Geochemistry of Dalma metavolcanic Suite from Proterozoic Singhbhum Mobile Belt, Eastern India: Implications for Petrogenesis and Tectonic Setting

Abstract

The Dalma metavolcanic belt is composed of ultramafics at the base, tuffs on top and basalts in-between. It extends for about 200kms east-west in the middle of the Proterozoic Singhbhum Mobile Belt. Ultramafics are chiefly composed of actinolite, hornblende, relic pyroxene and olivine. The main mineral constituents of basalts are actinolite, hornblende, chlorite, epidote, clinozoisite and plagioclase whereas; tuffs are composed of xenocrysts of biotite, quartz, k-feldspar, plagioclase and iron oxides. Ultramafic samples have high MgO (> 21 wt.%) and low SiO2 (< 42 wt.%), Al2O3 (< 10 wt.%) and Na2O+K2O (< 1 wt.%). CaO shows large variation in these samples from 3.91 to 7.77 wt. %. In studied basalt samples SiO2, TiO2, Al2O3, MgO and alkalis (Na2O+K2O) show variation like (45.7–48.3 wt.%), (0.64–0.97 wt.%), (9.3–13.9 wt.%), (8.5–13.6 wt.%) and (0.95–4.64 wt.%) respectively. In studied tuffs the SiO2, TiO2, Al2O3, MgO and alkalis show variation from (48.9–49.8 wt.%), (0.7–0.8 wt.%), (13.6–13.9 wt.%), (8.4–9.1 wt.%) and (2.39–2.85 wt.%) respectively. In general, studied samples show light rare earth element depleted patterns and flat patterns for heavy rare earth elements similar to MORBs on chondrite normalized REE diagrams. The overall enrichment of LILEs (e.g., Rb, K and Th) and depletion of HFSEs (e.g., Nb-Ta trough) on primitive mantle normalized multi-element diagrams are similar to subduction zone or islamd arc basalts. Ratios like Ti/Y, Ti/Zr, Zr/Nb and Ti/V are also similar to those found in arc related volcanic suites. Sm/Yb vs La/Sm diagram indicates generation of melts from the spinel lherzolite mantle source. On tectonic setting discrimination diagrams like Zr vs Zr/Y, Zr vs Ti and Ti vs V majority of studied samples clearly show island arc tectonic affinity.