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Metasomatic silicification of chromitite bodies in Asurabandha area, Odisha, India

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Abstract

The Asurabandha area on the southern side of the main Sukinda Ultramafic Complex (SUC) in the State of Odisha hosts some irregular and sporadic chromitite bodies which are completely detached from the main SUC. The isolated chromitite bodies are highly altered. Chromitite samples from these isolated bodies have been studied using a polarising petrological microscope, scanning electron microscope (SEM), field emission-scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and wavelength dispersive X-ray fluorescence (WD-XRF) spectrometer and the findings are presented here. In this area, we have identified the associated silicate minerals with chromite to be primarily opal-CT and quartz, contrary to the conventional Fe–Mg silicates such as olivine, pyroxene, or serpentine, although in few instances, the Fe–Mg silicates are identified. The original Fe–Mg silicates have almost completely been replaced by the silica polymorphs. Occurrences of opal-CT and quartz have been identified from their prominent X-ray diffraction peaks at d-spacing of 4.10 Å (with a shoulder peak at 4.32 Å) and 3.34 Å, respectively. The phase compositions are also confirmed by SEM-EDAX analyses. The average composition of opal-CT was found to be (in wt.%) SiO2: 95.41, MgO: 1.75 and FeO: 1.74. The presence of MgO and FeO in the composition of opal-CT, along with relict mesh-like micro-structures, indicate its formation by silicification/opalization from serpentines. A low-temperature hydrothermal alteration process driven by Si- and CO2-rich fluids through fractures and fault zones might have caused the removal of Mg and Fe from primary ultramafic silicate minerals and precipitation of opal-CT. This replacement process involved the initial dissolution of serpentine with preferential leaching of the metallic ions (Mg, Fe) and simultaneous precipitation of amorphous silica to form possibly opal-A in the beginning and then to opal-CT which subsequently transforms to microquartz because of the ordering of structure and removal of water through the dissolution–precipitation mechanism.

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Acknowledgements

This is a part of the doctoral work carried out by A Behera, which is financially supported by the University Grants Commission, New Delhi in terms of a research fellowship. The authors are thankful to M/s Real India Consultancy Ltd., for permitting them to collect rock and ore samples from their Asurabandha chromite leasehold. The XRD, XRF, SEM and FE-SEM analysis were carried out in the Central Characterization Dept. of CSIR-IMMT Bhubaneswar. We are also thankful to the Director, CSIR-IMMT, Bhubaneswar, for permitting us to publish this article.

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  1. CSIR-Institute of Minerals and Materials Technology, Bhubaneswar, 751 013, India

    Ankita Behera & Bibhuranjan Nayak

  2. Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, 201 002, India

    Ankita Behera & Bibhuranjan Nayak

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  1. Ankita Behera
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  2. Bibhuranjan Nayak
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Contributions

AB: Carried out fieldwork, sample collection, sample preparation, petrographic studies, XRD, XRF analysis and draft manuscript preparation. BN: Guided the work and contributed to planning, fieldwork, sample collection, SEM studies, data interpretation, draft manuscript correction and in all correspondences.

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Correspondence to Bibhuranjan Nayak.

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Communicated by N V Chalapathi Rao

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Behera, A., Nayak, B. Metasomatic silicification of chromitite bodies in Asurabandha area, Odisha, India. J Earth Syst Sci 132, 148 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12040-023-02167-1

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