We present comprehensive petrological and geochemical analyses of chromitites from the 3.3–3.1 Ga Nuggihalli greenstone belt in the western Dharwar craton, India. Our findings provide insights into the primary magma and mantle source compositions associated with these Archean oceanic lithosphere chromitites. Major and trace element data from chromites and clinopyroxenes in the chromitites, combined with thermobarometry and hygrometry calculations and numerical modelling, indicate that the Nuggihalli chromitites are characterized by high-Cr chromites (Cr# = 68.1–78.6) with low TiO2 (0.19–0.29 wt%), Al2O3 (9.10–13.13 wt%) and Ga (4.24–10.37 ppm). These chemical signatures are comparable with those of chromites from high-Cr podiform chromitites and boninites. The clinopyroxenes are mainly augites with high Mg# (93–95). Melts equilibrated with the clinopyroxenes from the Nuggihalli chromitites have high Mg# values (79–86), similar to ancient komatiitic or picritic magmas (Mg# 75–90). Thermobarometry and hygrometry calculations indicate that the clinopyroxenes likely formed at temperatures of 1194–1221°C and pressures of 0.7–5.8 kbar with high water contents (c. 2.4–2.6 wt%), exceeding the water contents of both mid-ocean ridge and ocean island basalts. Numerical modelling of the rare earth elements indicates moderate degrees of partial melting (1 to c. 10%) of a hydrated spinel lherzolite mantle source (water content c. 478–5408 ppm). The parental magmas of the 3.3–3.1 Ga Nuggihalli chromitites are characterized by an enrichment in water (c. 2.4–2.6 wt%) and depletion in the high field strength elements (e.g. Nb and Hf), which are similar to those in boninites and arc magmas. Furthermore, the rock associations in the Nuggihalli greenstone belt, including ultramafic rocks with chromitites, high-Mg basalts and sheets of gabbro–anorthosites, are similar to the rock assemblages of ophiolites and could therefore represent relicts of a Mesoarchean oceanic lithosphere formed in a forearc setting.
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Research Article|
December 17, 2024
Parental magma and mantle source compositions of chromitites in the Mesoarchean Nuggihalli greenstone belt, India: evidence for Archean subduction zone magmatism
Haitao Ma;
Haitao Ma
1
Institute of Mantle and Metallogenesis
, State Key Laboratory for Mineral Deposits Research and School of Earth Sciences and Engineering
, Nanjing University
, Nanjing 210023, China
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Yildirim Dilek;
Yildirim Dilek
2
Department of Geology and Environmental Earth Science
, Miami University
, Oxford, OH 45056, USA
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Dongyang Lian;
Dongyang Lian
*
1
Institute of Mantle and Metallogenesis
, State Key Laboratory for Mineral Deposits Research and School of Earth Sciences and Engineering
, Nanjing University
, Nanjing 210023, China
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Pengjie Cai;
Pengjie Cai
1
Institute of Mantle and Metallogenesis
, State Key Laboratory for Mineral Deposits Research and School of Earth Sciences and Engineering
, Nanjing University
, Nanjing 210023, China
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M. Jayananda;
M. Jayananda
3
School of Natural Sciences and Engineering, National Institute of Advanced Studies
, Indian Institute of Science Campus
, Bangalore 560012, India
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K.R. Aadhiseshan;
K.R. Aadhiseshan
3
School of Natural Sciences and Engineering, National Institute of Advanced Studies
, Indian Institute of Science Campus
, Bangalore 560012, India
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Jingsui Yang
Jingsui Yang
*
1
Institute of Mantle and Metallogenesis
, State Key Laboratory for Mineral Deposits Research and School of Earth Sciences and Engineering
, Nanjing University
, Nanjing 210023, China
Search for other works by this author on:
Haitao Ma
1
Institute of Mantle and Metallogenesis
, State Key Laboratory for Mineral Deposits Research and School of Earth Sciences and Engineering
, Nanjing University
, Nanjing 210023, China
Yildirim Dilek
2
Department of Geology and Environmental Earth Science
, Miami University
, Oxford, OH 45056, USA
Dongyang Lian
*
1
Institute of Mantle and Metallogenesis
, State Key Laboratory for Mineral Deposits Research and School of Earth Sciences and Engineering
, Nanjing University
, Nanjing 210023, China
Pengjie Cai
1
Institute of Mantle and Metallogenesis
, State Key Laboratory for Mineral Deposits Research and School of Earth Sciences and Engineering
, Nanjing University
, Nanjing 210023, China
M. Jayananda
3
School of Natural Sciences and Engineering, National Institute of Advanced Studies
, Indian Institute of Science Campus
, Bangalore 560012, India
K.R. Aadhiseshan
3
School of Natural Sciences and Engineering, National Institute of Advanced Studies
, Indian Institute of Science Campus
, Bangalore 560012, India
Jingsui Yang
*
1
Institute of Mantle and Metallogenesis
, State Key Laboratory for Mineral Deposits Research and School of Earth Sciences and Engineering
, Nanjing University
, Nanjing 210023, China
Publisher: Geological Society of London
Received:
10 Aug 2024
Revision Received:
04 Oct 2024
Accepted:
08 Oct 2024
First Online:
29 Oct 2024
Online ISSN: 2041-479X
Print ISSN: 0016-7649
Funding
- Funder(s):National Key R&D Program of China
- Award Id(s): 2023YFF0804402
- Award Id(s):
- Funder(s):National Natural Science Foundation of China
- Award Id(s): 42330306
- Award Id(s):
- Funder(s):National Natural Science Foundation of China
- Award Id(s): 92062215
- Award Id(s):
- Funder(s):National Natural Science Foundation of China
- Award Id(s): 42272068
- Award Id(s):
- Funder(s):National Natural Science Foundation of China
- Award Id(s): 42302080
- Award Id(s):
- Funder(s):Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities
- Award Id(s): 2024300422
- Award Id(s):
- Funder(s):Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities
- Award Id(s): 2023300168
- Award Id(s):
- Funder(s):Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities
- Award Id(s): 2023300288
- Award Id(s):
- Funder(s):Outstanding Postdoctoral Program of Jiangsu Province
- Award Id(s): 2022ZB12
- Award Id(s):
- Funder(s):Postgraduate Research & Practice Innovation Program of Jiangsu Province
- Award Id(s): KYCX23_0128
- Award Id(s):
- Funder(s):J.C. Bose National Fellowship research grant
© 2024 The Author(s). Published by The Geological Society of London. All rights, including for text and data mining (TDM), artificial intelligence (AI) training, and similar technologies, are reserved. For permissions: https://www.lyellcollection.org/publishing-hub/permissions-policy. Publishing disclaimer: https://www.lyellcollection.org/publishing-hub/publishing-ethics
© 2024 The Author(s)
Journal of the Geological Society (2025) 182 (2): jgs2024-158.
Article history
Received:
10 Aug 2024
Revision Received:
04 Oct 2024
Accepted:
08 Oct 2024
First Online:
29 Oct 2024
Citation
Haitao Ma, Yildirim Dilek, Dongyang Lian, Pengjie Cai, M. Jayananda, K.R. Aadhiseshan, Jingsui Yang; Parental magma and mantle source compositions of chromitites in the Mesoarchean Nuggihalli greenstone belt, India: evidence for Archean subduction zone magmatism. Journal of the Geological Society 2024;; 182 (2): jgs2024–158. doi: https://doi.org/10.1144/jgs2024-158
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Index Terms/Descriptors
- andesites
- Archean
- Asia
- boninite
- chemical composition
- chromitite
- Dharwar Craton
- genesis
- geodynamics
- greenstone belts
- hydration
- igneous rocks
- India
- Indian Peninsula
- lithosphere
- magmas
- magmatism
- mantle
- melts
- Mesoarchean
- metamorphic belts
- numerical models
- oceanic lithosphere
- ophiolite
- P-T conditions
- peridotites
- Phanerozoic
- plutonic rocks
- Precambrian
- subduction zones
- ultramafics
- volcanic rocks
- water content
- parental magmas
- Nuggihalli greenstone belt
Latitude & Longitude
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