Rajesh et al

Ultramaficultrapotassic rocks and associated mineralization, Achankovil Suture Zone

Ultramaficultrapotassic rocks and associated mineralization in Achankovil Suture Zone, southern India
V J Rajesh1, S Arai2 and M Santosh3
1Department of Earth and Space Sciences, Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology, Thiruvananthapuram 695-547, Kerala 2Department of Earth Sciences, Kanazawa University, Kakuma-machi, Kanazawa 920-1192, Japan 3School of Earth Science and Resources, China University of Geosciences, Xueyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100-083, China E-mail: rajeshvj@iist.ac.in; rajeshvj2000@gmail.com Abstract. Suture/shear zones in high-grade metamorphic terrains exert major control over the
exhumation history of continental deep crust, emplacement tectonics of igneous intrusives and transfer of fluids from various depths. Among the suite of intrusive rocks associated with various shear zones in highgrade terrains, ultramafic-ultrapotassic rocks are of particular importance as they offer windows into processes within the upper mantle, deep crust and crust-mantle interface. They also serve as host rocks for a range of mineralization. The Southern Granulite Terrain (SGT) in India has figured prominently in the reconstructions of Late NeoproterozoicCambrian Gondwana supercontinent assembly. Recent geological, geochronological and geophysical studies on various crustal blocks and suture zones in the SGT have provided important evidences for Neoproterozoic subduction and arc magmatism which accompanied the final collision and amalgamation of the Gondwana supercontinent. Two major zones of Mozambique oceanic closure are identified in the SGT, one in the north at the southern margin of the Dharwar Craton designated as the Palghat-Cauvery Suture Zone (PCSZ), and the other in the south termed as the Achankovil Suture Zone (ACSZ). In the present work, we discuss on the diversity of mineralization related to ultramafic-ultrapotassic rocks in the ACSZ. An ultramafic-ultrapotassic intrusive complex occurs within the central domain of the ACSZ and is exposed along Kakkaponnu and the neighboring Keezhayam and Perunthol villages in the Kollam district. This intrusive complex is surrounded by intensely deformed granulite facies garnet-bearing biotite gneiss, khondalites (migmatized granulite facies metapelites), and charnockites. The intrusive complex shows marked lithological heterogeneity with the following units: (i) spinel dunite, (ii) phlogopite dunite, (iii) glimmerite, (iv) graphitespinel glimmerite, and (v) phlogopitegraphite spinellite and baddeleyiteapatitespinel phlogopite (BASP) from SE to NW. The ultrapotassic rocks occur as thin veins traversing the graphitespinellite. The intrusive complex is undeformed in contrast to the surrounding high-grade metamorphic rocks. This intrusive complex is most important from a mineralization perspective. The volatile-rich spinel dunite is mainly composed of cumulus olivine with intercumulus ilmenite, phlogopite, spinel, graphite, Ni-bearing pyrrhotite and calcite. The olivine is Mg-rich (Fo96) and phlogopite is highly magnesian (Mg# around 0.950.97). Ilmenite is dominantly geikielite with Mg# ranging from 0.56 to 0.62. The calcite in this rock exhibits LREE-enriched nature with a pronounced negative Eu anomaly. Sulfide phases observed in the spinel dunite are mainly Ni- pyrrhotite and pyrites. Ni content varies from 0.8 to 5 wt.% and 0.5 to 1 wt.% in pyrrhotites and pyrites, respectively. The spinel is highly aluminous with copious inclusions of high-T melts, pure CO2fluids, magnesite and graphite. Carbon stable isotope analyses on the calcite and graphite from the dunite yielded 13C compositions comparable with mantle values. Raman peaks of matrix and inclusion graphites show highly crystalline character. Zirconolite (CaZrTi2O7) occurs as inclusions within spinel in phlogopite- graphite spinellite. The composition of zirconolite is characterized by an enrichment of U and Th over rare earth elements. Baddeleyite (ZrO2) is commonly observed as an included phase within phlogopite from phlogopite dunite and graphite-spinel glimmerite. Baddeleyite shows abundance of Zr with minor Hf, Ti, and U. Apatite is the major carrier of halogens such as F and Cl, LREEs, U and Th, and phlogopite is the robust reservoir of Ba and Rb. The concentrations of REEs in apatite are quite variable (REE764613485 ppm). The mineral assemblage of ultrapotassic rocks is kalsilite + leucite + corundum + spinel + perovskite + apatite + hibonite + graphite phlogopite Fe-2- sulfides. The core
Shaji E & Pradeepkumar AP (Eds) 2014 Mineral Resources of Kerala Trivandrum: Dept of Geology Univ of Kerala ISBN 978-81-923449-0-4 177

Rajesh et al

Ultramaficultrapotassic rocks and associated mineralization, Achankovil Suture Zone

regions of hibonite are highly enriched in LREEs and Sr, and depleted in Ca, Ti and Al, compared to the rim areas. Chondrite normalized REE distribution patterns for hibonite exhibit extreme LREE enrichment (LaN/YbN=763 to 374,494) with a negative Eu anomaly. The core of the hibonite has extremely high total REEs, typically around 0.6 to 0.7 atoms on the basis of 19 oxygen units. The ultramafic-ultrapotassic rocks and related mineralization in the ACSZ together with similar ultramafic cumulate rocks occurring as dismembered units in other localities of the NeoproterozoicCambrian accretionary belt in southern India probably represents mantle processes such as partial melting under the presence of volatiles in a mantle wedge within a suprasubduction setting and subsequent mantle metasomatism. They preserve rare minerals of both scientific and strategic importance. Key words: Ultramafic-ultrapotassic rocks, Achankovil Suture zone, Hibonite, Zirconolite, Graphite, southern India

Shaji E & Pradeepkumar AP (Eds) 2014 Mineral Resources of Kerala Trivandrum: Dept of Geology Univ of Kerala ISBN 978-81-923449-0-4 178