Provenance and Palaeoweathering Attributes of Proterozoic Rock Formations from the Son Valley, Central India

Abstract

The characteristics of source rocks and weathering of Palaeoproterozoic phyllitic rock of Mahakoshal Group and Mesoproterozoic shales and siliciclastics of Vindhyan Supergroup exposed in Son Valley, Central India have been investigated by analyzing their chemical compositions. The investigations pertaining to the relationship between major-elements were carried out along Parshoi, Chitrangi, and Markundi areas of Son valley, Central, India. The studied rock strata have been classified into three categories namely phyllitic rocks, shales and sandstone. The A-CN-K ternary diagram, CIW, CIA, MIA, and ICV values indicate about the similar provenance or source rocks subjected to severe chemical weathering, under dry and hot-humid climates in a basic and acidic environment with changing lower to higher PCO2 of continental flora. Various geochemical discriminantts diagrams, elemental ratios suggest that rocks are derived from post-Archaean-Proterozoic igneous source. The igneous source was mainly granite with a minor contribution of granodioritic rock, in a passive margin setting. The sediments responsible for formation of shale and sandstones were most likely deposited in the interglacial period in between the Mesoproterozoic and Neoproterozoic glacial times. Compositionally the sandstones is distinctive of cratonic environments with their passive continental margin setting. However, the phyllities of Mahakoshal Group suggests their formation under lower weathering conditions in dry climatic conditions which were operating on more intermediate to basic igneous rocks with abundance of mafic minerals.