Geochemistry of mafic dikes in the Singhbhum Orissa craton: implications for subduction-related metasomatism of the mantle beneath the eastern Indian craton

• Published in: International geology review 2010-01, Vol.52 (1), p.79-94
• Main Authors: Mir, Akhtar R., Alvi, Shabber H., Balaram, V.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: mafic dikes; metasomatism; Singhbhum Orissa craton; subduction zone
• ISSN: 0020-6814; 1938-2839
• DOI: 10.1080/00206810903211948

Mafic dikes, which transect the Mesoarchaean Singhbhum Granitoid Complex, are the most abundant members of the Newer Dolerite dikes of the Singhbhum Orissa craton. These dikes are subalkaline and exhibit a tholeiitic differentiation trend. Studied dikes underwent fractional crystallization of clinopyroxene and plagioclase. They show enriched patterns for the light rare earth elements (LREE) and large ion lithophile elements (LILE). On primitive mantle-normalized multi-element patterns, they possess Ba, Nb, Sr, P, and Ti depletions similar to subduction-related basaltic rocks. The high (La/Yb) n and (Gd/Yb) n ratios suggest that the studied mafic dikes were derived by low degrees of partial melting of a garnet-bearing source. Judging by trace elemental ratios (e.g. Ba/Y, Nb/Y, Ba/Th and Th/Nb), the studied dikes were derived from a mantle source metasomatized by a subduction component (e.g. fluids derived by dehydration of the subducting slab). We conclude that interaction between these fluids and the overlying mantle was the main cause of (LREE and LILE) enrichment and Nb (high field strength elements) depletion in the mafic dikes.