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Genesis of wollastonite- and grandite-rich skarns in a suite of marble-calc-silicate rocks from Sittampundi, Tamil Nadu: constraints on the P–T–fluid regime in parts of the Pan-African mobile belt of South India

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Abstract

The Pan-African tectonothermal activities in areas near Sittampundi, south India, are characterized by metamorphic changes in an interlayered sequence of migmatitic metapelites, marble and calc-silicate rocks. This rock sequence underwent multiple episodes of folding, and was intruded by granite batholiths during and subsequent to these folding events. The marble and the calc-silicate rocks develop a variety of skarns, which on the basis of mineralogy; can be divided into the following types: Type I: wollastonite + clinopyroxene (mg# = 71–73) + grandite (16–21 mol% Adr) + quartz ± calcite, Type II: grandite (25–29 mol% Adr ) + clinopyroxene (mg# = 70) + calcite + quartz, and Type III: grandite (36–38 mol% Adr) + clinopyroxene (mg# = 55–65) + epidote + scapolite + calcite + quartz. Type I skarn is 2–10 cm thick, and is dominated by wollastonite (>70 vol%) and commonly occurs as boudinaged layers parallel to the regional foliation Sn1 related to the Fn1 folds. Locally, thin discontinuous lenses and stringers of this skarn develop along the axial planes of Fn2 folds. The Type II skarn, on the other hand, is devoid of wollastonite, rich in grandite garnet (40–70 vol%) and developed preferentially at the interface of clinopyroxene-rich calc-silicates layers and host marble during the later folding event. Reaction textures and the phase compositional data suggest the following reactions in the skarns: 1. calcite + SiO2 → wollastonite + V, 2. calcite + clinopyroxene + O2 → grandite + SiO2 + V, 3. scapolite + calcite + quartz + clinopyroxene + O2 → grandite + V and 4. epidote + calcite + quartz + clinopyroxene + O2 → grandite + V Textural relations and composition of phases demonstrate that (a) silica metasomatism of the host marble by infiltration of aqueous fluids (XCO2 < 0.15) led to production of large volumes of wollastonite in the wollastonite-rich skarn whereas mobility of FeO, SiO2 and CaO across the interface of marble and calc-silicate and infiltration of aqueous fluids (XCO2 < 0.35) were instrumental for the formation of grandite skarns. Composition of minerals in type II skarn indicates that Al2O3 was introduced in the host marble by the infiltrating fluid. Interpretation of mineral assemblages observed in the interlayered metapelites and the calcareous rocks in pseudosections, isothermal P-XCO2 and isobaric T-XCO2 diagrams tightly bracket the “peak” metamorphic conditions at c.9 ± 1 kbar and 750° ± 30°C. Subsequent to ‘peak’ metamorphic conditions, the rocks were exhumed on a steeply decompressive P–T path. The estimated ‘peak’ P–T estimates are inconsistent with the “extreme” metamorphic conditions (>11 kbar and >950°C) inferred for the Pan-African tectonothermal events from the neighboring areas. Field and petrological attributes of these skarn rocks are consistent with the infiltration of aqueous fluid predominantly during the Fn1 folding event at or close to the ‘peak’ metamorphic conditions. Petrological features indicate that the buffering capacity of the rocks was lost during the formation of type I and II skarns. However, the host rock could buffer the composition of the permeated fluids during the formation of type III skarn. Aqueous fluids derived from prograde metamorphism of the metapelites seem to be the likely source for the metasomatic fluids that led to the formation of the skarn rocks.

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Acknowledgements

Financial assistance for this study was received from the research grants of Department of Science and Technology (DST), India. DST-DAAD PPP project and CAS, Department of Geological Sciences, Jadavpur University. PS expresses his gratitude to the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, Germany for a research fellowship during whose tenure the draft of the Ms. was prepared. PS, UD and UKB are thankful to Prof. I Braun for inviting them to visit the Mineralogy-Petrology Institute, University of Bonn during 2005-2006. We thank Prof. M.M. Raith for introducing us to the fascinating rocks of the Sittampundi complex and for many stimulating discussions on the subject. Prof. C. Ballhaus, director, Department of Mineralogy–Petrology, University of Bonn, Germany for providing PS, UKB and UD all the facilities of the institute and for many stimulating discussion. DM acknowledges support from Senior Scientist Project of the Indian National Science Academy. We are thankful to the journal reviewers J.C. Schumacher and T. Grammatikopoulos and to the editor H. Marschal for their valuable comments and extensive linguistic and editorial correction.

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  1. Department of Geological Sciences, Jadavpur University, Kolkata, 700032, India

    P. Sengupta, U. Dutta & Uttam K. Bhui

  2. Department of Geology, University of Calcutta, Kolkata, 700019, India

    D. Mukhopadhyay

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Sengupta, P., Dutta, U., Bhui, U.K. et al. Genesis of wollastonite- and grandite-rich skarns in a suite of marble-calc-silicate rocks from Sittampundi, Tamil Nadu: constraints on the P–T–fluid regime in parts of the Pan-African mobile belt of South India. Miner Petrol 95, 179–200 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00710-008-0037-y

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