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Petrogenesis and Geochemical Evolution of Dhauladhar and Dalhousie Granites, NW Himalayas

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Journal of the Geological Society of India

Abstract

Whole rock geochemical analysis has been carried out on samples from Dhauladhar and Dalhousie granites of the northwestern region of Himalayas. The mineral assemblage of these granites is K-feldspar, plagioclase, and biotite, with Dhauladhar granite being richer in plagioclase and biotite than the Dalhousie granites. The Dhauladhar granites are mostly coarse to medium-grained porphyritic, variably mylonatized and biotite bearing whereas, the Dalhousie granites are fine-grained two-mica granites. The silica-rich (SiO2=64–72 wt %) Dhauladhar granites have a potassic (K2O/Na2O> 0.9–1.8) and peraluminous (A/CNK=1.03–1.3) character. Dalhousie granites show a similar character, albeit to a different degree (SiO2=69–74 wt %), (K2O/Na2O > 1.1–1.5), (A/CNK=1.3–1.7). The Dalhousie granites are richer in, U, Th, and LREE, yet extremely depleted in Sr, Ba, Nb. They have flatter REE patterns with comparatively strong Eu anomaly (Eu/Eu*=0.02–0.04). The Rb/Ba vs Rb/Sr and CaO/Na2O vs Al2O/TiO2 ratios indicate sedimentary source with the psammitic nature for Dhauladhar and pelitic nature for Dalhousie granites. However, the Eu/Eu* value indicates that plagioclase abundance is greater in Dhauladhar granites than in Dalhousie granites. The present study suggests that Dalhousie granites being more evolved than Dahuladhar granites.

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  1. Department of Earth Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, Roorkee, 247 667, India

    Rimpi Dhiman & Sandeep Singh

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Dhiman, R., Singh, S. Petrogenesis and Geochemical Evolution of Dhauladhar and Dalhousie Granites, NW Himalayas. J Geol Soc India 93, 399–408 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12594-019-1194-9

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