Geochemical Evidences for Possible Absence of Cu-Sulfide Deposits in the Deccan Volcanic Province,India

Continental flood basalt provinces (CFBs) are important hosts for large-scale Cu-sulfide deposits. However, sulfide mineralization is yet to be discovered, if any, in the end-Cretaceous Deccan volcanic province, India. In the present study, geochemical evidences for the possible absence of Cu-sulfide deposits associated with the Deccan basalts by analyzing and comparing the geochemistries of the Deccan and Siberian CFBs are provided. The Fe-rich nature and high fO₂ conditions did not favour sulfide saturation at any stage of magma evolution in the Deccan province. Crustal contamination of the Deccan magmas also did not increase the sulfur budget. The most contaminated basalts of Bushe and Poladpur formations of the Deccan province do not show any depletion in the copper contents compared to other formations. In the absence of sulfide saturation, copper behaved as an incompatible element in the Deccan magmas in contrast to the Siberian basalts, in which copper behaved as a compatible element during magma evolution due to sulfide saturation consequently formed world-class copper sulfide deposits. It is demonstrated that the lithosphere- and asthenosphere-derived Deccan magmas have similar Cu abundances thereby suggesting that the Cu-sulfide deposits associated with the CFBs are process-controlled rather than source-controlled. Although Cu-sulfide deposits may not have formed, the geochemical patterns suggest favourable conditions for native copper mineralization in the Deccan volcanic province. In the present study, a set of geochemical proxies that can be utilized as preliminary exploration tools for Cu-sulfide mineralization in the CFBs is proposed.     

Deccan basalts

The Deccan basalts now cover an area of c. 500,000 sq. km in central and western India. The lava pile varies in thickness from c. 2000 metres in western India to c. 100–200 metres in central India, exposing the upper and lower horizons of the volcanics respectively. The salient mineralogical and chemical characters of the basalts are reviewed. Dominantly the basalts are tholeiitic while minor alkalic variants in western India represent the closing phase of volcanic activity. The diversification of the magma to the west is associated with thickening of the lava pile and increase of heat flow. The ultrabasic flows (picrite basalts) are products of fractionation of the source magma of olivine tholeiitic composition. The minor acid variants (e.g. rhyolites, pitchstones, felsites, etc.) are possibly residual liquids of the ascending magma.     

Crustal sulfur is required to form magmatic Ni–Cu sulfide deposits: evidence from chalcophile element signatures of Siberian and Deccan Trap basalts

Process models for ore formation in magmatic Ni–Cu–platinum group element (PGE) sulfide systems require that S saturation is achieved in a mafic–ultramafic magma. Traditional models explain the achievement of S saturation or sulfide saturation either by the addition of crustal S, by the felsification of the magma by crustal contamination, or by mixing between primitive and evolved magmas. Which process matters most is important to industry-oriented exploration models where crustal S sources are believed to be encouraging features of a metallotect. Studies of the Siberian Trap flood basalts at Noril’sk have demonstrated that chalcophile element depletion is linked to assimilation of silica-rich crust, but it is less clear whether this contaminant contained an appreciable amount of S. At Noril’sk, the Ni–Cu–PGE sulfide deposits are associated with subvolcanic intrusions that were emplaced into Permian and Carboniferous sedimentary sequences rich in shales, marlstones, and evaporites. Similar to the Siberian Trap basalts, the Deccan Trap contains a volumetrically important suite of crustally contaminated tholeiitic basalts. We present new PGE data for samples from a stratigraphic sequence of basalts from the southern Deccan province. Two of the formations in this sequence (the Bushe and Poladpur Formations) have geochemical signatures indicative of a wide degree of crustal contamination of a magma type that gave rise to the stratigraphically higher Ambenali Formation (a product of transitional midocean ridge basalt magmatism). There are no known deposits or occurrences of Ni–Cu–PGE sulfides associated with subvolcanic intrusions in the Deccan province. Despite the fact that the Bushe Formation exhibits a stronger crustal contamination signature than the most contaminated Siberian Trap basalt formations, and the Poladpur lavas are also strongly crustally contaminated, the Bushe and Poladpur basalts are undepleted in Ni, Cu, or PGE. This indicates that the contaminated Deccan Trap lavas did not achieve S saturation. This, in turn, places constraints on the potential of the Deccan Trap in southern India to host significant magmatic sulfide deposits. Conversely, this observation also indicates that an S-rich crustal contaminant is required for the genesis of magmatic Ni–Cu–PGE sulfide deposits.     

西秦岭月照-琵琶寺地区火山岩地球化学特征及地质意义

月照-琵琶寺地区的变质火山岩出露于甘肃武都县境内,夹在泥盆系和前震旦碧口群地层之间.按地球化学分类,火山岩可划分为双峰式和碱性两个系列.双峰式火山岩系由低K富Na拉斑玄武岩和酸性英安岩、流纹岩组成.该玄武岩具有类似MORB的微量元素特征,平坦的稀土配分模式,但富Th贫Nb显示其受到陆壳混染的影响.该套火山岩总体特征指示其为大陆裂谷向成熟洋盆转化阶段的产物,从而推测本区火山岩可能为勉略古洋盆西延的分支产物.     

西秦岭月照 琵琶寺地区火山岩地球化学特征及地质意义

月照琵琶寺地区的变质火山岩出露于甘肃武都县境内,夹在泥盆系和前震旦碧口群地层之间。按地球化学分类,火山岩可划分为双峰式和碱性两个系列。双峰式火山岩系由低K富Na拉斑玄武岩和酸性英安岩、流纹岩组成。该玄武岩具有类似MORB的微量元素特征,平坦的稀土配分模式,但富Th贫Nb显示其受到陆壳混染的影响。该套火山岩总体特征指示其为大陆裂谷向成熟洋盆转化阶段的产物,从而推测本区火山岩可能为勉略古洋盆西延的分支产物。     

陕西熊耳群火山岩系特征

陕西熊耳群与豫西熊耳群同属华北板块南缘中元古代裂陷火山活动的产物，与之相比缺失下部，其中部以酸─中酸性岩石为主，属拉斑玄武岩浆系列；上部以中基性─基性熔岩为主，属碱性玄武岩浆系列；岩石总的特征是富钾、高硅、低钠。火山岩系为双模式火山岩套，早期为裂隙式喷发，晚期为中心式喷发并具3个串珠状分布的古火山口，其喷发环境为浅海─滨海相。     

Complex geometry of the Cenozoic magma plumbing system in the central Sahara,NW Africa

Topographic uplifts in the central Sahara occur in the Hoggar-Aïr and Tibesti-Gharyan swells that consist of Precambrian rocks overlain by Cenozoic volcanic rocks. The swells and associated Cenozoic volcanism have been related either to mantle plumes or to asthenospheric upwelling and to partial melting due to rift-related delamination along pre-existing Pan-African mega-shears during the collision between Africa and Europe. The Cenozoic volcanic rocks in the Hoggar generally range from Oligocene tholeiitic/transitional plateau basalts, which occur in the centre of the dome, to Neogene alkali basalts characterized by a decrease in their degree of silica undersaturation and an increase in their La/Yb ratios. The alkali basaltic rocks occur mainly along the margins of the dome and typically have less radiogenic Nd and Sr isotopic ratios than the tholeiitic/transitional basalts. The geochemistry of the most primitive basaltic rocks resembles oceanic island basalt (OIB) tholeiitic – in particular high-U/Pb mantle (HIMU)-type – and is also similar to those of the Circum-Mediterranean Anorogenic Cenozoic Igneous (CiMACI) province. These characteristics are consistent with, but do not require, a mantle plume origin. Geophysical data suggest a combination of the two mechanisms resulting in a complex plumbing system consisting of (a) at depths of 250–200 km, an upper mantle plume (presently under the Aïr massif); (b) between 200 and 150 km, approximately 700 km northeastward deflection of plume-derived magma by drag at the base of the African Plate and by mantle convection; (c) at approximately 150 km, the magma continues upwards to the surface in the Tibesti swell; (d) at approximately 100 km depth, part of the magma is diverted into a low S-wave velocity corridor under the Sahara Basin; and (e) at approximately 80 km depth, the corridor is tapped by Cenozoic volcanism in the Hoggar and Aïr massifs that flowed southwards along reactivated Precambrian faults.     

Geology and geochemistry of metabasalts of Shimoga schist belt,Dharwar Craton: implications for the late Archean basin development

The late Archaean Shimoga schist belt in the Western Dharwar Craton, with its huge dimensions and varied lithological associations of different age groups, is an ideal terrane to study Archean crustal evolution. The rock types in this belt are divided into Bababudhan Group and Chitradurga Group. The Bababudhan Group is dominated by mafic volcanic rocks followed by shallow marine sedimentary rocks while the Chitradurga Group is dominated by greywackes, pillowed basalts, and deep marine sedimentary rocks with occasional felsic volcanics. The Nb/Th and Nb/La ratios of the studied metabasalts of the Bababudhan Group indicate crustal contamination. They were extruded onto the vast Peninsular Gneisses through the rifting of the basement gneiss. The Nb/Yb ratios of high-magnesium basalts and tholeiitic basalts of Chitradurga Group suggest the enrichment of their source magma. Based on the flat primitive mantle-normalized multi-element plot with negative Nb anomalies and Th/Ta-La/Yb ratios, the high-magnesium basalts and tholeiitic basalts are considered to have erupted in an oceanic plateau setting with minor crustal contamination. The high-magnesium basalts and tholeiitic basalts formed two different pulses of same magma type, in which the first pulse of magma gave rise to high-magnesium basalts which were derived from deep mantle sources and underwent minor crustal contamination en route to the surface, while the second pulse of magma gave rise to tholeiitic basalts formed at similar depths to that of high-magnesium basalts and escaped crustal contamination. The associated lithological units found with the studied metavolcanic rock types of Bababudan and Chitradurga Groups of Dharwar Supergroup of rocks in Shimoga schist belt of Western Dharwar Craton confirm the mixed-mode basin development with a transition from shallow marine to deep marine settings.     

High iridium concentration of alkaline rocks of Deccan and implications to K/T boundary

We report here an unusually high concentration of iridium in some alkali basalts and alkaline rocks of Deccan region having an age of about 65Ma, similar to the age of the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary. The alkali basalts of Anjar, in the western periphery of Deccan province, have iridium concentration as high as 178pg/g whereas the alkaline rocks and basalts associated with the Amba Dongar carbonatite complex have concentrations ranging between 8 and 80 pg/g. Some of these values are more than an order of magnitude higher than the concentration in the tholeiitic basalts of Deccan, indicating the significance of alkaline magmatism in the iridium inventory at the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary. Despite higher concentration, their contribution to the global inventory of iridium in the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary clays remains small. The concentration of iridium in fluorites from Amba Dongar was found to be <30 pg/g indicating that iridium is not incorporated during their formation in hydrothermal activity.     

滇东南建水地区高镁火山岩包体的成因和构造背景

在滇东南建水地区发现产于峨眉山玄武岩中的高镁火山岩包体,这对于地幔柱的形成演化具有重要研究意义.对这些包体进行了锆石U-Pb年代学、地球化学和岩矿分析.高镁火山岩包体具斑状结构,致密块状构造,斑晶主要为贵橄榄石和透辉石.13颗锆石U-Pb LA-ICP-MS加权平均年龄为259±2Ma(MSWD=1.9),显示与寄主岩石同期形成.包体岩石具有高镁(Mg~#=68～75)、低硅(SiO_2=45.11%～45.93%)特征,轻稀土元素(LREE)、高场强元素(HFSE)富集而重稀土元素(HREE)亏损,属于亚碱性、拉斑玄武岩系列,具有板内玄武岩(IPB)特征.火山岩包体的原始岩浆起源于石榴子石二辉橄榄岩低程度部分熔融的产物,岩浆演化过程中发生了橄榄石和单斜辉石的分离结晶作用,在侵位上升过程中未受明显的地壳混染作用.该高镁火山岩的存在,显示地幔柱除了垂直上升运动外,在地球深部不同的边界还有多次侧向扩展移动,表明滇东南晚二叠世存在峨眉山地幔柱的一个分支-地幔枝活动.     

北祁连山元古宙末－寒武纪主动大陆裂谷火山作用

北祁连山元古宙末－寒武纪大陆裂谷火山岩系为双峰式火山岩套，主要由基性与酸性火山岩组成。基性火山岩有磁性玄武岩与拉斑玄武岩两个岩浆系列，且富集ＬＲＥＥ与ＬＩＬ，其岩浆源区为与洋岛玄武岩源相似的富集地幔柱源。软流圈地幔柱上涌导致岩石圈地慢部分熔融，其熔体与地幔柱衍生熔浆混合，形成本区具有中等钕，锶同位素比值特点的基性岩浆。基性岩浆上侵至陆壳，引起下部陆壳深熔，产生长英质岩浆。地幔柱上隆促使大陆扩张，及至形成北祁连山元古宙末－寒武纪大陆裂谷。     

冲绳海槽火山岩岩石系列的厘定及构造环境意义

冲绳海槽是一个处于弧后扩张作用早期的年轻的弧后盆地,是研究弧后扩张作用早期盆地演化和壳幔过程的天然实验室.随着调查研究工作的逐步展开和深入,也发现了一些新的、重要的、亟待解决的科学问题,而火山岩岩石系列归属的厘定又是其他研究工作的基础.在系统收集和整理迄今已有冲绳海槽火山岩资料的基础上,结合近期分析测试数据, 对冲绳海槽火山岩的岩石系列归属进行了重新厘定,探讨了火山岩的构造环境指示意义和浮岩与玄武岩之间的成因联系.研究结果表明:冲绳海槽火山岩分布具有以基性玄武岩和酸性(流纹)英安岩为主的双峰式特征,中性火山岩稀少,基性的玄武岩属于亚碱性系列的橄榄拉斑玄武岩,酸性浮岩可归属为亚碱性岩系的流纹英安岩或流纹岩;在构造环境判别上,冲绳海槽玄武岩表现出大洋中脊和岛弧构造环境的特点,既有别于大洋中脊扩张中心,也有别于成熟型弧后盆地,呈现出弧后早期扩张阶段盆地独特的构造环境特征;广泛分布于冲绳海槽的酸性浮岩表现出一定的岛弧环境的特点;酸性浮岩与玄武岩具有同源性,酸性岩是基性的玄武质岩浆经不同程度结晶分异和同化混染作用的产物.      

A Study on the Forming Conditions of Basalts in Seamounts of the South China Sea

Volcanic rocks in seamounts of the South China Sea consist mainly of alkali basalt, tholeiitic basalt, trachyandesitic pumice, dacite, etc. Inclusions in the minerals of the volcanic rocks are mainly amorphous melt inclusions, which reflects that the volcanic rocks are characterized by submarine eruption and rapid cooling on the seafloor. Furthermore, fluid-melt inclusions have been discovered for the first time in alkali basalts and mantle-derived xenoliths. indicating a process of differentiation between magma and fluid in the course of mantle partial melting. Alkali basalts and inclusions may have been formed in this nonhomogeneous system. Rock-forming temperatures of four seamounts were estimated as follows: the Zhongnan seamount alkali basalt 1155 ∼ 1185 °C; the Xianbei seamount alkali basalt 960 ∼ 1200 °C; tholeiitic basalt 1040 ∼ 1230 °C; the Daimao seamount tholeiitic basalt 1245 ∼ 1280 °C; and the Jianfeng seamount trachyandestic pumice 880 ∼ 1140 °C. Equilibrium pressures of alkali basalts in the Zhongnan and Xianbei seamounts are 13.57 and 8.8 × 10⁸ Pa, respectively. Pyroxene equilibrium temperatures of mantle xenoliths from the Xianbei seamount were estimated at 1073 ∼ 1121 °C, and pressures at (15.58 ∼ 22.47)×10⁸Pa, suggesting a deep-source (e.g. the asthenosphere) for the alkali basalts. This project was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China and Guangzhou Marine Geology Survey.     

Iron-Titanium Oxide Geothermometry and Petrogenesis of Lava Flows and Dykes from Mandla Lobe of the Eastern Deccan Volcanic Province, India

Compositional studies on different forms of magnetite, ulvospinel, ilmenite and hematite mineral phases occurring in 37 lava flows and 6 dykes of the Mandla lobe are presented in this paper. Ilmenite (0001) in equilibrium with titanomanetite show high values of temperature of equilibration, ranging from 1172–974°C, for high alumina quartz normative tholeiitic lava flows of Chemical Type - A; 1129–1229°C for low alumina quartz normative tholeiitic lava flows of Chemical Type - B; 1283–1124°C for tholeiitic lava flows of Chemical Type - F and 1243°C and 99O°C for two diopside olivine normative tholeiite flows of Chemical Type D. High olivine normative flows of Chemical Type - G and H show 1095°C and 1092°C respectively. Whereas, high hypersthene normative tholeiite flow of Chemical me C shows temperature of 1187°C. Data plots disposition over iron-titanium oxide equilibration temperature vs – logfo₂, diagram for Mandla lava flows and other parts of the Deccan (Igatpuri, Mahabaleshwer, Nagpur and Sagar areas) revealed that tholeiitic (evolved) basalt of the eastern Deccan volcanic province formed at high temperatures whereas, picritic (primitive) lavas of Igatpuri and tholeiitic basalt of Mahabaleshwar areas were formed at low temperatures. Mahabaleshwer basalts follow FMQ (fayalite-magnetite-quartz) buffer curve but, plots of the Mandla basalts lie above this curve indicating higher temperatures of crystallisation of ilmenite-titanomagnetite than that of the lava flows from other parts of Deccan 'Raps. The eastern Deccan Traps are most evolved types of lava as characterised by its low Mg-number and Ni content whereas, Igatpuri lava flows are picritic (primitive), having high Mg-number and Ni contents. Temperature vs FeO + Fe₂O₃ / FeO + Fe₂O₃ + MgO ratio data plots for Mandla and other Deccan lava flows and liquidus data for Hawaiian tholeiites, indicated that Igatpuri basalts lie parallel to the liquidus line of Hawaiian tholeiite but at lower temperatures. Large data plots of Mandla lava flows lie along the liquidus line of the Hawaiian lava. The highly vesicular nature of compound lava flows having large amount of volatile is responsible for low temperature values whereas, lava flows represented by high temperatures show high modal values of glass and opaque minerals.     

Origin of the Felsic and Basaltic Dikes and Flows in the Rajula-Palitana-Sihor Area of the Deccan Traps,Saurashtra, India: A Geochemical and Geochronological Study

Rhyolite, trachyte, pitchstone, and granophyre dikes are associated with mafic dolerite dikes and basaltic flows of the northwestern part of the Deccan flood basalt province in the Saurashtra Peninsula, India. Felsic dikes, exposed in the Rajula area of Saurashtra, are similar in age to the basaltic flows of neighboring Palitana. The ages of both the felsic and mafic rocks straddle the ~65 Ma Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary and correspond to the main Deccan flood basalt episode. Palitana is centered on an elongated gravity high whose major axis is NE-SW, and Rajula is located on its southwestern flank. Unlike the younger Bombay felsic rocks from the western coast of India, which have been explained as partial melts of gabbros in deep crustal sills or previously erupted basalts, the incompatible-element characteristics of the Rajula rocks indicate that the Rajula rhyolites, trachytes, and dacites may have been generated by an almost complete melting of upper crustal rocks at the southwestern flank of the Rajula-Palitana-Sihor magmatic body. High potential temperatures of the Deccan plume, quick migration of the hot basaltic parent magma through lithospheric weak trends, and collection and residence of magma in upper-crustal magma chambers before eruption may have produced the right conditions to melt the upper crust in the vicinity of the Rajula-Palitana-Sihor magma chamber. On the other hand, the andesite located northeast of the magmatic body possibly evolved by assimilation of upper-crustal wall rocks accompanied by 5-10% crystallization of a Rajula-type basalt near the wall of the magma chamber. The Sihor rhyolites may also have been derived from the Sihor basalts through fractional crystallization accompanied by crustal assimilation. The Rajula granophyres, however, do not show any involvement of the upper crust in their genesis. These may have a history similar to that of the Bombay rocks and may have erupted in response to rifting along the Cambay rift.     

吉林省长白山地区新生代火山岩的特点及其成因

长白山地区新生代火山岩是一套玄武岩、粗面岩和钠闪碱流岩的双峰式火山岩组合。玄武岩类分别属于碱性玄武岩系列和拉斑玄武岩系列。奶头山期玄武岩是幔源原生岩浆直接喷发于地表的产物,其他各期玄武岩是幔源原生岩浆经历了一定程度分异作用的产物。粗面岩和钠闪碱流岩与玄武岩有成因联系,可能是玄武岩浆通过分离结晶作用而形成的。本区新生代火山岩是大陆裂谷构造环境下的产物,是在地幔增温和底辞上升过程中形成的。     

Olivine Compositions in Picrite Basalts and the Deccan Volcanic Cycle

Olivine phenocryst compositions and whole-rock chemical compositionsare used to identify primitive picrite basalts from widely separatedparts of the Deccan flood basalt province. Overall, primitivepicrites constitute a significant volume of rocks within theprovince. Most were probably emplaced along deep faults in theCambay graben and Narmada rift regions. We combine mineral compositiondata on previously described samples from boreholes at Dhandhuka,Wadhwan and Botad with information on new finds of picriticbasalts at Paliad, Anila, Pawagarh, Kawant and Ambadongar tohelp delineate the petrogenesis of these mafic rocks, and wealso examine the nature and probable origin of picrite basaltsfrom other regions of the Deccan, such as the Western Ghats.The combined data suggest that the incidence of high-MgO lavasdecreased with time during the Deccan volcanic cycle. KEY WORDS: Deccan Traps; olivine composition; picrite basalts; volcanic cycle     

Generation of Deccan Trap magmas

Deccan Trap magmas may have erupted through multiple centers, the most prominent of which may have been a shield volcano-like structure in the Western Ghats area. The lavas are predominantly tholeiitic; alkalic mafic lavas and carbonatites are rare. Radioisotope dating, magnetic chronology, and age constraints from paleontology indicate that although the eruption started some 68 Ma, the bulk of lavas erupted at around 65–66 Ma. Paleomagnetic constraints indicate an uncertainty of ± 500,000 years for peak volcanic activity at 65 m.y. in the type section of the Western Ghats. Maximum magma residence times were calculated in this study based on growth rates of “giant plagioclase” crystals in lavas that marked the end phase of volcanic activity of different magma chambers. These calculations suggest that the > 1.7 km thick Western Ghats section might have erupted within a much shorter time interval of ∼ 55,000 years, implying phenomenal eruption rates that are orders of magnitude larger than any present-day eruption rate from any tectonic environment. Other significant observations/conclusions are as follows: (1) Deccan lavas can be grouped into stratigraphic subdivisions based on their geochemistry; (2) While some formations are relatively uncontaminated others are strongly contaminated by the continental crust; (3) Deccan magmas were produced by 15–30% melting of a Fe-rich lherzolitic source at ∼ 3–2 GPa; (4) Parent magmas of the relatively uncontaminated Ambenali formation had a primitive composition with 16%MgO, 47%SiO₂; (5) Deccan magmas were generated much deeper and by significantly more melting than other continental flood basalt provinces; (6) The erupted Deccan tholeiitic lavas underwent fractionation and magma mixing at ∼ 0.2 GPa. The composition and origin of the crust and crust/mantle boundary beneath the Deccan are discussed with respect to the influence of Deccan magmatic episode.     

Archaean greenstone belt from the Central African Republic (Equatorial Africa)

The Bandas belt, one of two prominent Archaean greenstone belts in the Central African Republic (Equatorial Africa), is ca. 250 km long. At the southernmost part of the belt, a metasedimentary—metavolcanic rock suite is preserved only in brachysynclines. The suite can be divided into two lithostratigraphic units. The lower unit is composed predominantly of volcanic rocks, while the upper one contains mainly metasedimentary rocks. The volcanic rocks, which are part of a sequence ca. 3600 m thick, can be sub-divided according to stratigraphic position, lithology and geochemistry into three groups. The lowermost group includes low-K tholeiitic basalts depleted in light REE. The second group consists of tholeiitic basalts with light REE-enriched patterns and the third, uppermost, group includes andesites, which are similar in several respects to Recent calc-alkaline andesites.The tholeiitic basalts of the first two groups are probably related to different upper mantle sources. The andesites of the third group were produced either by fractional crystallization from a basaltic magma enriched in light REE or equilibrium melting of eclogite or garnet amphibolite.     

Geochemistry of Archean Metavolcanic Rocks from Kadiri Schist Belt, Andhra Pradesh, India

The basic volcanic group exposed in the Kadiri schist belt includes high Mg-basalt, basalt, basaltic andestite and dacite. The basalts are tholeiitic in composition and high Mg-basalts, basaltic andesites and dacites show calc-alkaline affinity. Major and trace element characteristics suggest that the volcanic suite has been derived from an initial tholeiitic magma which has given rise to an early basaltic type and a later calc-alkaline type of rocks. An island arc and active continental margin tectonic setting was inferred for these rocks.