HR: 0800h
AN: V51B-0560    [Abstracts]
TI: K-T magmatism of western Rajasthan, India: Manifestation of Reunion plume activity or extensional lithospheric tectonics?
AU: * Sharma, K
EM: sharmasirohi@yahoo.com
AF: Kamal Kant Sharma, Department of Geology Government PG College, SIROHI, RAJ 307001 India
AB: A number of alkaline plutons have been recorded at the K-T (Cretaceous-Tertiary) boundary in western Rajasthan, India. Significant magmatism occurred at Mundwara, Barmer, Sarnu-Dandali and Tavider. The evolution of the Cambay-Sanchor-Barmer rift during the K-T period resulted in these alkaline complexes at the rift margins. Sedimentary basins are developed in the Barmer and Jaiselmer regions. The magmatism of Mundwara and Sarnu-Dandali is dated at 68.50 Ma and considered as an early pulse of Deccan volcanism. Several workers correlated K-T sedimentary basin evolution, magmatism and other tectonic features of western Rajasthan with the Reunion plume-interaction in the northwestern Indian shield. Alkaline igneous complexes along the rift from the southern part are reported from Phenai Mata, Amba Dongar and Seychelles. The Seychelles was part of the northwestern Indian shield prior to Deccan volcanism. The Mundwara igneous complex represents three distinct circular plutonic bodies - Toa, Mer and Mushala, which are situated in the periphery of an area three kilometers in radius. Besides these, there are numerous concentric and radial dykes of lamprophyre, carbonatite, dolerite and amphibolite. All these three bodies represent different phases of intrusion and are not similar to each other. The alkaline rocks of Sarnu-Dandali occur as dykes and isolated plugs in the desert sand. Carbonatite dykes are also reported from southeast of Barmer. The Tavider outcrop is devoid of any plutonic rock and consists of rhyolite, andesite and basalt. These rocks occur along the Precambrian Malani magmatic lineaments. The development of the Cambay-Sanchor-Barmer rift caused reactivation of Precambrian fractures and resulted in magmatism at the basin margin. The Gondwanaland fragmentation during the Mesozoic era caused extensional tectonics in the northwestern Indian shield. This led to the development of rift basins in Gujarat and western Rajasthan. Deccan volcanism, separation of the Seychelles microcontinent from India, sedimentary basin development in western Rajasthan and the alkaline magmatism of Mundwara, Sarnu-Dandali and elsewhere are considered to be the products of Reunion plume activity in western India. However, basin development began in western Rajasthan in the Jurassic period and no plume has been suggested for this. The continual extensional tectonic regime caused deep fractures in the continental and oceanic lithosphere. The Cambay-Sanchor-Barmer rift developed in continental lithosphere. The Mundwara, Sarnu-Dandali and Barmer magmatism with nephelinite-carbonatite affinity at the basin margin represents a typical rift-tectonic setting. The tectonic setting and crustal development during the K-T period in western Rajasthan represents an extensional tectonic regime rather than the manifestation of Reunion plume activity.
DE: 8121 Dynamics, convection currents and mantle plumes
SC: Volcanology, Geochemistry, Petrology [V]
MN: 2004 AGU Fall Meeting