New Insights into the Origin of Kabbaldurga Charnockites, Karnataka, South India

A detailed study of the structure and petrology of the rocks bordering the Kabbaldurga-type charnockites provides important constraints on the origin of these charnockites. The structural elements register three phases of deformation and show a uniform pattern in the larger area, a pattern consistent with the regional structure of the Precambrian of Southern Karnataka. In the Kabbaldurga area, however, some of the earlier structures are poorly preserved. Yet there are vestiges of early folds described by banded/layered charnockites as in the neighbouring Kodamballi area, and a consistent development of dilatant structures which can be related to the kinematics of deformation in the larger terrain. At Kabbaldurga the pegmatitic charnockites occur as veins of diverse orientation; but they rarely follow the shear - generated structures.

The metamorphic reactions invoked by previous workers to explain in situ transformation of gneiss to charnockite were based on chemical similarity of some close pairs. But the petrographic and chemical variations in the pegmatitic charnockites and the Peninsular gneisses at Kabbaldurga quarry are compelling features which cannot be explained by the hypothesis of in situ transformation. We have argued, on the basis of rock and mineral chemistry, that derivation of the pegmatitic charnockites by dehydration melting in metabasites offers a better explanation. Pressure-temperature values (at least 850° to 900° C, 7 kbar) obtained by us for the granulites of this area, viewed against the results of experimental dehydration melting in basic rocks with hornblende and/or biotite, provide strong support for this model. In the field leucosomes within the basic granulites of Kabbaldurga are not uncommon. The compositions of the pegmatitic charnockites (tonalitic and granitic) match those of the melts produced in experiments. Further, the pattern of variation in the composition of hornblende and plagioclase in the basic granulites of the Kabbaldurga area is compatible with extraction of melts. This alternative model for the origin of the Kabbaldurga charnockites is petrologically feasible and does not require either in situ transformation or structurally controlled growth, which, incidentally, are not ubiquitous at Kabbaldurga     

Archean Granitoids at the Contact of Eastern Ghat Granulite Belt and Singhbhum-Orissa Craton, in Bhuban-Rengali Sector, Orissa, India

The small granite plutons occurring at the contact of the Singhbhum-Orissa Iron Ore craton (IOC) to the north and the Eastern Ghat Granulite Belt (EGGB) to the south in eastern Indian shield are characterised by the presence of enclaves of the granulites of EGGB and the greenschist facies rocks of IOC. These granites also bear the imprints of later cataclastic deformation which is present at the contact of the IOC and the EGGB. In situ Pb-Pb zircon dating of these granites gives minimum age of their formation 2.80 Ga. A whole-rock three point Rb-Sr isochron age of this rock is found to be 2.90 Ga. Therefore, the true age of formation of these granites will be around 2.90–2.80 Ga. These granitic rocks also contain xenocrystic zircon components of 3.50 Ga and show a later metasomatic or metamorphic effect 2.48 Ga obtained from the analyses on overgrowths developed on 2.80 Ga old zircon cores. The presence of granulitic enclaves within these contact zone granite indicates that the granulite facies metamorphism of the EGGB is 2.80 Ga or still older in age. The cataclastic deformations observed at the contact zone of the two adjacent cratons is definitely younger than 2.80 Ga and possibly related to 2.48 Ga event observed from the overgrowths. As 2.80 Ga granite plutons of small dimensions are also observed at the western margin of the IOC; it can be concluded that a geologic event occurred 2.80 Ga over the IOC when small granite bodies evolved at the marginal part of this craton after its stabilisation at 3.09 Ga.     

Clay mineralogy of the ocean sediments from the Wilkes Land margin,east Antarctica: implications on the paleoclimate,provenance and sediment dispersal pattern

Core U1359 collected from the continental rise off Wilkes Land, east Antarctica, is analyzed for the clay mineralogy and carbon content. The temporal variation of the clay mineralogical data shows a dominance of illite with chlorite, smectite and kaolinite in decreasing concentration. Clay mineral illite is negatively correlated with smectite which shows enrichment during 6.2–6.8, 5.5–5.8, 4.5 and 2.5 Ma. The mineralogical analyses on the silt size fraction (2–53 μm) of some selected samples were also carried out. The combined result of both the size fractions shows the presence of chlorite and illite in both size fractions, smectite and kaolinite only in clay size fraction (<2 μm) and similarity in the crystallinity and chemistry of illite in both fractions. Similar nature of illite in both fractions suggests negligible role of sorting probably due to the deposition from the waxing ice sheet. During times of ice growth, nearby cratonic east Antarctica shield provided biotite-rich sediments to the depositional site. On the other hand, the presence of smectite, only in the clay size fraction, suggests the effective role of sorting probably due to the deposition from distal source in ice retreat condition. During times of ice retreat, smectite-rich sediment derived from Ross Orogen is transported to the core site through surface or bottom water currents. Poor crystallinity of illite due to degradation further corroborates the ice retreat condition. The ice sheet proximal sediments of U1359 show that in the eastern part of Wilkes Land, the ‘warming’ was initiated during late Miocene.     

Facies architecture of asymmetrical branching distributary channels: Cretaceous Ferron Sandstone,Utah, USA

Distributary channel systems are an important component of deltaic systems, but details of their branching pattern, stream‐order, internal variability and relation with adjacent levée, bay and bayhead delta are rather poorly documented in ancient examples. Photomosaic and measured sections collected along a gooseneck‐shaped canyon in southern Utah allow direct mapping of the branching pattern of an ancient distributary system. The main channel belt is ca 250 m wide and narrows to ca 200 m downstream of the branching point. A subordinate channel belt, ca 80 m wide, branches off of the main channel, forming a distinctly asymmetrical branching pattern. Water discharge in the main channel is estimated to be 85 to 170 m³ sec^?1. Comparison with palaeodischarge estimates of trunk rivers mapped in previous studies suggests that the branching documented in this study probably is a fourth‐order split. The distributary channels are characterized by a U‐shaped geometry filled with medium‐grained, cross‐bedded sandstone, and are dominated by lateral accretion, suggesting limited lateral migration and moderate sinuosity. Tidally influenced facies and limited trace fossils indicate direct marine influence. The distributary channels erode into adjacent levée and underlying heterolithic bay‐fill deposits, and the marine influence suggests that they were deposited on a lower delta plain, rather than on a non‐marine floodplain. The subordinate channel fed a bayhead delta, suggesting that it was formed by a partial avulsion, rather than bifurcation around a mouth bar, as is more characteristic of terminal distributary channels. Channel‐floor drapes, bar‐accretion drapes and abandoned channel fills within the sandstone channel belts represent the most important heterogeneity from the perspective of reservoir characterization.     

Petrological and Geochemical Constraints on the Evolution of the Alkaline Complex of Koraput in the Eastern Ghats Granulite Belt, India

The Koraput Alkaline Complex in the high-grade Eastern Ghats Belt, India, is synkinematically emplaced in a pull-apart structure and far from the Bastar cratonic margin. The suite comprises four distinct members, namely, mafic syenite, felsic syenite, nepheline syenite and perthite syenite. Fe-rich orthopyroxene rims on olivine in mafic syenite indicate iron-enrichment in the early stage of differentiation. With plagioclase of andesine composition it could be described as alkali-norite, the plutonic equivalent of hawiite. Felsic syenite with both alkali-feldspars and plagioclase of oligoclase composition could be described as two-feldspar syenite, the plutonic equivalent of mugearite. Albitic rims on nepheline indicates subsolvus reaction. Chemical trends in amphiboles and plagioclase feldspars, progressively more ferroan and more sodic respectively, are strong indications of mineral fractionation in the Koraput suite. Chemical trends in the variation diagrams are compatible with feldspar fractionation in the Koraput suite. A weak Fe-enrichment trend in the early stage of differentiation, as observed in the AFM diagram, is compatible with that of the alkali-basalt series. Nb anomalies, both positive and negative, are indicative of crustal contamination as expected in synkinematic plutons. In terms of Gondwana assembly and break up, the alkaline complexes are supposed to represent rift-related magmatism along the continental margin. In spite of petrological evidence of the magmatic character of the Koraput Complex, anorogenic setting is contra-indicated by mesoscopic and microscopic fabrics, more akin to synkinematic intrusion during F 2 folding in the host country rocks. The Proterozoic alkaline complexes in the Eastern Ghats Belt, could alternatively trace the path of moving Gondwana continent over mantle plumes.     

Particle motion in the field of a five-dimensional charged black hole

In this paper, we have investigated the geodesics of neutral particles near a five-dimensional charged black hole using a comparative approach. The effective potential method is used to determine the location of the horizons and to study radial and circular trajectories. This also helps us to analyze the stability of radial and circular orbits. The radius of the innermost stable circular orbits have also been determined. Contrary to the case of massive particles for which, the circular orbits may have up to eight possible values of specific radius, we find that the photons will only have two distinct values for the specific radii of circular trajectories. Finally we have used the dynamical systems analysis to determine the critical points and the nature of the trajectories for the timelike and null geodesics.     

Bloom of Hemidiscus hardmannianus (Bacillariophyceae) and Its Impact on Water Quality and Plankton Community Structure in a Mangrove Wetland

An intense monospecies bloom of the centric diatom Hemidiscus hardmannianus (Greville) Mann. (Bacillariophyceae) occurred in the coastal waters of Sundarban mangrove wetland, India on 22 July, 2010. The species was abruptly flourished (mean density 8.86 × 10⁶ cells/L) resulting intense green coloration of water. The greatest impoverishment of diversity and density of phytoplankton, micro‐ and mesozooplankton community was observed during the bloom. The phytoplankton community showed an extreme reduction in diversity (12 species to one) and sharp decrease in standing stock (12.84 × 10³ to 8.86 × 10⁶ cells/L) during this period. The late bloom condition coincided with sudden and huge arrival of a clupoid fish Hilsa ilisha which forms the most potential fisheries in Sundarban deltaic region. An attempt has been made to correlate the satellite remote sensing‐derived information to the bloom conditions. The MODIS‐Aqua derived chlorophyll and TMI satellite derived sea surface temperature and wind speed maps have been interpreted.     

Tectonostratigraphic and geochronologic reappraisal constraining the growth and evolution of Singhbhum Archaean craton, eastern India

Reappraisal of field relationships between the different lithological ensembles supported by available geochronological data, and taking due note of the tectono-metamorphic, magmatic and sedimentation history helped to build up a coherent crustal evolutionary history of the Singhbhum Archaean craton, eastern India. The evolution of the earliest sialic crust, as the isotope ages suggest, was around 3700 Ma or even earlier. Deposition of the oldest, dominantly metasedimentary supracrustals, the Older Metamorphic Group (OMG), was initiated at around 3380 Ma, i.e. after a gap of about 320 million years. The closing of OMG basins synchronously with the emplacement of a granitoid phase was at ca.3285 Ma. No other fabric-forming ductile deformation and metamorphism associated with the development of foliation and mineral lineation is known in the rocks of the Singhbhum Archaean craton subsequent to this event. Formation of the succeeding geological ensembles including the deposition of BIF-bearing Iron Ore Group (IOG) and the emplacement of the post-IOG granitoids at ca.3100 Ma can be described as ??lsnon-orogenic?? event taking place during the phase of tectonic quiescence. Supracrustals like the Dhanjori and Simlipal mafic volcanics with intercalated beds of arenite evolved later during the phase of Plume outburst at around 2800 Ma. The end-Archaean intrusion of Newer Dolerite dykes in conjugate sets and the deposition of Kolhan Group in an N-S oriented basin during an E-W stress system mark the culmination of the Archaean crust-building activity in the Singhbhum Archaean craton.     

Early Permian xiphosurid trackways from india

Present work is the first report of Early Permian xiphosurid trackways from India. Surface trackways and undertracks, preserved within ice-marginal storm-affected, shoreface sediments of the Talchir Formation, Jayanti coalbasin closely resemble Kouphichnium Nopsca 1923. Trackways reveal distinct heteropody with foliate pusher impressions, paired series of semi-circular, oval, V- or Y-shaped chilate (walking) leg impressions. Varied ventral impressions also include telson drag marks and telson dents; spine drag marks, book -gills impression, genal gouges as well as symmetric, paired lateral genal furrows, partial cubichnial impressions of prosoma and spinose opisthosoma. A tentative early Permian age (Asselian/Sakmarian) and marginal marine facies association points towards a paleolimuloidae affinity for the trace makers, which is in conformity with their inferred widths of exoskeleton, sub-rounded prosoma and subtriangular spinose opisthosoma with predictable movable spines. Flexed pusher impressions and co-dominant pincer impressions as well as, other ventral impressions in abundance, confirm crawling as their dominant mode of locomotion. Inferred presence of juvenile crawlers in the community suggests a probable shoreline or marginal marine ecospace.