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Crustal Melting Evidence in Migmatites of Higher Himalayan Crystallines (HHC) along Bhagirathi, Dhauliganga Valleys, and Sikkim Himalaya, India

  • Original Article
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Journal of the Geological Society of India

Abstract

An attempt has been made to evaluate crustal melting evidence through textural studies within a narrow zone of migmatite present in NW Himalaya along Bhagirathi and Dhauliganga valleys and two zones close to MCT and throughout within in the Sikkim Himalayas, NE Himalaya. It appears that partial melting was initiated by muscovite dehydration melting with a positive volume change driving melt segregation and discontinuous crystallization of peritectic biotite in the leucosome. Further, during retrogression due to cooling, a certain amount of melt was consumed. The occurrence of isolated pseudomorphosed melt pockets and lack of euhedral magmatic flow textured feldspar further indicates that the melt fraction was low for the alignment of crystals. The processes of melt segregation and migration could have been limited. The migmatite leucosomes and a small volume of in situ tourmaline-bearing leucogranite along extensional crenulation cleavages and melt pods indicate water-saturated melting of pelitic metasedimentary rocks. The formation of migmatites happened at around 46 Ma, corresponding to a peak metamorphic event due to collisional tectonics of the Himalayan orogeny. The presence of feeder dikes for main tourmaline-bearing leucogranite indicates that the source for the main body could be migmatite which is also supported by the similarity in REE patterns of the main body and in situ tourmaline-bearing leucogranite.

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Acknowledgments

S.S. thanks H.K. Gupta and B. Mahabaleswar for inviting to write this contribution. SS also thank the Department of Science and Technology, New Delhi, Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES/P.O. (Geosci)/27/2014; and MoES/P.O.(Geo)/101(g)/2016) for financial supports over the years. Understanding of the subject has improved by discussions with A.K. Jain, RM. Manickavasagam and Rajarshi Chakravarti at various stages.

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

    Sandeep Singh, Bitihotri Rit, Shashank Prabha Mohan & Aman Kushwaha

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  1. Sandeep Singh
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Singh, S., Rit, B., Mohan, S.P. et al. Crustal Melting Evidence in Migmatites of Higher Himalayan Crystallines (HHC) along Bhagirathi, Dhauliganga Valleys, and Sikkim Himalaya, India. J Geol Soc India 98, 69–73 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12594-022-1930-4

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