Possible occurrence of Palaeoarchean ferropicrite cumulates and ferrobasalts in the Jojohatu area of North Singhbhum Craton, eastern India: Evidence for a mantle plume source

Abstract

An occurrence of Palaeoarchaean ferropicrite cumulates and ferrobasalts is being reported from the Jojohatu area of the Iron Ore Group (IOG) greenstone belt, which is situated in the northern part of the Singhbhum Craton (eastern India). The ferropicrite cumulates contain serpentine and clinopyroxene as major constituents and spinel, magnetite, and ilmenite as accessories. Their bulk rock chemistry exhibits an extremely high amount of FeOT (19.0–20.8 wt%) and MgO (22.0–23.9 wt%) and quite low Al2O3 (4.5–5.2 wt%) and Na2O + K2O (<1.0 wt%), thus making them as one of the most Fe‐rich ferropicrite cumulates in the world. They are also characterized by high contents of compatible trace elements (Ni: 986–1,470 ppm; Cr: 990–1,256 ppm) and moderate TiO2 (1.5–1.7 wt%), Nb (15–18 ppm), and Zr (82–90 ppm). These cumulates are possibly formed due to accumulation of olivine from the ferrobasaltic melts. In comparison, ferrobasalts consisting of plagioclase, pyroxene, and opaques are alkaline in nature. Some of the plagioclase and pyroxene grains have shown a signature of metasomatic alteration, which resulted into formation of secondary minerals such as epidote, chlorite, and hornblende. They exhibit relatively low contents of FeOT (14.6–18.4 wt%), MgO (8.4–10.8 wt%), Ni (32–122 ppm), and Cr (41–131 ppm) than the ferropicrite cumulates, while TiO2 (2.9–4.1 wt%), Nb (42–61 ppm), and Zr (216–318 ppm) contents are higher. Incompatible elemental patterns and their ratios, as well as Zr/Y versus Nb/Y plot, indicate their ocean island basalts (OIB) affinity and genesis from a hot mantle plume, having mantle potential temperature of about 1,600°C and pressure of 3.5–5 GPa. Considerably low CaO (3.00–7.16 wt%) and FeO/MgO and CaO/MgO systematics indicate that the primary source of the basaltic melt could be pyroxenite. These volcanic occurrences possibly represent remnants of the OIB formed during the Palaeoarchean in the eastern part of the Indian shield.