Radioactive element distribution and rare-metal mineralization in anorogenic acid volcano-plutonic rocks of the Neoproterozoic Malani Felsic Province, western Peninsular India

Abstract

The Anorogenic Malani Felsic Province (MFP) of western Peninsular India consists of peralkaline, metaluminous to mildly peraluminous A-type granites-acid volcanics with minor basic volcanics and dykes. The suite is bimodal in nature that characterized by volcano-plutonic ring structures and radial dykes. The granitoids of Siwana and Kundal areas of MFP are traversed by numerous quartz veins with fluoride, iron encrustations, druses and knots of pegmatite phases. Petrographically, they show cloudy, patchy perthitic textures; spherulite form of alkali amphibole and alkali pyroxenes; alteration of K-Na-feldspar to kaolin/sericite, magnetite to haematite; growth of granophyres/perthite/rapakivi like textures. They are enriched in SiO2, Na2O+K2O, Fe/Mg, Rb, Zr, Y, Ga, REE (except Eu) and depleted in MgO, CaO, Mg#, P, Ti, Sr, Ni, Cr, Co and V. Uniform REE patterns, parallel to sub-parallel, LREE enriched over HREE and prominent negative Eu-anomalies are the characteristics of these granitoids. Geochemical parameters satisfy the A-type nature of granitoids and crustal origin of these rocks. These granitoids are high heat producing granitoids because of their high content of radioactive elements (U, Th, K), and can be classified as granite (Type I) (avg. 7.18 μWm−3), rhyolite and trachyte (Type II) (avg. 4.47 μWm−3) and acid dyke (Type III) (avg. 14.53 μ Wm−3). The average total heat generation unit (HGU) of Type I (17.10 HGU), Type II (10.64 HGU) and Type III (35.31 HGU) are much higher than the average value of continental crust (3.8 HGU), which imply a possible linear relationship among the surface heat generations in the MFP. Field, petrography and whole rock geochemical characteristics suggest potentiality for rare metals and rare earth elements mineralization in the studied granitoids of the MFP.