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Fluid inclusions in charnockites from Kodaikanal massif (South India): P-T record and implications for crustal uplift history

Flüssigkeitseinschlüsse in Charnockiten des Kodaikanal Massivs (Südindien) und ihre Bedeutung für die P-T Entwicklung und Krustenhebung

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Summary

The Kodaikanal massif is part of a Precambrian terrane characterized by granulite facies rocks. It is dominated by the widespread occurrence of charnockites. The observed textural relationships in these rocks are consistent with the following main reactions:

  1. i.

    Biotite + Quartz = Orthopyroxene + Alkali feldspar ± Garnet + Vapour

  2. ii.

    Garnet + Quartz = Orthopyroxene + Plagioclase

  3. iii.

    Pyrope = Mg Tschermaks + Enstatite (in Opx)

Garnet consuming reactions and the preservation of biotite-quartz-orthopyroxene-plagioclase symplectites are indicative of a decompression event. Progress of such reactions with decreasing pressure together with fluid inclusion data has implications for the construction of P-T vectors. Quartz from the charnockites contains the following fluid inclusions: (1) monophase high density CO2-rich (0.968/−1.014g/cm3) as the dominant fluid phase; (2) aqueous biphase CO2-H2O (0.888–0.915 g/cm3) and (3) late minor aqueous H2O inclusions with no visible CO2. CO2-isochores for the high density fluid inclusions yield a pressure limit of ca. 6.5 kbars, at granulite facies temperatures of ca. 800°C, which is in accordance with the estimation from mineralogical thermobarometry. The P-T path delineated from combined mineralogical and density data on carbonic inclusions is characteristically T-convex suggesting an isothermal decompression path and rapid uplift followed by cooling of a tectonically thickened crust.

Zusammenfassung

Das Kodaikanal Massiv ist ein Teil eines präkambrischen Granulitareals, das hauptsächlich aus Charnockiten aufgebaut wird. Die beobachteten, texturellen Beziehungen in diesen Gesteinen lassen sich mit den folgenden Mineralreaktionen in Übereinstimmung bringen:

  1. i.

    Biotit + Quarz = Orthopyroxen + Alkalifeldspat ± Granat + Vapour

  2. ii.

    Granat + Quarz = Orthopyroxen + Plagioklas

  3. iii.

    Pyrop = Mg Tschermak Komponente in OPX + Enstatit

Granatabbaureaktionen und das Auftreten von Symplektiten mit Biofit, Quarz, Orthopyroxen und Plagioklas, belegen ein Dekompressionsereignis. Das Ablaufen dieser Reaktionen mit fallendem Druck und die Daten der Untersuchungen an Flüssigkeitseinschlüssen sind für die Konstruktion des P-T Pfades bedeutsam. Quarz in Charnockiten führt folgende Flüssigkeitseinschlüsse: (1) Einphasige, sehr dichte, CO2-reiche Fluide (0.968–1.014g/cm3) dominieren. (2) Zweiphasige, wässrige, CO2-H2O (0.888–0.915 g/cm3) und (3) späte, CO2-freie, H2O-Einschlüsse treten untergeordnet auf. Aus den lsochoren der Einschlüsse hoher Dichte läßt sich ein Druck von 6.5 kbar bei granulitfaziellen Temperaturen von ca. 800 °C ableiten, was mit den geothermobarometrischen Ergebnissen übereinstimmt. Der aus den mineralogischen und Fl-Daten abzuleitendene P-T Pfad ist charakteristischerweise T-konvex ausgebildet und ist mit isothermischer Dekompression und rascher Hebung einer tektonisch vedickten Kruste erklärbar.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geology, Faculty of Science, Banaras Hindu University, 221005, Varanasi, India

    A. Mohan &  D. Prakash

  2. Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, 248001, 33, General Mahadev Singh Road, Dehradun, India

    H. K. Sachan

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  2. D. Prakash
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Mohan, A., Prakash, D. & Sachan, H.K. Fluid inclusions in charnockites from Kodaikanal massif (South India): P-T record and implications for crustal uplift history. Mineralogy and Petrology 57, 167–184 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01162357

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