from the supracrustal terrain of the Kerala ii) an internally controlled fluid composition

Khondalite belt, in the southern part of the (mostly vapor-free) existed during the peak
granulite terrain, has led to the re-evaluation of metamorphic conditions in the terrain;
the source and role of CO, (&Harley and Santosh, iii) the terrain underwent an initial cooling
1995; Satish-Kumar et al., 1995, in press). before decompression; and
Calc-silciate rocks in the Kerala Khondalite belt iv) during the decompressional regime, there
occur as bands and layers concordant with the was local influx of carbonic fluids, resulting in
regional structural trends of the associated the formation of charnockites and also partially
gneisses, and varying in thickness from less than retrograding the wollastonite bearing
a meter to more than tens of meters. assemblages.
Mineralogically, all the occurrences are comprised
dominantly of wollastonite-scapolite-clino- REFERENCES
pyroxene assemblages with grossular in a few
localities. The grossular-absent assemblages are Harley, S. L. and Buick, I. S. 1992. Journal Petrology
33, 693 -728.
commonly associated with charnockites. The
Harley, S. L. and Santosh, M. 1995. Contributions
peak metamorphic granoblastic textures in these
Mineralogy Petrology 120, 139-l 50.
rocks have been overprinted by a variety of
Harley, S. L. et al. 1994. Precambrian Research 66,
retrograde reaction textures. These textures are 309-323.
of great importance since they provide Lamb, W. M. and Valley, J. W. 1984. Nature 312,
information on the pressure-temperature-fluid 56-58.
histories of the talc-silicate rocks (cf Harley and Newton, R. C. et al. 1980. Nature 288, 45-50.
Buick, 1992; Harley et a/., 1994). Important Santosh, M. et al. 1991. Contributions Mineralogy
reaction textures in grossular-absent Petrology 108, 318-330.

assemblages from KKB include wollastonite Satish-Kumar, M. et al. 1995. Current Science 68,
813-819.
breaking down to calcite and quartz, scapolite
Satish-Kumar, M. et al. (In press) Journal Southeast
breaking down to calcite, anorthite and quartz,
Asian Earth Sciences.
and scapolite-quartz symplectites after
wollastonite and feldspars (Satish-Kumar et al.,
in press). Some of these reaction textures
Preliminary geochronological results of
indicate a post-peak infiltration of CO,. From
the classic locality, Nuliyam at the southern a suite of granulites from Eastern
margin of KKB, Harley and Santosh (1995) Ghats, India
showed that the wollastonite bearing
assemblages preserve retrograde textures R. K. SHAW,’ M. ARIMA’ and H. KAGAMV
supporting CO, influx during post-peak
metamorphism and isothermal uplift, resulting ‘Geological Institute, Yokohama National
in the dehydration of the associated gneisses University, Yokohama, Japan

into charnockites. In grossular-bearing *Institute for Study of Earth’s Interior, Misasa,

Tottori, Japan
assemblages, the textures include the
breakdown of scapolite into calcite, anorthite
A suite of granulites (metapelites, quartzites and
and quartz, formation of grossular-quartz
talc-silicate rocks, mafic (two-pyroxene)
coronas between wollastonite and anorthite,
granulites, opx granulites (charnockite),
and formation of grossular from the anorthite-
leptynites and sillimanite granites) are exposed
calcite-quartz. All these reactions indicate an
in Rayagada, the north-central part of the
initial cooling of these rocks (Satish-Kumar et
Eastern Ghats belt of Peninsular India. Structural
a/. , in press). These reactions also indicate that
studies show that the area suffered at least
the rocks have acted as closed systems with
three deformation events, giving rise to three
an internal fluid buffering.
distinct types of folding. Petrography, textural
The general conclusions derived from the
relations among different phases and
study of talc-silicate rocks from the Kerala
thermobarometric calculations suggest a
Khondalite belt are the following:
i) the occurrence of wollastonite-bearing maximum temperature of 950°C at 9 kbar for
assemblages does not necessarily restrict the the conditions of metamorphism of the
possibility of CO, influx for charnockite metapelites, which has been correlated with the
formation in the terrain, but a pervasive influx second deformation. The peak metamorphic
of carbonic fluids in the terrain is unsupported; condition might have been in a higher P-T regime.
 XIII

In the present communication, we report the several parts of Antarctica and other Gondwana
preliminary results of our geochronological studies fragments (Shiraishi et al., 1994). There is also
of five different rock-types and its possible no recent reliable data on 800 Ma event from
implication to Gondwana correlation. Eastern Ghats, which has been found from
An attempt has been made to reveal the several parts of East Gondwana, e.g. granite-
chronological history of metapelites, mafic pegmatite of Rayner complex of East Antarctica
granuiites, opx granulites, leptynites and (770 Ma: Shiraishi et al., 19941, orthogneiss
sillimanite granites. Following are the results of and granitic orthogneiss of Wanni complex of
both whole rock and internal mineral isochrons Sri Lanka (793 rt4, 771 + 17/-14 Ma: Holzl et
of Sm-Nd and Rb-Sr system. a/. , 1994) and granitic leptite of Cuamba Unit
Mafic granulites, leptynites and opx granulites of Mozambique belt (837 &26, 842 +50 Ma;
give an Sm-Nd whole rock ages of 1455 + 80, Pinna et al., 1993).
1464+63 and 1023+93 Ma, respectively, In conclusion, the present age-data from
whereas Rb-Sr whole rock ages of opx Eastern Ghats have four major clusters; 1450,
granulites, leptynites, sillimanite granites and 1000, 800 and 500 Ma. Among the four age
metapelites are 958 + 16, 1388 f 63, 1165 + 94 clusters described above, except the 800 Ma
and 1069 +-84 Ma, respectively. Internal Sm- event, the other events are well documented
Nd mineral isochron (hbl-pxn-fel-whole rock) of from several parts of Eastern Ghats. However,
mafic granulite gives an age of 946 +30 Ma, further intensive geochronological studies are
whereas that of Rb-Sr (of two samples) give needed to have more clear picture of evolution
781 k39 and 833 + 10 Ma. Internal Sm-Nd of the Eastern Ghats belt.
rsochron of px granulites (grt-fel-opx-whole rock)
give 815 + 9 Ma and 808 f 64 Ma, and that of REFERENCES
leptynite (grt-fel-whole rock) give 573 * 12 Ma
and 567 &63 Ma. metapelites Sm-Nd mineral Aftalion, H. et al. 1988. Journal Geology 96, 663-676.
ages (grt-fel-whole rock) of four samples are Grew, E. S. and Manton, W. I. 1986. Precambrian

1067+43, 613rt20, 500+54 and 554+52 Research 33, 123-l 37.

Holzl, S. et al. 1994. Precambrian Research 66,
Ma, whereas Rb-Sr (bt-fel-whole rock) ages are
123-149.
534 f 3 and 498 + 40 Ma.
Paul, D. K. et al. 1990. Journal Geology 98, 253-263.
Summarizing the above results, it can be
Pinna, P. et al. 1993. Precambrian Research 62, 1-59.
stated that the present area underwent at least Sarkar, A. et al. 1994. Abstract, Workshop on Eastern
four different events: one at -1450 Ma, another Ghats Mobile Belt, Visakhapatnam, India.
at -1000 Ma and the other two at -800 Ma Shiraishi, K. et al. 1994. Journal Geology 102, 47-65.
and -500 Ma, respectively. The 1400 Ma event Yoshida, M. et al. 1995. Abstracts VII International
is characterized by mafic magmatism and Symposium, Antartic Earth Science, Siena 416
formation of leptynite, whereas the 1000 Ma
event is characterized mainly by charnockites.
The two other events, one at 800 Ma and other On the origin of the Eppawala apatite
at 500 Ma are possibly younger metamorphic deposits, Sri Lanka
events.
Published data from several parts of Eastern D. J. A. C. HAPPURACHCHI
Ghats suggest that 1000 Ma is a major event
in this belt, as evidenced from charnockite and 48/14, Old Kasbewa Road, Nugegoda, Sri Lanka
sapphirine granulites (1000 Ma: Grew and
Manton, 1986); augen gneiss, leptynite and Although the Eppawala apatite deposit in Sri
charnockite (1 159 + 59/-30 Ma, 1088 + 26/-l 7 Lanka has been referred to as a carbonatite, its
Ma: Aftalion et a/., 1988) and charnockite origin has always been enigmatic. Recently there
(1176 + 200 Ma, 985 f 5 Ma: Paul et al., 1990). has been some isotopic data to show that the
Ages from several syenitic plutons from parts deposit may not in fact be a carbonatite.
of Eastern Ghats cluster around 1400 Ma According to Hoernes et al. (I 9941, the carbonate
(1436+58 Ma, 1413*23 Ma: Sarkar et a/., rock at Eppawala show 6’80 = + 15.3% and
1994). On the other hand, the ca 500 Ma event, 613C =-1.8%0, which are much higher than those
although not reported extensively from the for unaltered carbonatites t&l80 = +6 to +8%
Eastern Ghats except for two Sm-Nd garnet- and 613C =-5.1 f 1.4%0). Carbon and oxygen
whole rock ages (Paul et al., 1990; Yoshida et isotopic compositions of Sri Lankan marbles are
al. , 19951, has been widely reported from typical for carbonate sediments (6’*0 > + 20%).