The use of heavy mineral chemistry in reconstructing provenance: A case study from Mesozoic sandstones of Kutch Basin, India

Abstract

Petrography and geochemistry of the Mesozoic sedimentary rocks of the Kutch Basin in western India reveal the predominance of felsic source rocks. Single‐grain chemistry of the detrital heavy minerals in these sediments refines the existing provenance interpretations by incorporating additional data related to source lithology. The study presents information on type, composition, and metamorphic grade of the source rocks for the Mesozoics of the Kutch Basin, which comprises Jhurio, Jhumara, Jhuran, and Bhuj formations. Chemistry of rutile, garnet, and tourmaline supports multiple sources of sediments. The ratio between Cr and Nb in rutile suggests the dominance of sediment input from metapelites. The relationship between (Fe + Mn)–Mg–Ca in garnets and Ca–Fetotal–Mg in tourmalines indicates the dominance of Ca‐poor felsic metamorphic source along with intermediate‐acidic plutonic rocks. The multivariate discrimination of the detrital garnets reveals the dominance of granulite and amphibolite facies source rocks. Rutile compositions indicate subordinate inputs from mafic sources across the investigated sedimentary succession. The single‐grain analysis of heavy minerals, therefore, infers a wide variation in source rock types.