberia,Russia): Geological Position,Metamorphic Evolution and Geodynamic Models

Geotectonics - Metapelites and metabasites within the Yenisei regional shear zone of the Yenisei Ridge underwent strong deformations with substrate recrystallization and blastomylonite formation...     

Tectonic Structure and Geodynamic Settings of Neoproterozoic Granitoid Magmatism of the Eastern Arctic

Doklady Earth Sciences - The correlation of Neoproterozoic granitoid magmatism of the New Siberian Islands, Wrangel Island, Chukotka, the Chukchi Borderland, and Northern Alaska indicates integrity...     

鄂尔多斯盆地周边地带新构造演化及其区域动力学背景

系统研究了松辽盆地泰康地区青山口组沉积相类型及沉积特征.对其中青一段与青二、三段的沉积相平面分布与垂向演化规律做了较深入的探讨.青山口组主要发育湖泊相与三角洲相2种沉积相类型,湖泊相包括2种亚相与4种微相,三角洲相包括2种亚相和2种微相.青一段以深湖、半深湖相泥岩沉积为特征,青二、三段以浅湖相与三角洲相砂泥岩互层为特征.区内青山口组主要存在3种类型的储层砂体,分别为三角洲前缘河口坝砂体、三角洲前缘远砂坝砂体和浅湖砂体,其中浅湖砂体是最好的含油砂体,浅湖砂体发育的优势区也即浅湖沉积亚相发育区是区内最重要的油气富集区,是今后油气勘探的有利地区     

Age and Geodynamic Conditions of Formation for the Neoproterozoic Gold-Bearing Granitoids in the Eastern Sayan

Geotectonics - The paper discusses the results of petrogeochemical and geochronological studies of the Tainsky granitoid stock containing the Tainsky gold deposit in the East Sayan. The Tainsky...     

Mineralogical Study of Almandine-Hercynite-Muscovite-Ilmenite Hornblendite Dykes from the Southern Margin of the Gondwana Graben at Richughuta in Palamau District of the Eastern Indian Shield

正Introduction The rectangular block of Proterozoic formation lying between north of the Singhbhum Mobile Belt(SMB,2.3-2.4 Ga,Saha 1994),Neogene sediments of the Bengal basin and the Quaternary-Recent alluvium of the Ganga     

Extent of the Middle Cretaceous Orogen in Eastern Asia and the Geodynamic Causes of Its Transformation

An extensive Middle Cretaceous orogenic belt of East Asia, which occupies the Okhotsk–Koryak–Western Kamchatka territory, encompasses thrust-and-fold structures. It formed over an interval of 130–110 Ma as a result of perioceanic accretion–obduction processes involving marine allochthonous complexes up to the Barremian inclusive, which experienced large amplitude displacements. Under the remote impact of subsequent (end of the Cretaceous and Cenozoic) perioceanic tectonic events, the primary structures of the Middle Cretaceous belt underwent compression-related superimposed deformations and fragmentation of allochthons with negligible displacement amplitudes. This led to the formation within the belt of a mosaic pattern of alternating fragments of neo-autochthons and allochthons bounded by young thrusts and strike–slip faults, often suggested as independent heterochronous terranes.