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 Journal of Asian Earth Sciences 25 (2005) 805819
www.elsevier.com/locate/jaes

The Gothara plagiogranite: evidence for oceanic magmatism in a

non-ophiolitic association, North Khetri Copper Belt, Rajasthan, India?
Gurmeet Kaur*, P.K. Mehta
Centre of Advanced Study in Geology, Panjab University, Chandigarh l600l4, India
Received 29 October 2003; accepted 16 August 2004

Abstract
The Gothara granitoid, a small pluton in the vicinity of Khetri town, is one of several granitoid bodies that intrude the Palaeo-
Mesoproterozoic Delhi Supergroup of the Khetri Copper Belt (KCB) in north Rajasthan, India. Detailed petrological and geochemical
investigations characterise the Gothara granitoid as a plagiogranite. It exhibits profuse granophyric intergrowth between quartz and
chessboard albite, besides having the low Al2O3, extremely low K2O, Rb, Ba, and high Na2O that are characteristic of plagiogranites, and
matches some typical oceanic plagiogranites of the world in totality. However, unlike the other known plagiogranites, it is mineralogically
and chemically exceptionally homogeneous, almost free from alteration and occurs in a non-ophiolitic setting. The field relationships of the
Gothara plagiogranite, particularly its dual and overlapping relationship with the mafic magmatic rocks, its accessory mineral assemblage, I-
type characteristics and the major, trace and REE geochemistry, all point towards its fractionation-related petrogenesis from a mafic magma
of mantle origin in an oceanic ridge tectonic regime. This discovery is of importance not only for the petrotectonic evolution of the Khetri
Copper Belt but also for the petrogenesis of plagiogranites elsewhere in the world.
q 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Keywords: Plagiogranite; Petrology; Geochemistry; Oceanic tectonic regime

1. Introduction divided the rocks of the Delhi System (now Supergroup) of

The Palaeo-Mesoproterozoic Delhi Supergroup forms
the main Delhi synclinorium along the axial zone of the
Aravalli mountain range (Heron, 1953; Sinha-Roy et al.,
1998). It extends for a distance of w700 km from Delhi and
south Haryana to Idar in north Gujarat, in the form of a
narrow, linear belt, known as the Delhi Fold Belt (DFB) that
defines the NESW orographic trend of this mountain range.
The Khetri Copper Belt (KCB) lies in the northern part of
the DFB. It extends for a distance of 80 km from Singhana
(28806 0 N, 75853 0 E) in the NE to Sangarva (27834 0 30 00 N;
75819 0 E) in the SW, in the Jhunjhunu and Sikar districts of
Rajasthan. It is further divided into the North Khetri Copper
Belt (NKCB) and the South Khetri Copper Belt (SKCB) by
the Kantli Fault along the Kantli River (Das Gupta, 1968;
Gupta et al., 1998). Heron (1953) and Das Gupta (1968)
* Corresponding author. Tel.: C91 172 2612412.
E-mail address: gurmeet28374@yahoo.co.in (G. Kaur).
1367-9120/$ - see front matter q 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
doi:10.1016/j.jseaes.2004.08.003
the KCB into an older, arenaceous Alwar Formation and a
younger, argillo-calcareous Ajabgarh Formation (both now
Groups), intruded by older amphibolites, granites and
pegmatites, and younger amphibolites, besides the CuFe
sulphide mineralisation, and quartz and carbonate veins.
Gupta et al. (1998) suggested a new stratigraphic frame-
work for the KCB. They recognised an Archaean (?)
basement unconformably overlain by Proterozoic cover
sequences, the latter designated as Khetri Group in the
NKCB and Shyamgarh Group in the SKCB.
Several granitoid bodies are encountered in the KCB,
such as the Udaipurwati, Seoli, Saladipura, Chapoli and
Paniaras granites in the SKCB, and the Babai, Paprona,
Gorwala and Gothara granites in the NKCB. Most of
these granitoids are described as emplaced in structurally
favourable locales and regarded as syn- to post-kinematic
with respect to the first and/or second phase of folding
during the Delhi Orogeny (Das Gupta, 1968; Bhattachar-
yya and Das Gupta, 1981; Gangopadhyay, 1987). Of the
806 G. Kaur, P.K. Mehta / Journal of Asian Earth Sciences 25 (2005) 805819

two types of granite recognised, the foliated biotite
granites of phase-I predate the smaller bodies and dykes
of leucocratic, hornblende-tonalites or trondhjemites of
phase-II. Limited chemical data indicate that the foliated
biotite granites of phase-I are of S-type, whereas the
hornblende leucogranites of phase-II are of I-type (Gupta
et al., 1998). Gopalan et al. (1979) reported an RbSr
whole-rock isochron age of 1480G40 Ma for the
Udaipurwati and Saladipura granites. Gupta et al. (1998)
have cited an 1844G7 Ma RbSr age for the Jasrapura
Granite and ca.1700 Ma 208Pb/206Pb single zircon age for
the Gothara Granite from an unpublished BRGM (1993)
report. Das Gupta (1968) and Gupta et al. (1998) have
described the Gothara pluton as quartz-plagioclase-K-
feldspar-hornblende-bearing granite.
2. Geological setting of the Khetri area
The present work pertains to the Gothara pluton which is
exposed to the southwest of Gothara village
(28804 0 05 00 N;75849 0 20 00 E) situated between the Khetri
Copper Complex and Rajotha village, about 1 km south of
the former. The authors remapped this granitoid body and
the country rocks in its immediate vicinity on 1:20,000
scale. The map by Das Gupta (1968) was used for the
distribution of the country rocks. The authors follow the
classification of the Delhi Supergroup into Alwar and
Ajabgarh Groups and present a stratigraphic sequence based
on characteristic and dominant lithology of the mappable
units that can be easily identified in the field, as shown on
the map (Fig. 1).

Fig. 1. Geological map of the Gothara pluton and adjacent area. Alwar Group: (1) Feldspathic quartzite, (2) Ferruginous (magnetite) quartzite, (3) Amphibole
quartzite; Ajabgarh Group: (4) Metavolcanics, (5) Pelitic schists, (6) Marble and Calc-silicate rocks, (7) Metadolerite, (8) Plagiogranite, (9) Breccia, (10)
Alluvium and sand. Solid circles mark location of samples of plagiogranite. Inset on the lower right side shows the location of the Gothara granitoid on the
geological map of the North Khetri Copper Belt (NKCB), modified after Heron (1923).
 G. Kaur, P.K. Mehta / Journal of Asian Earth Sciences 25 (2005) 805819 807

3. The Gothara granitoid
The Gothara granitoid forms a small, elongated pluton,
approximately 3 km in length and 0.70 km in maximum
width. It is exposed on the western limb of an NNESSW
trending anticline formed by the Alwar feldspathic quartzite
and tapers out in the NNE direction. The eastern limb of this
anticline is missing, faulted or buried under alluvium (Das
Gupta, 1968). The eastern margin of the Gothara pluton is
covered by alluvium, but its western margin is marked by a
1020 m thick zone of breccia containing clasts of the
quartzite, and occasionally of the granitoid, and a matrix of
volcanic, quartzo-feldspathic and ferruginous material.
A 350 m long metadolerite dyke and numerous enclaves
of mafic rocks occur within the Gothara pluton. The main
metadolerite dyke (Fig. 1) has generally sharp but
occasionally diffuse contacts with the enclosing granitoid;
both the dyke and the granitoid are unfoliated. The
metadolerite shows sub-ophitic texture and comprises a
hornblendeplagioclase assemblage with minor amounts of
epidote and titanite, accessory magnetite and occasional
quartz. The relationship between the mafic rocks and
Gothara granitoid is quite intriguing. In a small, isolated,
outcrop of the Gothara granitoid on the Gothara-Rajotha
road, dismembered angular blocks and lenticles of these
mafic rocks are found engulfed within the granitic mass,
most of which have been partially assimilated, amphiboli-
tised and epidotised (Fig. 2a). At the same place, small
dykelets of the granitoid cut across and dislodge the mafic
enclaves on one hand, and blocks and fragments of the
granitoid are found enclosed within the amphibolitised and
epidotised mafic enclaves, on the other (Fig. 2a and b).
Such relationships do not support Das Guptas (1968)
contention that these mafic dykes are younger than the
granitoid. Nor do they unequivocally suggest that they are
much older than the granite. Such intriguing relationships
between the mafic rocks and the granitoid cannot be
explained without interrelated and overlapping volcano-
plutonic magmatic activity in the area whereby the mafic
and felsic magmas were intermittently tapped at short
intervals from different depths of the magma chamber
(Mehta et al., 2000; Gurmeet Kaur, 2002). Pitcher (1997)
has referred to such dykes as syn-plutonic dykes.
3.1. Petrography, classification and nomenclature
The Gothara granitoid is leucocratic, holocrystalline,
medium to coarse grained, homogeneous and unfoliated.

Fig. 2. (a) Dismembered blocks of metadolerite engulfed in the Gothara plagiogranite. Dykelets of plagiogranite cut across the mafic enclaves and fragments of
the plagiogranite are incorporated within the amphibolitised mafic enclaves; (b) Dykes of plagiogranite cut across the amphibolitised mafic material; at the
same time rectangular blocks of plagiogranite are wholly enclosed within the latter; (c) Profuse granophyric intergrowth between chessboard albite and quartz
extending like a cauliflower around albite (XN); (d) Optical continuity and increasing size of quartz grains away from albite margins in the granophyric
intergrowths (XN), in the Gothara plagiogranite.
808 G. Kaur, P.K. Mehta / Journal of Asian Earth Sciences 25 (2005) 805819

The overall texture of the rock is hypidiomorphic granular.
Granophyric intergrowth between quartz and albite (Fig. 2c
and d) is quite common. The essential minerals present are
albite, quartz and actinolitic hornblende. The accessory
minerals include titanite, allanite, epidote, apatite, and
zircon. Minor amounts of secondary biotite, chlorite,
sericite and carbonates are occasionally present, while the
opaques include mainly magnetite and minor amounts of
hematite and limonite. The albite (An25) crystals show a
closely-spaced chessboard pattern as a result of intimate
development of albite and pericline twinning. Granophyric
intergrowth between quartz and chessboard albite extends
all around the albite crystals like a cauliflower (Fig. 2c).
The quartz grains increase in size away from the albite
margins but maintain optical continuity (Fig. 2d). Two
varieties of amphibole can be identified. The dominant
coloured variety is of common hornblende which at times
grades into actinolite and shows pleochroism from yellow-
ish green (ZX) to green (ZY) to bluish green (ZZ) with
absorption ZOYOX and maximum extinction angle of 308.
The second, subordinate, variety of amphibole is actinolite,
which is feebly pleochroic from faint greenish yellow to
light green. In places the bluish green actinolitic hornblende
forms patches within and rims around the faint green
actinolite.
Modal analyses, along with colour indices and specific
gravities, of 14 samples of the Gothara granitoid, are given
in Table 1, plotted in the QAP ternary diagram (Fig. 3a) and
classified and named according to the IUGS recommen-
dations (Streckeisen, 1976). With practically no K-feldspar
phase (the extremely low K2O content apparently accom-
modated as solid solution in the albite), the Gothara samples
can be plotted on the QA join or QP join and can be
accordingly named as alkali-feldspar granite (Field 2) or as
tonalite/trondhjemite (Field 5). Taking into account the
normative anorthite content of albite (An25), the samples
have been plotted on the QA join of Fig. 3a. However, most
granites in Field 2 of the QAP triangle are true alkali
granites containing alkali-amphibole and/or alkali-pyroxene
(Streckeisen, 1976), whereas the Gothara granitoid contains
calcic-amphibole (actinolitic hornblende). Therefore, char-
acterising this rock as alkali-feldspar (albite-) granite may
lead to a miscomprehension of the true nature of the Gothara
granitoid. Barker (1979) suggested that such albite-granites
may be better referred to as trondhjemites, rather than
alkali-feldspar granites. The modal mineralogical and
chemical parameters of the Gothara granitoid do not
conform to the original definition of trondhjemite (Gold-
schmidt, 1916) and this would require a further chemical
(low-Al2O3) qualifier for the rock as demanded by its
chemistry (cf. Barker, l979; p. 7).
Coleman and Peterman (1975) introduced the term
oceanic plagiogranite for medium to fine grained,
hypidiomorphic-granular rocks consisting predominantly
of quartz and zoned plagioclase (An1060) with less than
10% ferromagnesian minerals (primary hornblende or
pyroxene) that are characterised by granophyric intergrowth
between quartz and plagioclase. It is a general descriptive
and collective term that encompasses a wide spectrum from
diorite, tonalite and trondhjemite to albite granite, which are
associated with ophiolites. In addition, the oceanic plagio-
granites are characterised by extremely low K2O, Rb and
high Na2O contents. The Gothara granitoid also shows
granophyric intergrowth between quartz and albite besides
having extremely low K2O, Rb and very high Na2O contents
(Tables 2 and 3). Thus, in most respects, the textural,
mineralogical and chemical features of this amphibole-
bearing granitoid compare well with those of the oceanic
plagiogranites.
Oceanic plagiogranites have almost always been
reported from ophiolites formed in mid-oceanic ridges,
but less commonly from those formed in the roots of island

Table 1
Modal analyses and specific gravity of the Gothara Plagiogranite

Sample no. GT1 GT2 GT3 GT4 GT5 GT6 GT7 GT8 GT9 GT12 GT15 GT16 GT17 GT18 Av. S.D.
Quartz 29.50 26.70 29.20 26.90 28.70 26.70 31.60 26.60 30.10 28.60 26.30 29.40 28.50 29.80 28.47 1.61
Albite 60.90 66.40 65.70 65.70 61.90 63.10 62.30 64.40 61.60 65.20 64.70 60.50 65.80 64.80 63.79 2.01
Amphibole 6.70 3.70 2.80 3.40 5.80 5.60 2.80 6.60 4.50 3.20 4.80 8.20 2.10 3.20 4.53 1.81
Titanite 1.60 0.90 1.00 0.90 1.60 1.40 1.60 1.40 1.70 1.10 1.20 0.20 0.40 1.10 1.15 0.45
Allanite and 0.20 0.30 0.20 0.40 0.60 1.30 0.70 1.60 0.10 0.20 0.20 0.80 0.47 0.48
Epidote
Apatite and 0.20 0.30 0.30 0.20 0.20 0.30 0.30 0.30 0.30 0.30 0.30 0.30 0.20 0.20 0.26 0.05
Zircon
Carbonate 0.90 0.50 1.20 1.20 0.70 1.10 0.50 0.40 0.46 0.48
Opaque 1.20 0.80 1.30 2.20 0.10 0.20 0.40 2.00 1.20 2.60 0.10 0.86 0.90
oxides
Q 32.60 28.70 30.80 29.10 31.70 29.70 33.70 29.20 32.80 30.50 28.90 32.70 30.20 31.50
A 67.40 71.30 69.20 70.90 68.30 70.30 66.30 70.80 67.20 69.50 71.10 67.30 69.80 68.50
P
Colour index 8.50 6.10 4.80 6.00 8.00 9.20 5.80 8.70 8.00 4.80 8.20 9.80 5.10 5.20 7.01 1.78
Sp. Gr. 2.66 2.67 2.64 2.66 2.67 2.74 2.64 2.66 2.63 2.66 2.71 2.65 2.68 2.62 2.66 0.03
 G. Kaur, P.K. Mehta / Journal of Asian Earth Sciences 25 (2005) 805819
Fig. 3. Classification and nomenclature of the Gothara granitoid according
to: (a) IUGS recommendations (Streckeisen, 1976). Fields labelled: 2Z
Alkali-feldspar granite, 3aZSyenogranite, 3bZMonzogranite, 4ZGrano-
diorite and 5ZTonalite; (b) CNK diagram (after Glikson, 1979); (c)
normative AnAbOr diagram (after Barker, 1979).
arcs or back-arc marginal basins (Saunders et al., 1979;
Phelps and Ave Lallemant, 1980; Pitcher, 1983; Hyndman,
1985; Barbarin, 1999, and many others). Although,
ophiolites per se have so far not been reported from the
KCB, metabasic rocks in the form of flows, sills and dykes,
are extensively developed in this region, but have yet to be
809
characterised. Isolated occurrences of pyroxenites and
hornblendites have also been reported from the KCB in
association with albitites (Basu and Narsayya, 1983; Ray,
1987, 1990; Yadav et al., 2000), though they do not conform
to the definition of ophiolites. Plagiogranites have also been
reported from the Phulad ophiolite suite in the southern part
of the Delhi Fold Belt (Sinha-Roy and Mohanty, 1988). It is
well known that ophiolite suites rarely show a complete
sequence, and are difficult to recognise in Precambrian
rocks (Helmstaedt and Scott, 1992; Condie, 1997). Never-
theless, since oceanic plagiogranites always occur in
association with ophiolite complexes, it is appropriate at
present to name the Gothara granitoid simply as a
plagiogranite, and not to use the qualifier oceanic (cf.
Phelps and Ave Lallemant, 1980; Pearce et al., 1984; Borsi
et al., 1996; and others), which also takes care of both the
terms albite-granite and trondhjemite.
3.2. Geochemistry
On the basis of careful petrographic study, a representa-
tive suite of 14 samples, covering the whole area of the
Gothara plagiogranite, was selected for geochemical
analysis. Utmost care was taken during sample preparation
to ensure that the samples remained free from contami-
nation. The determination of major oxides and trace
elements was carried out by X-ray fluorescence spec-
trometry (XRF) at the Mineralogical Institute, University of
Wurzberg, Germany (Courtesy: Prof. Dr M. Okrusch). All
elements were determined from fusion discs. All discs were
analysed on a Philips PW 1480 XRF Spectrometer with Rh
target tube, using Philips X 40 software. Three (3) samples
were analysed for REEs at the Institute of Mineralogy and
Geochemistry, University of Cologne, Germany (Courtesy:
Prof. Dr H.-A. Seck). The REE measurements were
performed on the ICP-AES Spectroflame. The analytical
errors are 1% for major elements and 510% for trace
elements, except 20% in case of Sc, Co, Ga, Pb, and Th and
40% for Mo, Sn, and U. The errors in REE measurements
are 510%, except for Ho (20%). The whole rock major
element (wt% oxides), trace element and REE (ppm) data
for the Gothara Plagiogranite are given in Tables 24.
In the Gothara Plagiogranite, the albite shows insignif-
icant sericitisation and amphibole is rarely altered to biotite
and chlorite. Secondary carbonate occurs locally in a few
thin sections in the intergranular spaces in association with
titanite. The primary igneous texture, including the
granophyric intergrowth, is well preserved. The geochem-
ical data do not indicate any significant variations in
chemistry that could be ascribed to post-crystallisation
alteration. The Chemical Index of Alteration (CIA) for
Gothara samples ranges from 44.0 to 48.0 which is well
constrained on the lower side of the 4555 range for fresh
granitoids (Nesbitt and Young, 1982). Therefore, the
analysed samples can be treated as quite fresh and the
geochemical data can be safely assumed to reflect the
810 G. Kaur, P.K. Mehta / Journal of Asian Earth Sciences 25 (2005) 805819

Table 2
Major element and CIPW normative composition of the Gothara Plagiogranite

Sample no. GT1 GT2 GT3 GT4 GT5 GT6 GT7 GT8 GT9 GT12 GT15 GT16 GT17 GT18 Av. S.D.
SiO2 (wt%) 74.71 73.87 75.04 72.98 74.72 71.77 75.13 73.29 75.38 73.62 71.49 74.91 73.29 75.13 73.95 1.27
TiO2 0.64 0.66 0.64 0.63 0.60 0.62 0.68 0.62 0.66 0.60 0.67 0.65 0.64 0.62 0.64 0.02
Al2O3 12.06 12.85 12.87 12.73 12.28 12.66 12.53 12.85 12.20 12.40 12.73 12.57 12.82 12.89 12.60 0.27
Fe2O3 (T) 0.94 1.25 1.04 1.48 0.82 3.67 1.00 1.47 1.12 1.15 4.09 1.26 1.68 0.98 1.57 1.01
MnO 0.02 0.03 0.03 0.03 0.03 0.03 0.02 0.03 0.02 0.03 0.02 0.02 0.02 0.03 0.03 0.01
MgO 0.38 0.52 0.67 0.49 0.48 0.63 0.50 0.95 0.57 0.63 0.96 0.41 0.49 0.42 0.58 0.18
CaO 2.16 1.63 1.07 1.96 2.18 1.48 1.60 2.28 1.66 2.14 1.51 1.72 1.69 1.39 1.75 0.35
Na2O 6.95 7.50 7.43 7.17 7.21 7.34 7.23 7.12 7.04 7.21 7.42 7.01 7.33 7.43 7.24 0.17
K2 O 0.05 0.06 0.03 0.07 0.04 0.03 0.09 0.08 0.06 0.03 0.05 0.07 0.10 0.05 0.06 0.02
P2O5 0.12 0.13 0.12 0.12 0.12 0.12 0.14 0.11 0.14 0.12 0.13 0.13 0.12 0.08 0.12 0.01
LOI 1.13 0.76 0.32 1.28 0.88 0.67 0.23 0.34 0.24 1.08 0.18 0.21 1.12 0.23 0.62 0.41
Sum 99.16 99.26 99.26 98.94 99.36 99.02 99.15 99.14 99.09 99.01 99.25 98.96 99.30 99.25 99.15 0.13
CIA 44.30 46.00 48.00 45.60 44.00 46.50 46.20 45.00 46.00 44.40 46.40 46.50 46.10 46.80 45.84 1.10
SiO2/Al2O3 6.19 5.75 5.83 5.73 6.08 5.67 6.00 5.70 6.18 5.94 5.62 5.96 5.72 5.83 5.87 0.19
A/CNK 0.78 0.84 0.91 0.82 0.77 0.86 0.84 0.81 0.83 0.79 0.85 0.85 0.84 0.87 0.83 0.04
A/NK 1.05 1.04 1.05 1.07 1.03 1.05 1.04 1.09 1.05 1.04 1.04 1.08 1.05 1.05 1.05 0.02
Q 30.92 27.10 29.17 27.37 29.44 24.43 30.02 26.77 31.22 27.91 22.93 30.71 26.93 29.19 28.15 2.44
Or 0.30 0.35 0.18 0.41 0.24 0.18 0.53 0.47 0.35 0.18 0.30 0.41 0.59 0.30 0.34 0.13
Ab 58.81 63.46 62.87 60.67 61.01 62.11 61.18 60.25 59.57 61.01 62.79 59.32 62.03 62.87 61.28 1.46
An 1.56 1.22 1.68 2.35 1.03 1.51 1.47 2.87 1.51 1.38 1.28 2.63 1.78 1.67 1.71 0.54
Di 2.54 4.07 2.27 4.58 2.94 4.31 3.22 6.23 3.99 4.59 4.53 3.51 4.82 2.94 3.90 1.07
Hy 1.01 3.43 0.41 4.63 0.11 1.92 2.00
Wo 2.16 0.42 0.43 2.21 0.63 0.35 1.15 0.32 0.43 0.90 0.77
Mt 0.16 0.22 0.17 0.26 0.14 0.64 0.17 0.26 0.19 0.20 0.71 0.22 0.29 0.17 0.27 0.18
Il 1.22 1.25 1.22 1.20 1.14 1.18 1.29 1.18 1.25 1.14 1.27 1.23 1.22 1.18 1.21 0.05
Ap 0.28 0.30 0.28 0.28 0.28 0.28 0.32 0.25 0.32 0.28 0.30 0.30 0.28 0.19 0.28 0.03
An content 3.00 2.00 3.00 4.00 2.00 2.00 2.00 5.00 2.00 2.00 2.00 4.00 3.00 3.00 2.79 0.97
D.I. 90.03 90.91 92.22 88.45 90.69 86.72 91.73 87.49 91.14 89.10 86.02 90.44 89.55 92.36 89.78 2.00

Table 3
Trace element data of the Gothara Plagiogranite

Samp- GT1 GT2 GT3 GT4 GT5 GT6 GT7 GT8 GT9 GT12 GT15 GT16 GT17 GT18 Av. S.D.
le no.
Sc !10 !10 !10 !10 !10 !10 !10 17.00 !10 !10 !10 !10 !10 10.00
(ppm)
V 44.00 39.00 53.00 51.00 42.00 38.00 63.00 42.00 94.00 50.00 48.00 74.00 38.00 41.00 51.21 16.00
Cr 12.00 !10 !10 !10 !10 !10 !10 17.00 11.00 13.00 11.00 !10 !10 13.00
Co 16.00 21.00 11.00 18.00 24.00 20.00 26.00 26.00 23.00 19.00 21.00 32.00 30.00 27.00 22.43 5.63
Ni !5 !5 !5 !5 !5 7.00 !5 7.00 !5 !5 8.00 !5 !5 !5
Zn !5 !5 !5 !5 !5 !5 !5 !5 !5 !5 !5 !5 !5 !5
Ga 15.00 21.00 14.00 15.00 16.00 19.00 15.00 22.00 18.00 14.00 14.00 15.00 14.00 14.00 16.14 2.74
Rb !5 !5 !5 !5 !5 !5 !5 !5 !5 !5 !5 !5 !5 !5
Sr 22.00 25.00 19.00 24.00 30.00 18.00 22.00 25.00 23.00 24.00 19.00 34.00 26.00 24.00 23.93 4.27
Y 52.00 61.00 88.00 65.00 71.00 66.00 102.00 66.00 87.00 66.00 60.00 68.00 55.00 71.00 69.86 13.72
Zr 368.00 395.00 381.00 376.00 359.00 377.00 373.00 371.00 358.00 379.00 374.00 374.00 384.00 405.00 376.71 12.44
Nb 23.00 23.00 25.00 23.00 24.00 24.00 25.00 24.00 25.00 23.00 25.00 24.00 24.00 22.00 23.86 0.95
Mo !5 !5 !5 !5 !5 !5 !5 !5 !5 !5 !5 !5 !5 !5
Sn !15 !15 !15 !15 !15 !15 !15 !15 27.00 19.00 !15 20.00 !15 !15
Ba 34.00 34.00 !20 !20 21.00 23.00 36.00 23.00 !20 27.00 27.00 24.00 36.00 32.00
Pb 6.00 83.00 !5 6.00 5.00 !5 9.00 5.00 8.00 11.00 !5 8.00 12.00 10.00
Th 39.00 40.00 42.00 44.00 38.00 37.00 41.00 41.00 33.00 41.00 37.00 37.00 43.00 44.00 39.79 3.14
U 8.00 21.00 14.00 14.00 13.00 10.00 20.00 12.00 16.00 13.00 10.00 14.00 12.00 12.00 13.50 3.59
Ca/Sr 702.00 466.00 402.00 584.00 519.00 588.00 520.00 652.00 516.00 637.00 568.00 362.00 465.00 414.00 528.21 100.15
K/Th 10.64 12.45 5.93 13.21 8.74 6.73 18.22 16.20 15.09 6.07 11.22 15.70 19.30 9.43 12.07 4.42
Nb/Y 0.44 0.38 0.28 0.35 0.34 0.36 0.25 0.36 0.29 0.35 0.42 0.35 0.44 0.31 0.35 0.06
K/U 51.88 23.72 17.79 41.51 25.54 24.90 37.35 55.34 31.13 19.16 41.51 41.51 69.18 34.59 36.79 14.77
U/Th 0.21 0.53 0.33 0.32 0.34 0.27 0.49 0.29 0.48 0.32 0.27 0.38 0.28 0.27 0.34 0.10
 G. Kaur, P.K. Mehta / Journal of Asian Earth Sciences 25 (2005) 805819 811

Table 4
Rare earth element data of the Gothara Plagiogranite

Sample no. GT1 GT8 GT16 Av.

La (ppm) 67.73 10.41 231.86 103.33
Ce 129.98 24.83 389.17 181.33
Nd 48.18 19.51 131.53 66.41
Sm 7.43 5.18 17.72 10.11
Eu 1.90 1.49 4.00 2.46
Gd 7.69 8.90 14.53 10.37
Dy 7.59 9.94 11.73 9.75
Ho 1.74 2.40 1.90 2.01
Er 4.21 6.34 5.46 5.34
Yb 3.89 5.66 5.34 4.96
Lu 0.55 0.77 0.71 0.68
SLREE 255.22 61.42 774.28 363.64
SHREE 25.67 34.01 39.67 33.12
SREE 280.89 95.43 813.95 396.76
SLREE/ 9.94 1.81 19.52 10.42
SHREE
Eu/Eu* 0.77 0.67 0.76 0.73
(La/Yb)N 12.49 1.32 31.15 14.99
(La/Sm)N 5.89 1.30 8.45 5.21
(Sm/Yb)N 2.12 1.02 3.69 2.28

primary igneous chemistry, including the extremely low

K2O, Rb, Sr and Ba and high Na2O contents, of the Gothara
Plagiogranite.
For the purpose of geochemical characterisation, the
weight per cent oxides, CaO, Na2O and K2O, have been
plotted in the CNK ternary diagram of Glikson (1979) and
the CIPW normative An, Ab and Or have been plotted in the
AnAbOr ternary diagram of Barker (1979). In both these
diagrams, the samples of Gothara Plagiogranite plot in the
trondhjemite field (Fig. 3b and c), quite close to the Ab apex
in the latter figure. All typical plagiogranites plot in the
trondhjemite or tonalite fields in these two ternary diagrams.
The A/CNK and A/NK ratios for the Gothara Plagio-
granite range from 0.77 to 0.91 and from 1.03 to 1.09,
respectively (Table 2). Thus, the plagiogranite plots in the
metaluminous field (Fig. 4a). Since the A/CNK ratios of the
plagiogranite are less than 1.1, the samples plot in the field
of I-type granites in the wt% SiO2-molar A/CNK bivariate
diagram (Fig. 4b). Mineralogically also, the plagiogranite
contains magnetite, titanite, allanite and epidote rather than
ilmenite, muscovite, garnet and monazite, thereby, con-
forming to the granitoids of the magnetite series of Ishihara
(1977) which correspond to the I-type granites of Chappell
and White (1974).
In the SiO2/Al2O3 vs. A/CNK bivariate diagram
(Fig. 5a), the samples of the Gothara Plagiogranite plot in
the field of metaluminous low-Al type trondhjemites that
has actually been defined using the data of well known
oceanic plagiogranites (Sarvothaman, 1993). Likewise, in
the SiO2 vs. K2O bivariate diagram (Fig. 5b) of Coleman
and Peterman (1975), the Gothara samples plot in the field
of oceanic plagiogranites, and some even on the lower K2O
side of this field.
Fig. 4. Plots of the Gothara Plagiogranite in: (a) Molar A/CNK vs. A/NK
diagram (after Shand, 1943); (b) Molar A/CNK vs. SiO2 (wt%) diagram
(after Chappell and White, 1974).
A picture of exceptional mineralogical and chemical
homogeneity emerges from the modal analyses, specific
gravity, CIPW normative and geochemical data for the
Gothara Plagiogranite (Tables 13). Barring minor vari-
ations in Fe2O3 (T) in a couple of samples, practically all
major and trace element concentrations, the modal and
normative compositions as well as the D.I. (Av. 89.78G2),
are almost alike in all the samples of the Gothara
Plagiogranite, and depict very low standard deviations.
Although most oceanic plagiogranites are reported to
exhibit variable degrees of alteration, the consistency of
the physical and chemical data, presented here, negate any
significant alteration of the Gothara Plagiogranite. Because
of this compositional homogeneity, that limits the SiO2 and
other major and trace elements to very narrow ranges, the
Harker variation diagrams of selected major and trace
elements of the Gothara Plagiogranite do not reveal any
systematic antipathetic or sympathetic trends.
The REE data for three samples of the Gothara
Plagiogranite (Table 4) and their chondrite-normalised
patterns (Fig. 6a) depict variable degrees of SLREE/
HREE fractionation. The SREE ranges from 95 to
814 ppm and the SLREE ranges from 61 to 774 ppm,
while the SHREE ranges only from 26 to 40 ppm. The
812 G. Kaur, P.K. Mehta / Journal of Asian Earth Sciences 25 (2005) 805819
Fig. 5. Plots of the Gothara Plagiogranite in the: (a) Molar A/CNK
SiO2/Al2O3 diagram of Sarvothaman (1993). LAZlow alumina trondhje-
mite, HAZhigh alumina trondhjemite, CTZcontinental trondhjemite and
OPZoceanic plagiogranite; (b) K2O (wt%) vs. SiO2 (wt%) binary diagram.
Field boundaries are after Coleman and Peterman (1975).
LREE/HREE fractionation in sample GT8 is insignificant as
indicated by (Sm/Yb)N and (La/Sm)N ratios of 1.02 and
1.30, respectively. On the other hand, the LREE fraction-
ation in GT16 is roughly two-and-a-half times that of the
HREE, as revealed by (Sm/Yb)NZ3.69 and (La/Sm)NZ
8.45 in this sample. Despite variation in total REE contents
in the three samples of Gothara Plagiogranite, all the three
samples show comparable negative europium anomalies
ranging from 0.67 to 0.77 (Av. 0.73). The precise reasons
for such behaviour of the REEs, as against major and trace
element homogeneity, in the three samples are unknown,
but it is possible that some sort of fractionation and/or
redistribution of the LREEs might have taken place in the
Fig. 6. (a) Chondrite-normalised REE patterns; (b) Primitive mantle
(PRIMA)-normalised multielement spider diagram of the Gothara plagio-
granite. Normalising values are after Sun and McDonough (1989).
different parts of the Gothara Plagiogranite pluton, which
might have been controlled by the distribution of the
accessory mineral phases.
3.3. Comparison of the Gothara Plagiogranite with the M, I,
S and A type granites and oceanic plagiogranites
The average geochemical data of the Gothara Plagio-
granite does not match with the average of any of the M, I,
S and A type granites (Table 5) of Whalen et al. (1987).
The SiO2, Al2O3, Zr and Y contents are broadly similar to
those of A-type granites, while Ni, V and Sc compare with
those of I-type granites. However, CaO and MgO contents
are higher than A-type and lower than I, S and M type
granites. Na2O, Th and U are much higher and K2O, Ba,
Rb, Sr and Zn are much lower than any of these granite
types. Despite the high amount of Na2O, the absence of
Na-amphibole, lower total alkalies (Na2OCK2O) with
molar A/NKO1 and extremely low values of K2O, Rb, Ba,
Sr and Zn do not allow characterisation of Gothara
Plagiogranite as A-type granite. There is practically
nothing, except TiO2 and low Rb that can in any way be
compared with the M-type granites. Therefore, the overall
I-type characterisation of the Gothara Plagiogranite, based
on its mineralogical and geochemical parameters, seems
more appropriate.
 G. Kaur, P.K. Mehta / Journal of Asian Earth Sciences 25 (2005) 805819 813

Table 5
The average chemical composition of the Gothara Plagiogranite (GT) compared with those of the M, I, S and A types of granite (after Whalen et al., 1987)

Sample no. M-type S.D. I-type S.D S-type S.D. A-type S.D. GT (14) S.D.
(17) (991) (578) (148)
SiO2 (wt%) 67.24 4.34 69.17 4.47 70.27 2.83 73.81 3.25 73.95 1.27
TiO2 0.49 0.16 0.43 0.19 0.48 0.18 0.26 0.18 0.64 0.02
Al2O3 15.18 1.12 14.33 1.06 14.10 0.70 12.40 1.40 12.60 0.27
Fe2O3 1.94 0.77 1.04 0.60 0.56 0.37 1.24 1.13 1.57a 1.01
Feo 2.35 1.02 2.29 1.12 2.87 1.09 1.58 1.07
MnO 0.11 0.04 0.07 0.03 0.06 0.03 0.06 0.04 0.03 0.01
MgO 1.73 1.68 1.42 1.00 1.42 0.76 0.20 0.24 0.58 0.18
CaO 4.27 1.15 3.20 1.65 2.03 0.85 0.75 0.60 1.75 0.35
Na2O 3.97 0.57 3.13 0.58 2.41 0.46 4.07 0.66 7.24 0.17
K2O 1.26 0.41 3.40 0.92 3.96 0.64 4.65 0.49 0.06 0.02
P2O5 0.09 0.03 0.11 0.06 0.15 0.05 0.04 0.06 0.12 0.01
Ba 263.00 121.00 538.00 234.00 468.00 182.00 352.00 281.00 !2036
Rb 17.50 4.50 151.00 62.00 217.00 89.00 169.00 76.00 !5
Sr 282.00 108.00 247.00 178.00 120.00 42.00 48.00 52.00 24.00 4.00
Pb 5.00 2.00 19.00 8.00 27.00 5.00 24.00 15.00 !512
Th 1.00 0.30 18.00 7.00 18.00 5.00 23.00 11.00 40.00 3.00
U 0.40 0.20 4.00 3.00 4.00 3.00 5.00 3.00 14.00 4.00
Zr 108.00 32.00 151.00 46.00 165.00 44.00 528.00 414.00 377.00 12.00
Nb 1.30 0.40 11.00 4.00 12.00 4.00 37.00 37.00 24.00 1.00
Y 22.00 10.00 28.00 12.00 32.00 25.00 75.00 29.00 70.00 14.00
Sc 15.00 8.00 13.00 7.00 12.00 6.00 4.00 5.00 !1017
V 72.00 49.00 60.00 43.00 56.00 30.00 6.00 10.00 51.00 16.00
Ni 2.00 2.00 7.00 9.00 13.00 9.00 !1 1.00 !58
Zn 56.00 29.00 49.00 19.00 62.00 20.00 120.00 101.00 !5
Ga 15.00 1.50 16.00 2.00 17.00 2.00 24.60 6.00 16.10 3.00
K/Rb 598.00 187.00 151.00 229.00 O96
Rb/Sr 0.06 0.61 1.81 3.52 !0.21
Rb/Ba 0.07 0.28 0.46 0.48
Ga/Al 1.87 2.10 2.28 3.75 2.42
Ca/Sr 108.00 93.00 121.00 112.00 528.00
U/Th 0.40 0.22 0.22 0.22 0.34
Nb/Y 0.06 0.39 0.38 0.49 0.35
K/U 26150.00 7056.00 8218.00 7720.00 37.00
K/Th 10460.00 1568.00 1826.00 1678.00 12.00
Ba/Rb 15.00 3.56 2.16 2.08
Rb/Zr 0.16 1.00 1.32 0.32 O0.01

Figures in parentheses indicate number of analyses in each category.

a
Fe2O3 (T).

The major, trace and REE data of some of the well
known plagiogranites of the world have been compiled from
various sources (Engel and Fisher, 1975; Coleman and
Donato, 1979; Saunders et al., 1979; Phelps and Ave
Lallemant, 1980; Alabaster et al., 1982; Pearce et al., 1984;
Ghose et al., 1986; Kontinen, 1987; Borsi et al., 1996;
Shastry et al., 2002) and their averages have been
reproduced here in Table 6 for comparison with the average
geochemical data obtained on the Gothara Plagiogranite.
Except for higher amounts of Th, La and Ce, practically all
the major, trace and rare earth element concentrations of the
Gothara Plagiogranite match well with those of the oceanic
plagiogranites of MAR 458N, IOR, Tuscany, Oman,
Smartville, Sarmiento, Jormua, Ligurian Alps and Naga-
land. This establishes beyond doubt the chemical identity of
the Gothara Plagiogranite with the oceanic plagiogranites of
the world.
3.4. Petrogenesis
The origin of plagiogranites or low-Al trondhjemites has
been attributed to fractional crystallisation, partial melting
or liquid immiscibility. A high degree of fractional crystal-
lisation of subalkaline (typically low-K) tholeiitic magma
has been considered primarily responsible for the petrogen-
esis of plagiogranites (Coleman and Peterman, 1975; Engel
and Fisher, 1975; Coleman and Donato, 1979; Saunders
et al., 1979; Aldiss, 1981; Kontinen, 1987; Borsi et al.,
1996). About 1035% partial melting of pyroxenehorn-
blende bearing gabbroic or basaltic rocks or their meta-
morphosed equivalents, garnet-free amphibolites or
quartz-eclogites, can also give rise to low-Al2O3 felsic
melts, while the refractory residue contains 4060%
plagioclase and pyroxene, but neither garnet nor hornblende
(Barker and Arth, 1976; Barker, 1979; Drummond and
814 G. Kaur, P.K. Mehta / Journal of Asian Earth Sciences 25 (2005) 805819

Table 6
Average chemical composition of the Gothara Plagiogranite compared with the analyses of some oceanic plagiogranites

No. of Gothara SD MAR IOR Tuscany Oman Smartville Sarmiento Jormua Ligurian- Naga hills
samples 458N Alps
(nZ14) (nZ8)a (nZ1)b (n2Z9)a (nZ2)c (nZ7)a (nZ5)d (nZ2)e (nZ7)f (nZ3)h
SiO2 73.95 1.27 72.47 76.37 72.13 74.3 69.07 70.5 67.6 71.71 74.5
TiO2 0.64 0.02 0.33 0.42 0.23 0.29 0.51 0.56 0.74 0.32 0.30
Al2O3 12.60 0.27 14.17 12.78 14.60 12.55 14.41 12.12 14.69 14.50 12.39
Fe2O3 (T) 1.57 1.01 3.16 0.90 2.08 2.13 4.82 5.33 5.24 1.50 2.17
MnO 0.03 0.01 0.08 0.02 0.02 0.02 0.08 0.09 0.06 0.03
MgO 0.58 0.18 1.39 0.87 0.60 0.73 0.52 0.67 1.13 0.91 1.44
CaO 1.75 0.35 1.48 0.84 0.38 2.73 2.65 7.13 1.99 0.62 1.17
Na2O 7.24 0.17 5.55 7.70 8.78 6.18 8.01 2.12 6.10 9.01 5.21
K2 O 0.06 0.02 0.24 0.07 0.10 0.07 0.04 0.01 !0.10 0.18 0.33
P2O5 0.12 0.01 0.06 0.02 0.29 0.06 0.09 0.11 0.16 0.04 0.14
Th (ppm) 40.00 3.14 3.40 2.80 1.80 9.40 4.00 2.19
Sr 24.00 4.27 89.00 86.00 19.00 68.00 105.00 272.00 122.00 30.29 !30
Zr 377.00 12.44 285.00 550.00 432.00 376.00 512.00 460.00 644.00 465.00 90.00
Y 70.00 13.72 55.00 180.00 129.00 39.00 88.00 96.00 150.00 173.00 47.00
V 51.00 16.00 9.00 29.00 8.00 17.00
Ni !58 29.00 32.00 4.00 19.00 30.00
Cr !1017 7.00 6.60 !10 85.00
Rb !5 !2 !2 !2 1.00 !5
Ba !2036 149.00 180.00 71.00 89.00 10.00 92.00 !10
Nb 24.00 0.95 42.00 25.00 20.00 14.00 13.00 29.00
(nZ3)
La (ppm) 103.33 43.80 23.40 3.55 27.60 44.00 30.4
Ce 181.33 81.70 76.00 9.00 56.90 63.40 101.50 82.44
Nd 66.41 35.10 40.80 7.65 42.00 76.00 45.63
Sm 10.11 7.70 10.00 2.65 11.60 21.00 10.16
Eu 2.46 1.62 1.45 1.43 2.62 4.35 1.7
Gd 10.37 8.80 11.00 3.65 13.10 13.77
Tb 1.30 2.27 0.70 2.60 3.35 2.81
Yb 4.96 6.90 15.03 4.34 11.06 14.00 14.09

n in parentheses indicates number of analyses of each plagiogranite.

a
Pearce et al. (1984).
b
Engel and Fisher (1975).
c
Alabaster et al. (1982).
d
Saunders et al. (1979).
e
Kontinen (1987).
f
Borsi et al. (1996).
g
Shastry et al. (2002).

Defant, 1990). Experimental dehydration melting at
8501000 8C, low pressure (!10 kbar) and low aH2O (!
0.6), generated low-Al2O3 trondhjemitic liquids at low
degree of partial melting (Beard and Lofgren, 1991; Wolf
and Wyllie, 1994). Based on experimental work, Dixon and
Rutherford (1979) suggested that at the late stage of
fractional crystallisation of primitive (low-K) abyssal
tholeiites, separate plagiogranite and residual Fe-enriched
basaltic liquids can be generated by liquid immiscibility.
According to Pitcher (1997, pp. 318) There is no other
viable possibility than that the plagiogranites are the
differentiates of mid-oceanic ridge basalts, albeit altered
by extreme leaching. We scarcely need the support of the
primitive geochemical signature to prove that the source of
the plagiogranites lies ultimately in the mantle.
The various textural, mineralogical and geochemical
parameters, discussed above, point towards an upper mantle
or lower crustal mafic magmatic source for the Gothara
Plagiogranite. The moderate negative Eu and large Rb, Ba,
K, Sr, P, and Ti anomalies (Fig. 6a and b), slightly enriched
LREE and flat HREE patterns further suggest that these rocks
were evolved by low-pressure (!5 kbar) fractionation, in
which plagioclase plus pyroxene differentiation was import-
ant and garnet and hornblende were not involved in their
petrogenesis (Drummond and Defant, 1990). The enriched
Th and LREE values indicate involvement of some LREE-
Th-rich accessory phases, and the lack of Nb anomalies rules
out involvement of any subduction component or crustal
contamination in the Gothara Plagiogranite.
3.5. Geochemical modelling
The incompatible trace elements Ba, Rb and Sr are
commonly used for petrogenetic modelling of granitic
systems. In the present case, however, the concentration of
these trace elements is below detection level (Table 3), so
 G. Kaur, P.K. Mehta / Journal of Asian Earth Sciences 25 (2005) 805819 815

Table 7
Initial and calculated YZr parameters for trace-element modelling for
fractional crystallisation of the Gothara Plagiogranite from a N-MORB
source

Partition coefficents for Yand Zr (Rollinson, 1993) for basaltic and

andesitic liquids
Ol Cpx Hb Pl
Zr 0.012 0.100 0.500 0.048
Y 0.010 0.900 1.000 0.030
Initial composition:(N-MORB)
Zr 74
Y 28
Calculated CL for Zr and Y using the equation for Rayleigh fractionation
Ol Cpx Hb Plg
For 10% fractional crystallisation (FZ0.9)
Zr 83 83 79 83
Y 32 29 28 32
For 30% fractional crystallisation (FZ0.7)
Zr 105 102 89 103
Y 39.5 30 28 40
For 50% fractional crystallisation (FZ0.5)
Zr 148 139 105 145
Y 56 31 28 56
For 70% fractional crystalisation (FZ0.3)
Zr 240 219 135 229
Y 91 32 28 89
For 90% fractional crystallisation (FZ0.1)
Zr 724 589 234 661
Y 275 35 28 263

Therefore, Y (28 ppm) and Zr (74 ppm) values of N-MORB

(Sun and McDonough, 1989) have been taken to represent
the starting composition of the mafic magmatic source for
evolving the petrogenetic model. For this purpose, the
partition coefficients of Y and Zr applicable for basaltic
andesitic liquids (Rollinson, 1993) have been used.
The composition of the liquids obtained after 10, 30, 50,
70 and 90% fractional crystallisation have been calculated
using the Rayleigh equation:

Fig. 7. (a) YZr plot for the Gothara Plagiogranite and metadolerite: (b) Y
Zr modelling for fractional crystallisation of the Gothara Plagiogranite from
N-MORB source magma. :, plagiogranite; C, metadolerite; C, N-
MORB (source: Sun and McDonough, 1989). Fractionation vectors
calculated for 10, 30, 50, 70 and 90% fractional crystallisation of olivine
(ol), plagioclase (pl), clinopyroxene (cpx) and hornblende (hb). Note that
the Gothara metadolerite falls on the fractionation trend from N-MORB to
the Gothara Plagiogranite.
that their concentration cannot be precisely known or
modelled. However, Zr and Y, both incompatible elements,
form a suitable pair for modelling, as is well reflected in the
composite YZr bivariate plot where the Gothara Plagio-
granite and the Gothara metadolerite define a fractionation
trend from the N-MORB source, suggesting common
petrogenesis for these rocks (Fig. 7a).
An initial N-MORB composition was selected to reach the
plagiogranite melt composition by geochemical modelling.
CL Z CO F DK1
in which CO and CL represent the concentrations (ppm) of
the trace elements in the parental and the derivative liquids,
respectively, F gives the fraction of the melt remaining and
D represents the partition coefficient of the concerned
element in the fractionating mineral phase. The details of
the calculations are given in Table 7 and the trends of
fractionation are shown in Fig. 7b.
According to this model (Fig. 7b) an extreme (7080%)
fractionation of both plagioclase and clinopyroxene with
minor olivine from the N-MORB magma yields plagio-
granite of Gothara.
3.6. Physical conditions
The zircon saturation temperatures for the Gothara
Plagiogranite, calculated from the equation of Watson and
Harrison (1983), lie in the 824852 8C range (Table 8).
816 G. Kaur, P.K. Mehta / Journal of Asian Earth Sciences 25 (2005) 805819

Table 8
Calculated zircon saturation temperatures for the Gothara Plagiogranite

Sample no. Zr M D T (K) T (8C) Av. SD

GT1 368 1.8 1353 1102 829
GT2 395 1.7 1261 1115 842
GT3 381 1.6 1307 1124 851
GT4 376 1.8 1324 1108 835
GT5 359 1.9 1387 1097 824
GT6 377 1.7 1321 1111 838
GT7 373 1.7 1335 1112 839 837 8.1
GT8 371 1.8 1342 1102 829
GT9 358 1.7 1391 1108 835
GT12 379 1.8 1314 1102 829
GT15 374 1.8 1332 1107 834
GT16 374 1.7 1332 1115 842
GT17 384 1.7 1297 1112 839
GT18 405 1.7 1230 1125 852

MZ(NaCKC2Ca)/(Al!Si), DZ(Zr in zircon)/(Zr in melt).

The bivariate plot (Fig. 8a) between Zr (ppm) in the whole

rock and the cation ratio MZ(NaCKC2Ca)/(Al!Si)
provides a graphical representation of the temperatures
calculated using the equation referred to above. Similarly,
the FeTi oxide isotherms on the bivariate wt% TiO2 vs. SiO2
plot (Green and Pearson, 1986) indicate ca. 50 8C higher
temperatures, close to but below the 900 8C isotherm
(Fig. 8b).
The Fe2O3 (T)Al2O3 correlation (Beard, 1995) suggests
very low pressures, i.e. from !100 to 167 Mpa
(11.67 kbar) and the Al2O3SiO2 correlation (Waight
et al., 1998) indicates low water activity (aH20 !1) during
the crystallisation of the Gothara Plagiogranite.
The normative Q, Ab and Or parameters of the Gothara
Plagiogranite can be plotted on the anhydrous QAbOr
base of the QAbOrH2O system at PH2OZ2 kbar and
water activities of aH2OZ1 (Tuttle and Bowen, 1958) and
aH2OZ0.5 (Holtz et al., 1992). At aH2O Z1, the plots of the
analysed samples indicate much lower (760800 8C)
temperatures, but at lower water activity (0.5), the samples
plot on the higher side of the 870 8C isotherm (Fig. 8c)
which is consistent with the calculated zircon saturation
temperatures and FeTi oxide isotherms. Higher tempera-
tures (8508G25 8C) and the anhydrous nature of the magma
are consistent with the derivation of the Gothara Plagio-
granite from a mafic magma of mantle origin, rather than
from a crustal origin, and low pressures (PH2OZ2 kbar)
indicate a shallow level of emplacement.
Fig. 8. (a) Zr (ppm) vs. cation ratio (NaCKC2Ca)/(Al!Si) diagram with
3.7. Tectonic environment zircon saturation isotherms (after Watson and Harrison, 1983); (b) TiO2 vs.
SiO2 bivariate diagram with FeTi oxide saturation isotherms (after Green
and Pearson, 1986); (c) QAbOr ternary diagram (after Holtz et al., 1992)
On the basis of wt% K2O vs. SiO2 discrimination for the Gothara Plagiogranite.
(Coleman and Peterman, 1975; Coleman and Donato,
1979; Maniar and Piccoli, 1989), the Gothara Plagio- Rb ! 5 ppm, i.e. below detection level, cannot be
granite can be characterised as an oceanic plagiogranite. precisely plotted). In the YNb discrimination diagram,
In the Rb(YCNb) bivariate plot (Pearce et al., 1984) the samples plot in the anomalous ridge segment of the
the samples of Gothara Plagiogranite cluster together in extended ORG field (Fig. 9a), like the ORG from MAR
the ORG field (this figure is not reproduced here because 458N.
 G. Kaur, P.K. Mehta / Journal of Asian Earth Sciences 25 (2005) 805819
Fig. 9. (a) Nb vs. Y discrimination diagram (after Pearce et al., 1984); (b)
PRIMA-normalised average spider pattern for the Gothara Plagiogranite
(open circles) compared with those of the ORG (stippled field) and the
Jormua trondhjemite (filled circles). Normalising values are after Sun and
McDonough (1989).
In Fig. 9b, the average spider pattern of the Gothara
Plagiogranite has been compared with those of the
Phanerozoic ocean ridge granites (source: Pearce et al.,
1984; Pederson and Malpas, 1984; Wildberg, 1987; Flager
and Spray, 1991; Borsi et al., 1996) and the Palaeoproter-
ozoic (1.97 Ga) Jormua trondhjemite of Finland, which has
been interpreted as an ORG (Kontinen, 1987). In this figure,
the spidergram of Gothara Plagiogranite, characterised by
pronounced K, Sr, P and Ti anomalies, not only lies well
within the field of the Phanerozoic ORG, but also matches
closely that of the Jormua trondhjemite.
4. Conclusions
The petro-mineralogical and geochemical data, pre-
sented and discussed in the foregoing, unequivocally
characterise the Gothara granitoid as a plagiogranite,
matching well known oceanic plagiogranites of the world.
However, the Gothara Plagiogranite stands apart from other
plagiogranites in terms of its exceptional mineralogical and
817
chemical homogeneity, unaltered nature and occurrence in a
non-ophiolitic association. The consistency of modal and
normative compositions, specific gravity, major and trace
element concentrations, the D.I. and various other geo-
chemical parameters, all depicting very low standard
deviations, bear testimony to its remarkable homogeneity
and negate any significant alteration. Other than the
metavolcanics occurring with the metasediments, and the
enclaves of mafic rocks within the pluton, no typical
ophiolites are directly associated with the Gothara Plagio-
granite and indeed no ophiolites have so far been reported
from the KCB.
On the other hand, the intriguing, dual, relationships of
the Gothara Plagiogranite with the metadolerite enclaves
provide compelling evidence for interrelated and overlap-
ping maficfelsic magmatism in the area. Interestingly, a
couple of major, trace and REE analyses of the Gothara
metadolerite indicate its high-Fe, low-K oceanic tholeiitic
(MORB) character and back-arc tectonic setting (Gurmeet
Kaur and Mehta, 2004). The very high D.I. (90G2), the
high temperatures (8508G25 8C), low water activity
(aH2O w0.5) and low pressures (PH2O !2 kbar) are
consistent with the derivation of plagiogranite melt by
extreme fractionation from an anhydrous low-K tholeiitic
magma of mantle origin and its shallow level emplacement.
Petrogenetic modelling, using YZr parameters, suggests
that about 7080% fractionation of plagioclase, clinopyr-
oxene and minor olivine from an N-MORB source magma
can yield the Gothara Plagiogranite melt. The various
tectonic discrimination diagrams and the multi-element
spidergram of the Gothara plagiogranite suggest an oceanic
ridge tectonic setting similar to that of other oceanic
plagiogranites. The oceanic tholeiitic character and back-arc
tectonic setting of the Gothara metadolerite further suggest
that such an oceanic ridge might have developed in a
marginal basin that came into existence as direct conse-
quence of the development of a nearby arc (Gurmeet Kaur
and Mehta, 2004). The field relationships suggesting
spasmodic or overlapping maficfelsic volcano-plutonic
magmatism in the area, together with relatively higher
concentrations of Th, La and Ce also provide semblance to
an island-arc environment and the possibility that the
Gothara Plagiogranite could have formed at the root or on
the flank of a oceanic island-arc cannot be completely ruled
out (Hugh Rollinson, personal communication, 2004),
especially in view of the difference of opinion prevailing
regarding the plagiogranites of Troodos, Sparta and Oman
ophiolite complexes (Miyashiro, 1973; Phelps and Ave
Lallemant, 1980; Alabaster et al., 1982).
Inasmuch as the plagiogranites are almost always
associated with ophiolites or oceanic crust, irrespective of
their mid-oceanic, marginal basin or island arc tectonic
setting, the absence of typical ophiolites in the present case
is quite intriguing. Therefore, notwithstanding the need to
search for ophiolites in this belt, fractionation of low-K
tholeiitic magma by itself can adequately explain the
818 G. Kaur, P.K. Mehta / Journal of Asian Earth Sciences 25 (2005) 805819
generation of Gothara plagiogranite melt, as is brought out
by YZr modelling. The clue to this problem perhaps lies in
the widespread mafic magmatic rocks of this area.
Geophysical data may also provide crucial information on
the nature of subsurface rocks. As it is, the Gothara
Plagiogranite provides convincing evidence of oceanic
magmatism in a, hitherto, non-ophiolitic association,
which has far reaching implications for the petrotectonic
evolution of the Proterozoic KCB, as well as for the origin
and petrogenesis of plagiogranites elsewhere in the world,
inasmuch as existing models are dependent on an associ-
ation with ophiolites.
Acknowledgements
The authors are highly thankful to Prof. M. Okrusch,
University of Wurzberg (Germany) and Prof. H.-A. Seck,
University of Cologne (Germany), for their help in
generating geochemical data for the investigated granitoid.
The senior author (G.K.) is thankful to Dr Naveen Chaudhri
for his help and to the Council of Scientific and Industrial
Research (CSIR), New Delhi, for financial support in the
form of Junior and Senior Research Fellowships, vide grant
F. No. 9/135(348)/98/EMR-I. The authors are thankful to Dr
Anthony Hall and Dr A.J. Barber, University of London,
and to Prof. H. Rollinson, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat
(Oman), for critically reviewing the manuscript and offering
valuable suggestions for its improvement.
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