Geochemistry of the Madawara Igneous Complex, Bundelkhand craton, Central India: Implications for PGE metallogeny

Abstract

The southern part of the Bundelkhand craton contains a series of a E-W trending mafic and ultramafic rocks, about 40 km in length and 2-4 km wide, that occur as intrusions within the Bundelkhand Gneissic Complex (BnGC). They are confined between the Madawara-Karitoran and Sonrai-Girar shear zones. Dunite, harzburgite, lherzolite and websterite are the commonly occurring ultramafic rocks that have high MgO, Ni, Cr, PGE and low Al2O3, CaO, K2O, TiO2 and V contents, and shows peridotitic affinity. A distinct trend of crystallization from peridotite to komatiitic basalt has been inferred from geochemical plots, which also indicates the occurrence of at least two varieties among the ultramafic suite of the Madawara ultramafic complex, namely, Group I comprising dunite, spinel peridotite, harzburgite and lherzolite, and Group II consisting of pyroxenite, websterite and olivine websterite. In several places, the rocks of Group II have an intrusive relationship with Group I, and are relatively enriched in total platinum group elements (PGE ∼300 ppb). The discrimination diagrams suggest that the PGE are enriched in low sulphur-fugacity source magma at moderate to deeper depths by high degree of partial melting of the mantle.