An Overview of the Carbonatites from the Indian Subcontinent

Abstract

Carbonatites are carbonate-rich rocks of igneous origin. They form the magmas of their own that are generated in the deep mantle by low degrees of partial melting of carbonated peridotite or eclogite source rocks. They are known to occur since the Archaean times till recent, the activity showing gradual increase from older to younger times. They are commonly associated with alkaline rocks and be genetically related with them. They often induce metasomatic alteration in the country rocks forming an aureole of fenitization around them. They are host for economically important mineral deposits including rare metals and REE. They are commonly associated with the continental rifts, but are also common in the orogenic belts; but not known to occur in the intra-plate regions. The carbonatites are known to occur all over the globe, majority of the occurrences located in Africa, Fenno-Scandinavia, Karelian-Kola, Mongolia, China, Australia, South America and India. In the Indian Subcontinent carbonatites occur in India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka; but so far not known to occur in Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Myanmar. This paper takes an overview of the carbonatite occurrences in the Indian Subcontinent in the light of recent data. The localities being discussed in detail cover a considerable time range (>2400 Ma to <0.6 Ma) from India (Hogenakal, Newania, Sevathur, Sung Valley, Sarnu-Dandali and Mundwara, and Amba Dongar), Pakistan (Permian Koga and Tertiary Pehsawar Plain Alkaline Complex which includes Loe Shilman, Sillai Patti, Jambil and Jawar), Afghanistan (Khanneshin) and Sri Lanka (Eppawala). This review provide the comprehensive information about geochemical characteristics and evolution of carbonatites in Indian Subcontinent with respect to space and time.

Keywords

• carbonatite
• sevathur
• newania
• sung valley
• amba dongar
• koga
• peshawar plain
• khanneshin
• eppawala