New finding of kyanite and andalusite in sillimanite-rich pelitic granulites from the Kerala Khondalite Belt, Southern India

Abstract

Kyanite and andalusite are newly found in migmatized pelitic granulites from the Kerala Khondalite Belt, Southern India. Anhedral tiny grains of kyanite included within altered cordierite were interpreted as possible remnants of prograde metamorphism of the granulites within the kyanite stability field. Andalusite shows two distinct modes of occurrence; some are of magmatic origin and others are formed as partial replacement products of alkali-feldspar and plagioclase mainly in leucosomes. Our data put new constraints not only on the P-T path followed by the granulites but also on the correlation between the Gondwana fragments. The Kerala Khondalite Belt is closely correlated with the Southwestern Group (southwestern part of the Highland Complex) in Sri Lanka.