Neoarchean-Mesoproterozoic Mafic Dyke Swarms of the Indian Shield Mapped Using Google Earth™ Images and ArcGIS™, and Links with Large Igneous Provinces

Abstract

We present dyke swarm maps generated using Google Earth™ images, ArcGIS™, field data, and available geochronological ages of Neoarchean-Mesoproterozoic (ranging in age from ~2.80 to ~1.10 Ga) mafic dyke swarms and associated magmatic units of the different Archean cratons of the Indian shield which represent the plumbing system of Large Igneous Provinces (LIPs). The spatial and temporal distributions together with the trends of the dyke swarms provide important informations about geodynamics. Twenty four dyke swarms (17 have been precisely dated), mostly mafic in nature, have been mapped from the different cratons and named/re-named to best reflect their location, trend, distribution and distinction from other swarms. We have identified 14 distinct magmatic events during the Neoarchean-Mesoproterozoic in the Indian shield. These intraplate magmatic events (many of LIP scale) of the Indian shield and their matches with coeval LIPs on other crustal blocks suggest connections of the Indian shield within known supercontinents, such as Kenorland/Superia (~2.75–2.07 Ga), Columbia/Nuna (1.90–1.38 Ga), and Rodinia (1.20–0.72 Ga). However, further detailed U–Pb geochronology and associated paleomagnetism are required to come to any definite constraints on the position of the Indian cratons within these supercontinents.