Search

Correlation of early Palaeozoic, Pan-African (500 ± 50 Ma) granites that intruded the Chail, Salkhala, Haimanta Formations in the Lesser Himalaya, Zanskar crystallines, and Lower Taglang La of Tso-Morari crystallines in the northwestern Himalaya, is based on the field relationship, tectonic setting, mineralogical, and geochemical characteristics, and isotope dating of the granites. These granite plutons exhibit identical petrographical, and geochemical character. The mineralogical composition of the granites is quite similar, consisting of quartz, K-feldspar, plagioclase feldspar, biotite, muscovite, garnet, tourmaline, ± cordierite, andalusite, and sillimanite fibrolite. The granite which are massive, and inequigranular in the core of the plutons, show strongly foliated character indicating development of ductile shear zone at the margins. These are peraluminous S-type granites having high A/CNK value (> 1). Presence of normative corundum, rounded shape of zircon, and high initial Sr ratio suggest crustal source of the granites. Mantle normalized spider-diagram exhibits similar characters for all these granitoids. The intrusion of the Pan-African granites mark an abrupt end of the sedimentation that continued virtually uninterrupted from Palaeoproterozoic. The sudden break in sedimentation towards the terminal phases of the Lower Cambrian has been observed in almost all parts in Lesser as well as the Tethys Himalaya. Occurrences of large number of plutons along different tectonic belts of northwestern Himalaya are indicative of widespread tectono-thermal event during early Palaeozoic (500 ± 50 Ma). The bracketing of the two features like, the break in sedimentation during post-Late Cambrian, and the intrusion of granites around 500 ± 50 Ma, is considered to be the result of a strong diastrophic orogenic event correlatable to the late phases of the Pan-African Orogeny in Africa.

The crystalline sheet of the Higher Himalaya, referred to as the Central Crystallines, is a continuous lithotectonic unit which can be traced from the River Kali of eastern Kumaun in the east to Sankoo in the Suru River valley of Kashmir in the west. The principal lithostratigraphic units of this zone are pelites, psammites, gneisses, amphibolites, migmatites and leucocratic granites. The rocks of this zone show progressive regional metamorphism of normal as well as reverse types, the metamorphic grade ranging from chlorite to sillimanite zone. The Main Central Thrust, which demarcates the southern boundary of the Central Crystallines, has brought the crystalline rocks to rest over the sediments of Deoban Group in Kumaun and Garhwal and over the Outer Crystallines (=Chail-Jutogh Nappe) in Himachal Pradesh. The evidence obtained from metamorphism, deformation and radiometric dating indicate that the Central Crystallines is an old Precambrian basement which has been reactivated during Caledonian and Alpine orogenic movements.

Three different phases of plutonic-volcanic activity, viz. 1.(1) Cretaceous volcanics of the Dras and Luzarmu formations.2.(2) Early Tertiary granitoids of the Ladakh plutonic complex.3.(3) Oligocene acid volcanics and dykes of the Khardung Formation have been recognised in the Ladakh magmatic arc.The Dras Formation of the Indus suture zone and the Luzarmu Formation of the Shyok suture zone were one stratigraphic unit into which granitoids of the Ladakh plutonic complex intruded. The rocks of the Shyok suture zone are interpreted to represent the tectonised remainder of a marginal (back-arc) basin. The closure of the marginal basin occurred at the Eocene-Oligocene time boundary, and crustal shortening was responsible for generation of Neogene 2-mica granites of the Karakoram plutonic complex and regional metamorphism of the Pangong Tso group.