Abstract
The Nellore Schist Belt (NSB) is a curvilinear Archaean schist belt, approximately 350 km long and 8-50 km wide. The Nellore Schist Belt is considered to be equivalent of the Sargur Group with a protolith age of 3.3-2.5Ga. Stratigraphically NSB is classified as the upper western Udayagiri Domain (dominated by metasediments) and lower eastern Vinjamuru Domain (dominated by metabasalts). Metabasalts of Vinjamuru Domain have been dated as of 2654 ± 100 Ma age, but so far no dates are available for the Udayagiri Domain. During recent mapping, in the central western part of NSB, west of Pamuru town, in a metapellite of Udayagiri Domain (consisting mainly of quartz, muscovite, paragonite, Spessartine garnet, chlorite, chloritoid and magnetite as accessory mineral) four small grains of Xenotime has been found, among which three grains have been dated. Xenotime is a rare earth phosphate mineral whose major is Yttrium orthophosphate (YPO4). Xenotime preferentially incorporates smaller HREEs and Yitrium. Xenotime has high U content and very low initial Pb concentration, so it is ideal for U-Pb geochronology. Xenotime can be of different origin such as detrital, diagenetic, hydrothermal and metamorphic. The age calculated from xenotime with the Age Quant of SX-Peak sight software gives an average age of1921±120 Ma. This age matches well with CHIME age of 1929±130 Ma of xenotime. All the textural and geochemical characteristics of the grains suggest that the xenotime is of retrograde metamorphic origin which occurs after D1 phase of deformation, hence constraining the upper age limit of the Udayagiri Domain to be 1929±130 Ma.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Asami, M., Suzuki, K. and Grew, E.S. (2002) Chemical Th–U–total Pb dating by electron microprobe analysis of monazite, xenotime and zircon from the Archean Napier Complex, East Antartctica: evidence for ultra-high-temperature metamorphism at 2400 Ma. Precambrian Res., v.114, pp.249–275.
Cherniak, D.J. (2006) Pb and rare earth element diffusion in xenotime, Lithos, v.88, pp.1–14.
Dharma Rao, C.V. and Reddy, U.V.B. (2009) Petrological and geochemical characterization of ophiolitic mélange, Nellore Khammam schist belt, SE India. Jour. Asian Earth Sci., v.65, pp.261–276.
Hari Prasad, B., Okudaira, T., Divi, R.S. and Masaru, Y. (1999) Structural Features of the Archean Nellore- Khammam Schist Belt, Southeast India. Jour. Geosci., v.42, pp.227–235.
Kositcin, N., Mcnaughton, N.J., Griffin, B.J., Fletcher, I.R., Groves, D.I. and Rasmussen, B. (2003) Textural and geochemical discrimination between xenotime of different origin in the Archaean Witwatersrand Basin, South Africa. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta, v.67, pp.709–731.
Moeen, S. (1998) P-T estimates from the Nellore schist belt (India) and evidence for the superimposed metamorphic events. Geol. Jour., v.33, pp.1–15.
Narayana Rao, M. (1983) Lithostratigraphy of the Precambrian rocks of the Nellore Schist Belt. Quart. Jour. Geol. Min. Metall. Soc. India, v.55, pp.83–89.
Ni Yunxiang, Hughes M. John and Mariano N. Anthony (1995) Crystal chemistry of monazite and xenotime structures, American Mineral., v.80, pp.21–26.
Okudaira T., Hamamoto T., Hari Prasad B. and Rajneesh Kumar (2001) Sm–Nd and Rb–Sr dating of amphibolite from the Nellore–Khammam schist belt, SE India: constraints on the collision of the Eastern Ghats terrane and Dharwar–Bastar craton. Geol. Mag., v.138(4), pp.495–498.
Prsek Jaroslav, Bacik Peter, Ondrezka Martin, Budzyn Bartosz and Uher Pavel (2010) Metamorphic-hydrothermal ree minerals in the bacúch magnetite deposit, western carpathians, slovakia: (sr,s)-rich monazite-(ce) and nd-dominant hingganite. Canadian Mineral., v.88, pp.81–94.
Ramam, P K. and Murty, V.N. (1997) Geology of Andhra Pradesh. Geological Society of India, Bangalore, 245p.
Rasmussen Birger (2005) Radiometric dating of sedimentary rocks: the application of diagenetic xenotime geochronology, Earth Science Rev., v.68, pp.197–243.
Rasmussen et al. (2011) Response of xenotime to prograde metamorphism. Contrib. Mineral. Petrol., v.162, pp.1259–1277.
Rasmussen, B., Fletcher, I.R., Bengtson, S. and Mcnaughton, N.J. (2004) SHRIMP U–Pb dating of diagenetic xenotime in the Stirling Range Formation, Western Australia: 1.8 billionyear minimum age for the Stirling biota. Precambrian Res., v.133, pp.133–339.
Ravikant, V. (2010) Palaeoproterozoic (1.9 Ga) extension and breakup along the eastern margin of the Eastern Dharwar Craton, SE India: New Sm–Nd isochron age constraints from anorogenic mafic magmatism in the Neoarchean Nellore greenstone belt. Jour. Asian Earth Sci., v.12, pp.67–81.
Saha, D. (2004) Structural asymmetry and Plate tectonic set-up for a Proterozoic Fold and Thrust Belt: Nallamalai Fold Belt and Adjoining Terrane, South India. Geol. Surv. India Spec. Publ., v.84, pp.101–119.
Saha, D., Sain, A., Nandi, P., Mazumder, R. and Kar, R. (2013) Tectonostratigraphic evolution of the Nellore schist belt, southern India, since the Neoarchaean, Accepted MS: Geological Society London Memoir (eds. Pat Eriksson & Rajat Mazumder) on Precambrian Basins of India: Stratigraphic and Tectonic Context.
Spear, F.S. and Pyle, J.M. (2002) Apatite, monazite, and xenotime in metamorphic rocks. In: M.J. Kohn J. Rakovan, and J.M. Hughes (Eds.), Phosphates: Geochemical, Geobiological and Materials Importance. Mineral. Soc. Amer. Rev. Mineral. Geochem., v.48, pp.293–335.
Suzuki, K. and Adachi, M. (1991) Precambrian provenance and Silurian metamorphism of the Tsubonosawa paragneiss in the South Kitakami terrane, Northeast Japan, revealed by the chemical Th–U–total Pb isochron ages of monazite, zircon and xenotime. Geochem. Jour., v.25, pp.357–376
Vasudevan, D. and Rao, T.M. (1975) The high grade schistose rocks of Nellore Schist Belt, Andhra Pradesh and their geologic evolution. Indian Mineral., v.16, pp.43–47.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Das, S., Shukla, D., Bhattacharjee, S. et al. Age constraints of Udayagiri Domain of Nellore Schist Belt by Xenotime dating around Pamuru, Prakasam district, Andhra Pradesh. J Geol Soc India 85, 289–298 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12594-015-0217-4
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12594-015-0217-4