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Petrology of calc-alkaline/adakitic basement hosting A-type Neoproterozoic granites of the Malani igneous suite in Nagar Parkar, SE Sindh, Pakistan

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Abstract

The Nagar Parkar area contains three distinct groups of rocks, from oldest to youngest, (1) basement rocks ranging in composition from mafic to (quartz)diorite, tonalite, granite, and younger granodiorite, (2) granite plutons similar in general features to those of the Malani Igneous Suite of Rajasthan, and (3) abundant mafic, felsic and rhyolitic dykes. The basement rocks show strong brittle and local plastic deformation, and epidote amphibolite/upper greenschist facies metamorphic overprint. The chemistry of the basement rocks contrasts the commonly agreed within plate A-type character of the Neoproterozoic granites (group 2) that are emplaced into them. The basement rock association is calc-alkaline; the granodiorite displays the compositional characteristics of adakites, whereas the tonalite has intermediate composition between typical adakite and classical island arc rocks. This paper presents detailed petrography of the basement rocks and compares their geochemistry with those of the group 2 granites as well as with rocks from other tectonic environments. It is proposed that the Nagar Parkar basement is part of a 900–840 Ma magmatic arc that was deformed before it was intruded 800–700 Ma ago by the A-type continental granitic rocks followed by mafic to felsic dykes.

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Acknowledgements

We thank our parent organizations for the use of facilities and logistic support. The research was partially funded by a grant of the Pakistan Academy of Sciences to M.Q. Jan. M. Tahir Shah is thanked for advice during the major element analysis, Suhail Anjum for his support during the field work, and Ikram Abbasi for drafting of figures. Last, but not least, we are thankful to Professor AM Al-Amri, and two anonymous reviewers for useful suggestions for improvement of the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Centre of Excellence in Geology, University of Peshawar, Peshawar, & COMSTECH, Islamabad, Pakistan

    M. Qasim Jan

  2. Centre for Pure and Applied Geology, University of Sindh, Jamshoro, Pakistan

    Amanullah Laghari & M. Hassan Agheem

  3. National Centre of Excellence in Geology, University of Peshawar, Peshawar, Pakistan

    M. Asif Khan

  4. Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Bahria University, Islamabad, Pakistan

    Tahseenullah Khan

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  1. M. Qasim Jan
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  2. Amanullah Laghari
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Correspondence to M. Qasim Jan.

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Jan, M.Q., Laghari, A., Khan, M.A. et al. Petrology of calc-alkaline/adakitic basement hosting A-type Neoproterozoic granites of the Malani igneous suite in Nagar Parkar, SE Sindh, Pakistan. Arab J Geosci 11, 25 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-017-3378-1

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