Control of pre-existing fabric in fracture formation, reactivation and vein emplacement under variable fluid pressure conditions: an example from Archean greenstone belt, India

Abstract

Most of the upper crustal fluid flows are strongly influenced by the pre-existing fractures/foliations in the rocks under a certain state of tectonic stress and fluid pressure condition. In the present study, we analyzed a wide range of crosscutting fractures that are filled with quartz veins of variable orientations and thicknesses, from the gold-bearing massive metabasalts (supracrustals) of the Chitradurga Schist Belt adjacent to the Chitradurga Shear Zone (CSZ), Western Dharwar Craton, southern India. The study involves the following steps: (1) analyzing the internal magnetic fabric, using anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility (AMS) studies, and determining strength of the host metabasalts, (2) quantifying the fluid pressure condition through lower hemisphere equal area projection of pole to veins by determining the driving pressure ratio (R′), stress ratio (ϕ), and susceptibility to fracturing, and (3) deciphering the paleostress condition using fault-slip analysis. We interpret the NNW–SSE to NW–SE (mean 337/69∘ NE) oriented magnetic fabric in the rocks of the region as having developed during regional D1/D2 deformation on account of NE–SW shortening. However, D3 deformation manifested by NW–SE to E–W shortening led to the sinistral movement along CSZ. As a consequence of this sinistral shearing, fractures with prominent orientations formed riedel shear components, with CSZ as the shear boundary. Subsequently, all the pre-existing fabrics along with the riedel shear components were reactivated and vein emplacement took place through episodic fluid pressure fluctuation from high to low Pf at shallow depth (∼ 2.4 km). However, NNW–SSE orientations were prone to reactivate under both high- and low-Pf conditions, thereby attaining maximum vein thickness along these orientations. The deduced paleostress from fault-slip analysis along with the kinematics of the fractures and veins are in good agreement with previously estimated regional tectonics. Thus, integrating multiple domains of studies helps in the logical interpretation of fluid flow conditions and vein emplacement mechanisms in the study area that has not been ventured before.