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Paper On Salumber, Ghatol Metallogenic Province (Aravalli Craton)
Paper On Salumber, Ghatol Metallogenic Province (Aravalli Craton)
Carbonate hosted intermetallic compound in the Umarvaniyan area is localized within the intensively
sheared (mylonitised) dolomite in a NW–SE shear zone (*15 km), belongs to Salumber Ghatol metal-
logenic belt, in Debari Group of Aravalli Craton, Rajasthan, India. It is characterized by extensive
siliciBcation and ferruginisation with hematite, goethite, magnetite and native gold specks. The inter-
metallic compound within the dolomite is composed of varying proportion of Cu–Zn–Ni–Os–Fe which has
been detected by electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) study. The EMPA (WDS) results of the inter-
metallic compounds also reveal occurrences of intermetallic compounds of Cu–Zn–Ni–Os–Fe and native
Au. The occurrence of these non-separable compounds is probably because these metals were formed at
very high temperatures and in reducing condition during the evolving shear with low oxygen and low
sulfur fugacity. The fast cooling eAect thereafter probably made the geochemical environment least
conducive for reaction between Cu/Zn/Ni and sulphur or oxygen.
Keywords. Salumber Ghatol metallogenic belt; intermetallic compound; monazite.
Figure 1. Regional geological map of Salumber Ghatol metallogenic belt, Udaipur District, Rajasthan.
part of AFB hosts Bhukia and Dugocha Cu–Au which shows anomalous values of Zn associated with
deposits and Chari Cu deposit of economic impor- nickel (table 1). The petrological studies of these
tance. The Bhukia gold prospect host gold and asso- samples, however, did not show presence of neither
ciated alloys in sulphides (Golani et al. 1999). U–Pb Zn sulphides nor Zn carbonates. This prompted to
zircon ages of albite-rich rocks from Bhukia ranges analyse these samples by EPMA which helped in
between 1740 and 1820 Ma (Deb 2008). The lithounits identifying presence of tiny grains (\10 microns)
of SGMB are dolomite/ferruginous dolomite and car- of intermetallic compounds of Cu–Zn–Ni–Os–Fe and
bon phyllite belongs to Jagpura Formation of Debari native Au (Bgure 2).
Group. In the present study samples were collected The present paper reports, for the Brst time,
from these dolomitic rocks of the Jagpura Formation the occurrence of intermetallic compounds from
J. Earth Syst. Sci. (2020)129:137 Page 3 of 10 137
Table 1. Metal concentration in bed rock samples from Supergroup and Meso-proterozoic Delhi Super-
Umarvaniyan Prospect, SGMB (all values are in ppm). group of rocks. The Aravalli and Delhi fold
Sample Lithology Cu Pb Zn Ni Co belts were formed by rifting in which volcanic
sediments were deposited in two different peri-
1 FD Ferruginous dolomite 90 8 450 30 15
ods (Sinha Roy and Malhotra 1989). Basin was
2 FD Ferruginous dolomite 80 7 600 40 20
closed due to the lithospheric subduction and
3 FD Ferruginous dolomite 85 9 600 45 30
4 FD Ferruginous dolomite 70 7 285 30 15
were folded and deformed. Thus, the Aravalli
5 FD Ferruginous dolomite 60 7 945 50 15 and Delhi fold belts dominantly represent
6 FD Ferruginous dolomite 105 15 990 70 25 volcano-sedimentary sequences. The Aravalli
7 FD Ferruginous dolomite 120 20 615 110 30 Supergroup is represented by two contrasting
8 FD Ferruginous dolomite 240 9 1600 130 30 litho facies association; sand–shale–carbonate
1 SD SiliciBed dolomite 140 10 110 60 30 assemblage of near shore shelf facies and thick
2 SD SiliciBed dolomite 175 30 1400 255 85 sequence of carbonate free shales facies
3 SD SiliciBed dolomite 85 15 3300 570 95 interbedded with thin beds of arenites inter-
4 SD SiliciBed dolomite 115 30 2600 440 145 preted as deep sea facies (Roy and Paliwal
5 FD SiliciBed dolomite 250 20 4200 830 125 1981). Geochronological studies of Sastry et al.
1 FD SiliciBed dolomite 15 4 40 10 40
(1984) and Sastry (1992) inferred an age of
2 FD SiliciBed dolomite 75 8 2000 655 85
2.5–2.0 Ga for Paleoproterozoic rocks of Ara-
3 FD SiliciBed dolomite 30 7 185 50 40
4/10 SiliciBed dolomite 100 8 350 115 100
valli Supergroup. Wiedenbeck et al. (1996) cal-
5/10 SiliciBed dolomite 95 5 480 65 75 culated the age of Aravalli sedimentation as
6/10 SiliciBed dolomite 60 5 170 20 40 2.55 Ga. At *2.0 Ga, the formation of the
7/10 SiliciBed dolomite 140 10 2200 960 130 Aravalli basin foundered by a phase of tecton-
8/10 SiliciBed dolomite 335 20 930 500 145 ism and crustal deformation (Sinha-Roy et al.
9/10 SiliciBed dolomite 20 50 120 10 40 1998).
10/10 SiliciBed dolomite 1200 10 45 50 60 The Debari Group of the Aravalli Supergroup
comprises of Mukandpura and Jagpura forma-
tions. The litho units exposed within these for-
Salumber–Ghatol metallogenic belt (SGMB) occur-
mations are coarse clastics, syn-sedimentary basic
ring along southern margin of the Aravalli Craton.
volcanics and associated pyroclastics, and car-
This belt hosts a cluster of Cu–Au deposits in calcitic
bonate representing shelf-facies environment. The
and dolomitic rocks belonging to Debari Group of the
Debari Group also host volcano-sedimentary
Paleo-mesoproterozoic Aravalli Supergroup. The
sequence of SGMB (Gupta et al. 1981, 1997),
EPMA examination carried out during the course of
which occur 130 km ESE of Udaipur district,
present study helped in identifying the presence of
Rajasthan. The Salumber–Ghatol metallogenic
tiny grains (\10 microns) of intermetallic compounds
belt (SGMB) forms a part of eastern margin of
of Cu–Zn–Ni–Os–Fe and native Au (Bgure 2). The
Debari Group of the Aravalli fold belt extend
authors have described metal association and draw
about 70 km from Salumber in the northwest to
meaningful interpretations regarding surface dis-
Ghatol in the southeast, exposing meta-sedimen-
persion pattern, probable source, spatial correla-
taries of Aravalli Supergroup (Grover and Verma
tion and age of mobilization within the host rock of
1993; Golani et al. 1999; Chander and Sisodia
intermetallic compounds of Cu–Zn–Ni–Os–Fe and
2003). Two distinct carbonate sequences exposed
native Au, using Beld investigations, petrography
in this metallogenic belt have been classiBed as
and EPMA studies. However, the main aim is to
older (a) phyllite/carbonaceous phyllite rich and
identify and describe the metal association. This
(b) dolomite and calcite-marble rich Mukundpura
new Bnd may open a new vista for research
Formation which are co-folded with younger car-
on intermetallic compounds mineralization in
bonate and quartz chlorite schist rich Jagpura
India.
Formation rocks of Debari Group of AFB. The
litho units of SGMB are dolomite/ferruginous
2. Geological setting dolomite and carbon phyllite belonging to Jagpura
Formation of Debari Group. This dolomite/fer-
In the western part of the Indian shield banded ruginised dolomite is Bne grained and bluish/grey
gneissic complex (BGC, 3300–2500 Ma) serves as in colour and is ferruginised along the NW–SE
the basement for the Paleoproterozoic Aravalli shear zone.
137 Page 4 of 10 J. Earth Syst. Sci. (2020)129:137
Au
Figure 2. (a) BSE image showing grain of Cu–Zn–Ni–Os–Fe intermetallic compound along with wavelength-dispersive X-ray
spectroscopy graph and (b) BSE image showing grain of native gold (Au) along with wavelength-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy
graph.
Figure 4. Photomicrograph of (a) a sheared dolomite displaying tailed quartz porphyroclast, (b) a sheared dolomite displaying
sigma porphyroclast of quartz, (c) dolomitic calcite vein within mylonite, (d) Sparite crystal as porphyroblast within dolomite,
and (e) stock work feeder zone Blled in by Fe vein.
under reCected light indicate the presence of sulphide phases. Veins of pyrite aggregates are
hematite and magnetite as oxide phases, colloform present with small inclusions of pyrrhotite.
goethite and lepidocrosite as hydroxide phases, The EMPA (WDS) results of the intermetallic
while pyrite, chalcopyrite and pyrrhotite are the compounds reveal occurrences of intermetallic
J. Earth Syst. Sci. (2020)129:137 Page 7 of 10 137
Mag
Mnz
a b
Figure 5. (a) Monazite grains occurring along with magnetite and calcite. (b) BSE image of monazite (Mnz) grain occurring as
discrete grain associated with magnetite (Mag).
Table 2. EPMA analysis and U-Pb dating of monazite grains, Umarvaniyan Prospect, SGMB.
Sample name SiO2 Al2O3 Fe2O3 MnO CaO MgO Na2O K2O TiO2 P2O5
Ferruginised dolomite UM-1 16.85 4.96 52.80 0.13 9.11 0.71 0.16 1.19 0.61 0.01
Ferruginised dolomite UM-3 48.65 11.39 19.25 0.18 5.99 4.97 2.77 0.23 1.59 0.18
Ferruginised dolomite UM-4 39.83 11.51 22.21 0.16 6.84 6.41 1.17 0.17 2.24 0.23
Ferruginised dolomite UM-5 50.11 14.36 16.12 0.10 1.56 5.96 1.11 0.20 0.95 0.06
SiliciBed dolomite UM-6 17.55 4.09 7.44 0.68 35.63 4.33 0.12 0.21 0.21 0.06
SiliciBed dolomite UM-7 51.79 17.07 6.01 0.04 7.13 1.71 0.19 5.24 0.65 0.06
SiliciBed dolomite UM-2 15.78 2.50 2.63 0.24 42.17 2.15 0.19 0.68 0.09 0.12
Figure 7. (a) Binary plot of Zn vs. Ni and (b) Ni vs. Co showing sympathetic relation.
carbonate dominated Debari Group and granite/ elements). Fe and Ni being siderophile show common
gneisses/feldspathic schist dominated Banswara For- association. But in the study area Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn are
mation of Udaipur Group. It has been suggested that intimately associated and form non-separable com-
the mineral deposits of Aravalli Supergroup in the pounds. This is probably because, these metals formed
Salumber–Ghatol belt represents sedimentary car- at very high temperatures and in reducing condition
bonate-hosted Cu–Au deposits belonging to the wider during the evolving shear zone. Melting temperatures
class of Proterozoic iron–ore–copper–gold type of these metals are also similar. Where melting point of
(IOCG-like) mineral deposits which were formed by Cu–Zn association is between 900 and 940°C, for
the Cuids derived from a sub-crustal source (Faree- Cu–Zn–Ni it is slightly higher, i.e., 1125°C. Fast
duddin et al. 2012). The ores of IOCG type deposits are upwelling and cooling of solutions, thereafter probably
commonly associated with volcanic and/or intrusive made the geochemical environment least conducive for
rocks, and their close relationship with shear zones is reaction between Cu/Zn/Ni and sulphur or oxygen.
typical for this type of mineralization (Williams 2005). However, presence of sulphur in that reducing envi-
Ore genesis in IOCG deposits may involve both ronment is being supported by the presence of pyrite
metamorphic- and magmatic-hydrothermal Cuids and phyrrotite, even in small proportions. Sarkar
(Hazarika et al. 2019). The basal part of Aravalli (2000) has distinguished two time slots of mineraliza-
Supergroup of rocks is characterized by the presence of tion during Aravalli fold belt is considered to be taken
volcanic sequence comprising basalt, high Mg basalt place at *1800–1700 Ma (Deb et al. 1989). The
and felsic rocks (Sinha Roy and Malhotra 1989; 1272+31 Ma age of monazite as reported in the present
Ahmad and Rajamani 1991; Bose and Sharma 1992; paper, appears to be the time of latest episode of
Raza and Khan 1993; Shekhawat et al. 2007). There- mylonitisation wherein alloys are stabilized or the
fore, the most obvious source for metals may be the mineralization may belong to the second slot as pro-
associated basal Aravalli volcanic rocks. It appears posed by Sarkar (2000). However, detailed petrologi-
that during the initial stage of Aravalli sedimentation, cal, isotopical and geochronological data are required
zinc and iron were co-precipitated under favourable to conBrm these suggestions.
conditions (Gupta et al. 1997) and nickel contributed
by high Mg-basalts. During the subsequent tectono-
metamorphic event, these metals were released from Acknowledgements
the host rock and got re-emplaced along the favourable
structural locales and combined with oxygen in S-poor, The authors are thankful to the Deputy Director
oxidised mineralising Cuid system (Baker 1998). The General and HoD, Geological Survey of India,
intermetallic compounds are believed to be formed in a Western Region, Jaipur for permission to publish
strongly reducing environment with absent oxygen this paper. We are indebted to the then Deputy
and low sulfur activities (Liu et al. 2008). Cu and Zn Director General, and the then Director, Petrology,
have almost similar atomic radius and atomic weight Geological Survey of India, Southern Region,
and therefore, behave in similar ways (chalcophile Hyderabad for support and permission to carry out
137 Page 10 of 10 J. Earth Syst. Sci. (2020)129:137
EPMA studies. We thankfully acknowledge the the Aravalli Region, Southern Rajasthan and Northwestern
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