Geochemistry and Petrogenesis of Kunduru Betta Calc-Alkaline Ring Complex in the Dharwar Craton, Southern India

Abstract

The Kunduru Betta Ring Complex (KRC), at the southern margin of Dharwar craton, South India, comprises metaluminous sub-solvus syenites and quartz monzonite with a concentric disposition younging towards the center. An outer mafic syenite (of lamprophyric affinity) is followed by porphyritic monzonite, quartz monzodiorite and finally a quartz monzonitic stock at the centre. SiO 2, Al 2O 3 and Na 2O increase from the primitive lamprophyric mafic syenite to the quartz monzonite through the intermediate members, while CaO, MgO, Fe 2O 3 T, TiO 2, P 2O 5 and MnO show an opposite trend suggesting fractionation of hornblende, clinopyroxene, biotite, apatite, sphene, and iron oxide minerals. Rb, Th and U increase with a complementary decrease in Sc, V, Cr, Co, Cu, Sr and Ba from the outer mafic syenite to the inner quartz monzonite. Y, Zr and Hf decrease from lamprophyric mafic syenite to quartz monzodiorite and the trend is reversed in the final quartz monzonite phase. However, the suite is characterised by a compositional gap between quartz monzodiorite and quartz monzonite. Total REE gradually decrease from the mafic syenite to quartz monzonite and the REE distribution patterns show LREE-enriched and HREE-depleted parallel distributions with negligible Eu anomalies. The geochemical data suggest that the rock types were formed as products of progressive differentiation by crystal fractionation of calc-alkaline lamprophyric parent magma which was derived by partial melting of metasomatically enriched mantle in the Kabini lineament. Although the quartz monzonites conform to the trend of differentiated Kunduru Betta suite, the compositional gap between them and the quartz monzodiorite precludes their origin by simple differentiation. It is suggested that convective liquid fractionation might have resulted in the discrete body of quartz monzonite.