Emplacement of pillow lavas from the ~ 2.8 Ga Chitradurga Greenstone Belt, South India: A physical volcanological, morphometric and geochemical perspective

Abstract

The physical volcanology and morphometric analyses of pillowed lava flows from the Chitradurga basin of Chitradurga Greenstone Belt, South India have been undertaken. In the Chitradurga hills individual pillowed flows alternate with massive submarine sheet flows. The pillows from such flows are separated by chert and occur as spheroidal, elongated or reniform units that are devoid of vesicles, vesicle bands or pipe vesicles. The Mardihalli flow is exposed as a small elongated mound in the basin and consists of a massive core that is draped by pillows along the flow crest and flanks. The pillows from Mardihalli occur as spheroidal to elongate units with smooth, spalled or wrinkled surfaces with vesicular interiors. Repeated budding of larger pillows have produced a series of interconnected pillow units indicating fluid lava that was emplaced on steeply dipping flanks. Based on the morphological features the pillowed flows from the Chitradurga basin were emplaced at low effusion rates (≤5m3/s). Pillows in these flows formed from low viscosity lavas that underwent negligible to moderate inflation due to rapid chilling. Sporadic occurrences of pillow breccias, hyaloclastite and chert breccias in the pillowed flow fields indicate disruption of pillows due to lava surges and slumping. It is envisaged that the Chitradurga basin witnessed distinct episodes of submarine tholeiite eruptions that produced pillowed lavas that variably interacted with sea water to produce geochemistries. The field and stratigraphic relationships of the volcanics and associated clastic sediments suggest that the pillow lavas were emplaced in a shallow marine marginal inter/back arc basin.