Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Origin of metasomatic sillimanite in ductile shear zones: An example from the Proterozoic Sakoli Fold Belt, Bastar Craton, central India

  • Published:
Journal of Earth System Science Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The mineral assemblages within ductile shear zones, which act as open systems, may be strongly influenced by the occurrence of mass transfer processes induced by the infiltrated composite H2O-rich (+ ±boron ±Al) fluid fluxes and mobilising major elements. Metasomatism is the re-equilibration of a rock involving a change in the chemical composition through the interaction of parent rock with an external fluid phase. In the Sakoli Fold Belt of central India, sillimanite occurrences are associated with two major ductile shear zones, viz., one near the eastern margin, trending N–S; and other, near the northwestern margin trending NE–SW formed contemporaneous with D1 and D3 deformations, respectively. The shear zone rocks include basement slices of granodiorite gneiss, quartzite, quartz vein and intrusive granite. Aluminosilicates of andalusite and sillimanite occur in two mutually exclusive domains. While andalusite is ubiquitous in the host metapelites of Sakoli Group, sillimanite is restricted within the shear zones, preferably in mylonitized granite protoliths. Other minerals associated with sillimanite include abundant fibrolite, tourmaline, dumortierite, rutile, sphene, pyrophyllite, quartz, rare biotite and garnet, together with and secondary muscovite (after feldspar) and kaolinite, etc. It is indicative of interaction between infiltrated high-temperature hydrothermal fluid derived possibly from intrusive granite and the host rocks in the shear zone. No evidence of polymorphic inversion between andalusite and sillimanite nor breakdown reaction from muscovite + quartz → sillimanite+ K-feldspar could be established. Textural evidences suggest the growth of sillimanite and associated tourmaline at two pulses, each coinciding with or outlasting the peak of shear zone deformations and metamorphism in Sakoli rocks. Ductile shear zones in the area may thus represent high alumina hydrothermal alteration zones in granitic rocks through the influx of high-temperature fluids from some deeper source. The infiltrating hydrothermal fluids rich in Al, B, and H2O were channelised along the ductile shear zones. It caused extensive chemical alteration of the host rock giving rise to sillimanite, tourmaline, kaolinite, mica, etc., as metasomatic products. The infiltrating fluid was sufficiently high in temperature (>550°C) to produce sillimanite in the later stages of prograde metamorphism of the Sakoli Group of rocks, restricted to ductile shear zones in two separate tectonic and deformation settings. The anomalous growth of sillimanite in the restricted domains was undoubtedly facilitated by high strain environment of shear zones.

Highlights

  • Two sets of shear zones, N–S and NE–SW related to two generations of deformations, respectively, hosts sillimanite mineralisation.

  • Textural characteristics indicate solid-state growth of sillimanite during the syn- to late-tectonic stages of mylonitization in the shear zones.

  • Infiltrating hydrothermal fluids rich in Al, B, H2O along the ductile shear zones, caused extensive chemical alteration of host rocks.

  • The temperature of the infiltrating fluid was high enough to form sillimanite instead of andalucite as the metastatic product. High strain within shear zones facilitated the growth.

  • Minerals like sillimanite, tourmaline, kaolinite, mica, etc., are metasomatic products.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4
Figure 5
Figure 6
Figure 7
Figure 8
Figure 9
Figure 10
Figure 11

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Acharyya S K and Roy A 2000 Tectonothermal history of the Central Indian Tectonic Zone and reactivation of major faults/shear zones; J. Geol. Soc. India 55 239–256.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ahmad T, Longjam K C, Fouzdar B, Bickle M J and Chapman H J 2009 Petrogenesis and tectonic setting of bimodal volcanism in the Sakoli Mobile Belt, central Indian shield; Island Arc 18 155–174, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1440-1738.2008.00651.x.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bandyopadhyay B K, Huin A K and Roy A 2021 Sakoli Fold Belt; Geol. Surv. India Memoir 135.

  • Bandyopadhyay B K, Bhoskar K G, Ramachandra H M, Roy A, Khadse V K, Mohan M, Sreeramachandra Rao K, RayBarman T, Bishui P K and Gupta S N 1990 Recent geochronological studies in parts of the Precambrian of Central India; In: Precambrian of Central India, Geol. Surv. India, Spec. Publ. 28 99–211.

  • Bandopadhyay B K and Roy A 1989 Scanning electron microscopy study of cleavages in slates and phyllites from Ran Mangli Area, Sakoli Group in Nagpur District, Maharashtra; Indian J. Geol. 61(4) 224–242.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bandyopadhyay B K, Roy A, Shukla R S and Guha Sarkar T K 1988 Bimodal volcanism, massive sulphides and associated Mn garnet-chert rocks in the Proterozoic Sakoli basin in central India: Examples of metamorphosed mixed volcanic and exhalative sedimentary type Cu and Zn deposits in a zone of crustal extension; (Abst)-IGCP Project 247-International Conference on Metallogeny related to tectonics of the Proterozoic mobile belts and computerised mineral resource assessment in metallogenic provinces, Kolkata, India 31 27–28.

  • Barkar A J, Bennet D G, Boyace A J and Fallick A E 2000 Retrogression by deep infiltration of meteoric fluids into thrust zones during late orogenic rapid uproofing; J. Metamorph. Geol. 18 307–318.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Barnicoat A C, Fare R J, Groves D I and McNaughton N J 1991 Syn-metamorphic lode-gold deposits in high-grade Archean settings; Geology 19 921–924.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Coelho J 2006 GEOISO-A windows program to calculate and plot mass balances and volume changes occurring in a wide variety of geologic processes; Comput. Geosci. 32 1523–1528.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Corey M C 1988 An occurrence of metasomatic aluminosilicates related to high alumina hydrothermal alteration within the South Mountain Batholith, Nova Scotia; Atlantic Geol. 24(1) 83–95.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dutrow B I, Foster C T Jr and Henry D J 1999 Tourmaline rich pseudomorphs in sillimanite zone metapelites: Demarcation of an infiltration front; Am. Mineral. 84 794–804.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Grant J A 1986 The isocon diagram – a simple solution to Gresens’ equation for metasomatic alteration; Econ. Geol. 81 1976–1982.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Grant J A 2005 Isocon analysis: A brief review of the method and applications; Phys. Chem. Earth 30 997–1004.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Groves D I and Phillips G N 1987 The genesis and tectonic control on Archaean gold deposits of the Western Australian Shield – A metamorphic replacement model; Ore Geol. Rev. 2(4) 287–322.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Harlov D E and Austrheim H 2013 Metasomatism and the chemical transformation of rock: Rock–mineral–fluid interaction in terrestrial and extraterrestrial environments; In: Metasomatism and the Chemical Transformation of Rock, Lecture Notes in Earth System Sciences, Springer Berlin Heidelberg.

  • London D 1986 The magmatic-hydrothermal transition in Tranco rare element pegmatite: Evidence from fluid inclusions and phase equilibrium experiments; Am. Mineral. 71 376–395.

    Google Scholar 

  • London D, Hervig R and Morgan G B 1998 Melt vapour solubilities and element partitioning in peraluminous granite-pegmatite systems: Experimental results in Macusani glass at 200MPs; Contrib. Mineral. Petrol. 99 360–365.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lopez-Morro F J 2012 EASYGRESGRANT – a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet to quantify volume changes and to perform mass-balance modeling in metasomatic systems; Comput. Geosci. 39 191–196.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mathieu Lucie 2018 Quantifying hydrothermal alteration: A review of methods; Geosciences 8(7) 245, https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences8070245.

  • Miyashiro A 1961 Evolution of metamorphic belts; J. Petrol. 2 277–311.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mukherjee P K and Gupta P K 2008 Arbitrary scaling in ISOCON method of geochemical mass balance: An evaluation of the graphical approach; Geochem. J. 42 247–253.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Putnis A and Austreheim H 2010 Fluid induced process: Metasomatism and metamorphism; Geofluids 10 254–269.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ramchandra H M and Roy A 2001 Evolution of the Bhandara-Balaghat granulite belt along the southern margin of Sausar mobile belt of central India; Proc; Indian Acad. Sci. (Earth Planet. Sci.) 110(4) 351–368.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Roy A, Bandyopadhyay B K, Huin A K, Mony P C D and Saha S K 1995a Geology of the Sakoli Fold Belt, Nagpur, Bhandara and Gadchiroli districts, Maharashtra; Geol. Surv. India Progress Report 150.

  • Roy A, Bandyopadhyay B K and Huin A K 1995b Geology of the Sakoli Fold Belt, Nagpur, Bhandara and Gadchiroli districts, Maharashtra; Rec. Geol. Surv. India 128(6) 4–7.

    Google Scholar 

  • Roy A, Bandyopadhyay B K and Huin A K 1990 Eastern margin of the Sakoli belt: A prominent N–S trending high-strain zone in central India, Abstract volume on Evolution of Precambrian Crust in India, Calcutta.

  • Roy A, Bandyopadhyay B K and Huin A K 1992 Occurrences and significance of ductile shear zone near the eastern margin of the Sakoli belt in Central India; Ind. Mineral. 46(3&4) 323–336.

    Google Scholar 

  • Roy A, Bandyopadhyay B K, Huin A K and Saha S K 1994 Geology around Gangajhari-Sakoli area, Bhandara district, Maharashtra; Rec. Geol. Surv. India 127(6) 19–25.

    Google Scholar 

  • Roy A, Kagami H, Yoshida M, Roy A, Bandyopadhyay B K, Chattopadhyay A, Khan A S, Huin A K and Pal T 2006 Rb–Sr and Sm–Nd dating of different metamorphic events from the Sausar mobile belt, central India: Implications for Proterozoic crustal evolution; J. Asian Earth Sci. 26 61–76.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sarkar S N 1958 Stratigraphy and tectonics of Dongargarh System. A new system in Precambrian of Bhandara–Durg–Balaghat area, Bombay and MP; J. Sci. Eng. Res. 2(2) 145–160.

  • Sarkar S N 1980 Precambrian stratigraphy and geochronology of Peninsular India: A review; Indian J. Earth Sci. 7(1) 12–26.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sengupta S, Mukhopadhyay D, Sengupta P and Hoffbauer R 2005 Tourmaline-bearing rocks in the Singhbhum shear zone, eastern India: Evidence of boron infiltration during regional metamorphism; Am. Mineral. 90 1241–1255.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sibson R H 1992 Implications of fault valve behaviour for rupture nucleation and recurrence; Tectonophys. 21(1) 283–293.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vernon R H and Clarke G L 2008 Principles of Metamorphic Petrology; Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Walther J V and Wood B J 1986 Fluids of granulite facies metamorphism; In: The collection: The advances in Physical Geochemistry (ed.) Saxena S K, Springer-Verlag, New York, pp. 36–59.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wintsch R and Andrews M 1988 Deformation induced growth of sillimanite: ‘Stress’ minerals revisited; J. Geology 96 143–161.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

Authors express their sincere thanks to Ms Arya Ghosh of CPL, GSI, Kolkata, for carrying out the EPMA studies and providing logistic support during petrographical studies of the samples. Dr Trisrota Chaudhary of Geochronology Division, GSI Kolkata, is thanked for constructive discussions on metasomatism. SKR is grateful to Shri J Rajeshwar, ADG & HOD, CR, for permission to publish the paper. He acknowledges the sincere help rendered by Shri Utsab Kundu and Smt Sohini Haldar, Geologists, during field work and data collation.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Former, Geological Survey of India, Kolkata, India

    Abhinaba Roy

  2. Geological Survey of India, Nagpur, India

    Sandip Kumar Roy

  3. Former, Geological Survey of India, Bengaluru, India

    H M Ramchandra

Authors
  1. Abhinaba Roy
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Sandip Kumar Roy
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. H M Ramchandra
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

Abhinaba Roy: Conceptualisation, field work and inputs, methodology, writing – original draft, visualisation, supervision. Sandip Kumar Roy: Writing – original draft, methodology, software, validation, analysis. H M Ramchandran: Conceptualisation, methodology, writing – review and editing, supervision.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Sandip Kumar Roy.

Additional information

Communicated by Somnath Dasgupta

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Roy, A., Roy, S.K. & Ramchandra, H.M. Origin of metasomatic sillimanite in ductile shear zones: An example from the Proterozoic Sakoli Fold Belt, Bastar Craton, central India. J Earth Syst Sci 132, 165 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12040-023-02183-1

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12040-023-02183-1

Keywords

Search

Navigation