1. Two-Stage, Extreme Albitization of A-type Granites from Rajasthan, NW India.
- Author
-
Kaur, Parampreet, Chaudhri, Naveen, Hofmann, Albrecht W., Raczek, Ingrid, Okrusch, Martin, Skora, Susanne, and Baumgartner, Lukas P.
- Subjects
ALBITE ,GRANITE ,PLAGIOCLASE ,METASOMATISM ,RARE earth metals - Abstract
Albitization is a common process during which hydrothermal fluids convert plagioclase and/or K-feldspar into nearly pure albite; however, its specific mechanism in granitoids is not well understood. The c. 1700 Ma A-type metaluminous ferroan granites in the Khetri complex of Rajasthan, NW India, have been albitized to a large extent by two metasomatic fronts, an initial transformation of oligoclase to nearly pure albite and a subsequent replacement of microcline by albite, with sharp contacts between the microcline-bearing and microcline-free zones. Albitization has bleached the original pinkish grey granite and turned it white. The mineralogical changes include transformation of oligoclase (∼An12) and microcline (∼Or95) to almost pure albite (∼An0·5–2), amphibole from potassian ferropargasite (XFe 0·84–0·86) to potassic hastingsite (XFe 0·88–0·97) and actinolite (XFe 0·32–0·67), and biotite from annite (XFe 0·71–0·74) to annite (XFe 0·90–0·91). Whole-rock isocon diagrams show that, during albitization, the granites experienced major hydration, slight gain in Si and major gain in Na, whereas K, Mg, Fe and Ca were lost along with Rb, Ba, Sr, Zn, light rare earth elements and U. Whole-rock Sm–Nd isotope data plot on an apparent isochron of 1419 ± 98 Ma and reveal significant disturbance and at least partial resetting of the intrusion age. Severe scatter in the whole-rock Rb–Sr isochron plot reflects the extreme Rb loss in the completely albitized samples, effectively freezing 87Sr/86Sr ratios in the albite granites at very high values (0·725–0·735). This indicates either infiltration of highly radiogenic Sr from the country rock or, more likely, radiogenic ingrowth during a considerable time lag (estimated to be at least 300 Myr) between original intrusion and albitization. The albitization took place at ∼350–400°C. It was caused by the infiltration of an ascending hydrothermal fluid that had acquired high Na/K and Na/Ca ratios during migration through metamorphic rocks at even lower temperatures in the periphery of the plutons. Oxygen isotope ratios increase from δ18O = 7‰ in the original granite to values of 9–10‰ in completely albitized samples, suggesting that the fluid had equilibrated with surrounding metamorphosed crust. A metasomatic model, using chromatographic theory of fluid infiltration, explains the process for generating the observed zonation in terms of a leading metasomatic front where oligoclase of the original granite is converted to albite, and a second, trailing front where microcline is also converted to albite. The temperature gradients driving the fluid infiltration may have been produced by the high heat production of the granites themselves. The confinement of the albitized granites along the NE–SW-trending Khetri lineament and the pervasive nature of the albitization suggest that the albitizing fluids possibly originated during reactivation of the lineament. More generally, steady-state temperature gradients induced by the high internal heat production of A-type granites may provide the driving force for similar metasomatic and ore-forming processes in other highly enriched granitoid bodies. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]
- Published
- 2012
- Full Text
- View/download PDF