Crustal Evolution and Metamorphism in Eastern Ghats Geology
Summary
The Eastern Ghats Mobile Belt of peninsular India records a protracted history of crustal growth, reworking and assembly that spans the Archean to the Palaeozoic. Early crustal accretion at circa 2.5–2.4 Ga gave rise to granitic and high-grade gneissic nuclei, which were subsequently overprinted by Grenvillian-age (1.0–0.9 Ga) ultrahigh-temperature metamorphism during the amalgamation and breakup of the supercontinent Rodinia. Peak metamorphic conditions commonly reached 750–850 °C at pressures of 0.8–1.0 GPa, promoting widespread anatexis and the formation of extensive granulite-facies domains. Late Neoproterozoic to early Palaeozoic events (0.6–0.5 Ga) then juxtaposed the Eastern Ghats against the Bastar and Singhbhum cratons during Gondwana assembly, creating major crustal-scale shear zones and driving rapid exhumation of deep-seated rocks. Detrital zircon age spectra from metasedimentary belts reveal shared provenance with North China and East Antarctica, underpinning models of global crustal linkages in the Mesoproterozoic. An integrated picture from petrology, geochemistry, thermobarometry and structural analysis positions the Eastern Ghats belt as a keystone in understanding supercontinent cycles, continental rheology and the localisation of mineralisation and geothermal resources.
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Technical terms
Granulite facies: A high-temperature, medium- to high-pressure metamorphic grade typically exceeding 700 °C and 0.6 GPa, characterised by anhydrous mineral assemblages.
Detrital zircon geochronology: A dating method that analyses U–Pb ages of zircon grains in sedimentary or metasedimentary rocks to reconstruct provenance and depositional histories.
Anatexis: Partial melting of crustal rocks during high-grade metamorphism, leading to the formation of migmatites and granitic melts.
Transpression: A tectonic regime combining horizontal compression and strike-slip motion, resulting in oblique shear zones and intricate fabric patterns.
Thermobarometry: The calculation of pressure–temperature conditions of metamorphism using mineral equilibrium relations and chemical compositions.
References
- Geochemistry and detrital zircon geochronology of Khammam Schist Belt, Eastern Dharwar Craton: Implication for India – North China Craton –Antarctica connection in Paleo-Mesoproterozoic crustal assembly. Geosystems and Geoenvironment (2023).
- Eastern Ghats Province (India)–Rayner Complex (Antarctica) accretion: Timing the event. Lithosphere (2018).
- Development of Crustal-Scale Shear Zones at the Singhbhum Craton–Eastern Ghats Belt Boundary Region: A Critical Review of the Mesoarchean–Neoproterozoic Odyssey. Lithosphere (2021).
- Geochronological Constraints for Boundary Shear Zones between Eastern Ghats Province and Bastar Craton: Implication for the Formation of Granulites and Their Exhumation History. International Journal of Geosciences (2022).
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