Earth, Atmosphere & Environment Sciences
Title : | Origin and evolution of the Lesser Himalayan mafic magmatism, northwest India: constrains from new whole-rock, zircon U-Pb age and Sr-Nd isotope geochemistry of mafic rocks |
Area of research : | Earth, Atmosphere & Environment Sciences |
Principal Investigator : | Dr. Mutum Rajanikanta Singh, Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, Uttarakhand |
Timeline Start Year : | 2022 |
Timeline End Year : | 2024 |
Contact info : | rajanimutum@gmail.com |
Equipments : | Hot Plate
Vials-1 |
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Executive Summary : | Mafic magmatism is a significant geological phenomenon that has periodically punctuated the geological record on every continent, resulting in extensive mantle melting processes and major thermal events. The Himalayas have evidence of mafic magmatism in the form of volcanic flows and dykes from Precambrian to Tertiary. The oldest known magmatic activity is represented by Precambrian mafic volcanics and dykes from the Lesser Himalayan sequences (LHS), northwestern Himalaya, Mandi-Darla, Sundernagar, Palampur-Dharamsala, Larji, Rampur volcanics of Himachal Pradesh, Garwal volcanics, and Bhowli-Bhimtal volcanics of Kumaon. These rocks occur as flows intercalated with continentally derived sediments and were initially considered Sm-Nd age ~2.5 Ga old. However, later studies corrected this to a more reliable minimum age of magmatism. Ahmad et al. (1999) reported Rb-Sr age 1907±91 Ma old for gabbroic rocks from Budhakedar of the Chail Group, indicating anomalous mantle melting conditions around 1900-1800 Ma. The scarcity of precise geochemical and radiometric data of mafic rocks puts serious constraints in evaluating the evolutionary history of mafic magmatism, tectonic setting, and their possible correlation in the northwestern Himalaya. Zircon U-Pb dating has been widely used for gathering precise age, but no such ages are available for mafic magmatic rocks in western LH. Detailed geological, geochemical, and geochronological studies of mafic rocks exposed at different Formations of LHS and NW Himalaya are proposed to understand the geochemical characteristics of magmatic suits, age and mantle processes responsible for their formation, and the tectonic model emphasizing crustal growth. |
Total Budget (INR): | 27,32,400 |
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