Geochemistry and petrogenetic evolution of the diatexites of Central Kerala,India

The hornblende-biotite gneisses of Central Kerala which cover approximately 490km² exhibit schlieric and nebulitic structures, tending towards a homophanous nature and are classified here as diatexites. Mafic protoliths and restite biotite, each representing the refractory residuum of two independent partial melting episodes are widely present in the gneisses. The general mineral assemblage of the gneisses comprise quartz, K-feldspar, oligoclase, biotite and hornblende. Chemically, they are dominantly adamellitic and the behaviour of major and trace elements is consistent with a magmatic parentage. Based on petrochemical criteria, a two-stage evolution model is proposed here, which involves (i) partial melting of mafic granulites under high Archean geothermal gradients and generation of tonalite/trondhjemite through amphibole and plagioclase fractionation and (ii) partial melting and subsequent quartz-alkali feldspar fractionation of the tonalite/trondhjemite under amphibolite facies conditions with synchronous K-enrichment resulting in the diatectic adamellites.