INDIAN JOURNAL OF GEOLOGY

VOL. 80, Nos.1-4, 2008 (Published January 2010) ISSN 0970-1354

Special Issue
Geodynamic Regimes, Global Tectonics and Evolution of
Precambrian Cratonic Basins in India

KOLKATA
Indian Journal of Geology
Vol.80, Nos. 1-4, (2008) p.41-54 (Published January 2010)

TECTONOTHERMAL EVOLUTION OF CHHOTANAGPUR GRANITE

GNEISS COMPLEX FROM NORTHEASTERN PART OF PURULIYA
DISTRICT, WEST BENGAL, EASTERN INDIA

B. GOSWAMI1 AND C. BHATTACHARYYA2

2
Department of geology, University of Calcutta
35, Ballygunge Circular Road, Kolkata -700019
e-mail: 1 bapigoswami69@yahoo.co.in;
2
chittaranjangeology@gmail.com

Abstract

The principal rocks of northwestern part of the present area are non-porphyritic granitoid
gneisses having enclaves of metamorphites belonging to amphibolite facies while the southeastern
part is composed predominantly of leptynitic granitoid gneisses and porphyritic granitoid gneisses
with enclaves of metamorphites belonging to granulite facies. The amphibolite - granulite facies
boundary represents a structural discontinuity and a shear zone. The area suffered at least three
phases of deformations. Rarely preserved, D1 minor folds are produced on bedding plane/lithocontact.
The regional foliation (S1) is axial planar to the D1 folds, and was initially subhorizontal. The regional
metamorphism (M1) and D1 are coeval. After the peak metamorphic condition during M1 was attained,
the anatectic granitoid melt was profusely injected along the S1 of older metamorphites giving rise to
non-porphyritic/leptynitic granitoid gneisses. S1-foliation was folded by D2-deformation into ENE-
WSW trending overturned, nearly non-plunging, tight folds. Nepheline syenites were emplaced in
the granulite facies terrain, parallel to the axial plane of D2-folds before the end of M1 metamorphism
(1400-1500 Ma).The D3-deformation produced two steep, northerly-inclined ENE - WSW regional
shear zones. The granulite facies terrain has been uplifted from deeper level along the shear zones
and juxtaposed with amphibolite facies terrain during D3-phase. Porphyritic granitoid batholith
emplaced in these shear zones caused thermal metamorphism (M2) of regionally metamorphosed
rocks at hornblende hornfels facies (900 - 1000 Ma).The peak temperatures of regional metamorphism
(M1) attained during amphibolite and granulite facies are estimated to be around 700oC and 820oC
respectively while the peak thermal metamorphic (M2) temperature attained during later emplacement
of porphyritic granitoid magma is around 8000C. The peak pressures of amphibolite and granulite
facies metamorphism are 5 ± 0.5 and 7 ± 0.5 kb and during thermal metamorphism, 7 ± 0.5 kb.

Keywords: Chotonagpur granite gneiss complex, regional metamorphism, shear zones

1. Introduction such as mica schists and khondalite, with

The terrain in the northeastern part of
Puruliya district is composed mainly of
granitoid gneisses (Sen, 1956, 1959; GSI,
1977) which contain enclaves of pelitic rocks
varying proportions of psammitic and
calcareous intercalations, and metabasic rocks
(amphibolites and basic granulite). The
metabasic rock bodies are generally aligned
parallel to regional foliation and have initially
42 Tectonothermal Evolution of Chotonagpur Granite Gneiss Complex
intruded into the above metasediments (Fig.
1). The intrusive units within the granitoid
gneisses include nepheline syenite gneisses
(Bhaumik et al., 1990; Chattopadhyay and
Bhattacharyya, 1990; Ray and Mondal, 2002),
porphyritic granitoid gneisses of batholithic
dimension, pegmatite and quartz veins,
ultramafics and dolerites.
The structural and metamorphic aspects
of the southern and eastern parts of the present
area (Fig. 1) were dealt with about 50 years
back by Sen (1956, 1959). Mahadevan (1992)
studied tectonostratigraphic evolution of the
adjoining southern part of the area. The
purpose of this paper is to report the results of
detailed studies on structures, petrology and
metamorphism along with thermobarometric
data which throw new light on the
tectonothermal evolution of the northeastern
Puruliya as a whole.
2. Geological Setting
The area belongs to the eastern
extension of Proterozoic Chhotanagpur granite
gneiss complex (CGGC). This gneissic
complex is of composite character consisting
mainly of granitoid gneisses, migmatites, and
massive granites with enclaves of
metasedimentary and meta-igneous rocks, and
intrusive basic and intermediate rock types
(Ghose, 1983, 1992). Tentative general
stratigraphic succession for the Puruliya
district is given in Table 1.
In the present area (Fig. 1) non-
porphyritic granitoid gneisses (NPGG)
occupies the major part of the northern half
and contains enclaves of mica schists and
khondalites, marbles, calc-silicate schists/
gneisses, para- and ortho-amphibolites
belonging to amphibolite facies. The NPGG
is followed to the south by an E - W trending
porphyritic granitoid gneiss batholith (PGG).
Leptynitic granitoid gneisses (LGG) occur to
the south and east of PGG. The leptynitic
granitoid gneiss country contains minor
patches of migmatites, basic granulites,
charnockitic rocks, calc-silicate rocks and
anorthosites representing granulite facies.
Both PGG and LGG contain small patches of
basic granulites and charnockitic rocks. Hence
the central part of the area is a granulite facies
terrain. Again in the southern-most part of the
area LGG contain enclaves of amphibolites
and calc-silicate rocks belonging to
amphibolite facies.
A general E-W strike with northerly dip
(less commonly southerly) of the dominant
foliation in the present area (Sen, 1956) is
comparable to the orientation of regional
foliation in the Chhotanagpur granite gneiss
belt (Sengupta and Sarkar, 1964, 1968; Ghose,
1983; Mazumder, 1988; Sarkar, 1988; Baidya
et al., 1989). The dominant northerly dip of
foliation in the present area has been earlier
ascribed to regional antiformal folding with
overturned southern limb (Sen, 1956).
3. Structural Geology
The present area of study has suffered
two phases of folding deformation and two
phase of shear related deformation. First
generation (D 1 ) folds on bedding in
metasedimentary rocks show moderate
northerly dip of axial plane, which is parallel
to regional foliation. D1-folds are represented
rarely as tight to isoclinal, intrafolial, and
rootless, minor folds within non-porphyritic/
composite/migmatitic granitoid gneisses (Fig.
2). Non-porphyritic granitoid magma were
injected parallel to the axial plane of the D1-
 B. Goswami and C. Bhattacharyya 43

Fig. 1. Geological map of the area showing planar structure and shear zones.

folds and metamorphosed to form the gneissic
banding before the end of D1-phase.
The dominant/regional foliation (S1) has
been folded into overturned (the southern limb
being overturned), nearly non-plunging, tight
folds (D2) with northerly dipping axial plane
(S2; Fig. 3a, 3b). Superposition of D2 on D1
folds has led to the formation of arrow head/
mushroom shaped outcrop patterns affecting
the gneissic banding in non-porphyritic
granitoid gneisses (Fig. 4). However,
occasional formation of domes and basins and
hook-shaped patterns due to the change of
orientation of S 0 surfaces during the
44 Tectonothermal Evolution of Chotonagpur Granite Gneiss Complex

Table 1. Tentative geological succession of Puruliya district (after GSI, 1977)

Quaternary Coarse to fine sand, silt and clay, lithomargic clay, yellow clay,
calcareous nodules and laterite
---------------------------------------Unconformity-----------------------------------------
Upper Gondwana Supra-Panchet (Mahadeva) Sandstone
Formation
Panchet Formation Sandstone and shale
----------------------------------------Unconformity----------------------------------------
Lower Gondwana Raniganj Formation Sand, shale and coal seam
(Damuda Group) Barren Measures Formation Ironstone shale and ferruginous sandstone
------------------------------------Unconformity--------------------------------------------
Pegmatite, quartz and chert veins, epidote-
Pegmatite and allied rocks feldspar-quartz veins, apatite and quartz-
magnetite veins

Granitic rocks Porphyroblastic granite gneiss, biotite

Precambrian granite, composite gneiss, migmatites,
garnetiferous granite gneiss

Metabasic rocks Amphibolite, metanorite, hornblende schist

Metasedimentary rocks Calc-granulite, crystalline limestone,

garnetiferous sillimanite schist
(graphite and kyanite-bearing at places)

emplacement of non-porphyritic granitoid from the granulite facies of the southeastern

magma along the S1 axial plane of D1 folds
(described later). D2 folds are common in calc-
silicate rocks, amphibolites and migmatites in
the northwestern part of the area (Fig. 3). D2
folds are uncommon in the granulite facies
terrain lying in the southern and eastern part
where leptynitic foliation and quartz-ribbon
and rods are common features.
The third phase deformation produced
two parallel ENE-WSW trending regional
shear zones, which are steeply dipping to the
N, with steeply plunging mineral lineation.
Both of these shear zones are branches of the
North Puruliya Shear Zone (NPSZ). The
northern shear zone (NSZ, Fig. 1), close to the
northern boundary of the porphyritic granitoid
gneiss batholith demarcates roughly the
amphibolite facies of the northwestern part
part of the area. The boundary between the
amphibolite facies terrain (WNW) and the
granulite facies terrain (ESE) is sharp, and
there is no gradational change in mineral
composition of amphibolites from amphibolite
facies terrain to basic granulites of the
southeastern part. There is also significant
difference in trace element compositions of
basic granulites and of the amphibolites. Shear
zone thickness ranges from few centimetres
to more than 100 metres. The gradual change
from host granitoid rocks to intensely foliated
rocks and intense grain size reduction, S-C
band, pinch-and-swell structure, rotations of
porphyroclast mark the shear zone (Fig. 5a).
The shear-sense indicators within the
mylonitic rocks indicate top-to-SE sense of
shear (Fig. 5b). The southern shear zone (SSZ),
 B. Goswami and C. Bhattacharyya
Fig 2. Tight to isoclinal folds in quartzite. Note that the granitic material intruded parallel to the axial plane of the minor folds.
About 1 km S of Cheliyama. Pen length = 14.5cm.
passing along the southern boundary of PGG
batholith, is characterized by intrusion of
profuse pegmatite bodies and development of
locally close spaced shear folds (subparallel
axial planes). Epidotization of granite gneiss
is a common feature of SSZ. This shear zone
is nearly vertical or steep northerly/southerly
dipping and shows upliftment of northern side.
In the present study area SSZ passes in the
LGG country, but enclaves of basic granulites
and charnockitic rocks are limited only to the
northern sides of SSZ (Fig. 1).
4. Emplacement of Magmas in Relation to
Deformation
4.1. Non-Porphyritic Granitoid Gneisses
45
(NPGG)
Graphic intergrowth of quartz and K-
feldspar, and weak zoning in plagioclase with
Albite rim suggest that NPGG of largely
syeno-granite composition have crystallized
from a melt. However, folds and boudinage
on leucosomal bands of NPGG together with
partial recrystallization and undulose
extinction in quartz and feldsapr suggest sub-
solidus plastic strain and recrystallization.
Trails of biotite are often seen to be warping
around porphyroclasts of feldspar in shear
zones.
S1 in the amphibolites/ mica schists
enclaves (cf. paleosome) within the migmatitic
gneisses is parallel to the gneissosity in the
non-porphyritic granitoid gneisses (cf.
46 Tectonothermal Evolution of Chotonagpur Granite Gneiss Complex
Fig 3. a) Overturned D2 folds in migmatitic granitoid gneiss (non-porphyritic). Boxed area is shown separately by an enlarged
photograph in Fig. 3b. About 1 km NNE of Cheliyama. Length of the axe = 1.2m
Fig 4. Arrowhead pattern in migmatitic non-porphyritic
granitoid gneiss. About 600 m SSE of Cheliyama.
Ruler = 14 cm.
leucosomes). This common parallelism of
foliation and centimetr to metr-scale granitic
layers in stromatic migmatites suggests
"percolative flow of (granitic) melt along the
flattening fabric using the dynamic
permeability produced during active
deformation" (Brown and Solar, 1998). The
above suggests emplacement of granitoid
magma during development of S1 fabric (D1).
Later D2-folding deformed both S1-foliation
and sheets of non-porphyritic granitoid
gneisses (Fig. 3).
4.2. Nepheline syenite gneisses
The nepheline syenite (monzosyenite)
gneisses form two E-W elongate lensoid
bodies which intruded concordantly into the
khondalitic and leptynitic granitoid gneiss
close to ENE trending northern shear zone
(Fig. 1). Preferred alignment of long axes of
euhedral K-feldspar megacrysts defines a
magmatic foliation in the nepheline syenite
gneisses. However, porphyroclasts of K-
feldspar and nepheline along with biotite and
amphibole define a gneissosity in deformed
samples. Anhedral to subhedral megacrysts of
deformed microperthite and nepheline are
enclosed in aggregates of fine to medium
grained felsic minerals. Undulose extinction,
polygonization and triple-point junction in the
felsic groundmass indicate recrystallization.
Bending of twin lamellae and marginal
granulation of microcline megacrysts and
kinks in biotite are frequently noticed.
Amphibole generally occurs as tabular
megacrysts and contains inclusions of albite.
It occurs also as inclusion within nepheline
and alkali feldspar. Sphene occurs commonly
as thin rim around ilmenite. These nepheline
syenite bodies with common recrystallization
 B. Goswami and C. Bhattacharyya 47

Fig 5. a) Mylonitic augen showing porphyroclasts of K-feldspars, northern boundary of porphyritic granitoid gneiss batholith,
Khajura stone quarry. Bar length = 12 cm. b) Schematic diagram of S-C mylonite with vertical C-surface in the northern
fringe of porphyritic granitoid gneiss batholith, near Isradanga village, about 5 Km NE of Raghunathpur.

features in constituent minerals indicate their
emplacement prior to the waning phase of
regional metamorphism (M1).
4.3. Porphyritic Granitoid Gneiss Batholith
The porphyritic granitoid gneisses
(PGG) of largely monzogranitic to
syenogranitic composition intruded the
country of non-porphyritic and leptynitic
granitoid gneisses (Sen, 1956; Goswami,
2007).
Mica schists, khondalites, quartzites,
calc-silicate rocks, amphibolites and basic
granulites occur as enclaves within the PGG.
The planar fabric in the enclaves was formed
during the first deformation, D1. Hence the
local discordance between the planar fabric
in the host PGG and that in the enclaves of the
metamorphites and the NPGG with D2 folds
suggest that the emplacement of the PGG
batholith took place at least after D 2
deformation.
The magmatic flow planes in PGG
batholith have ENE-WSW parallel to the
overall elongation of the batholith. Magmatic
fabric is defined by preferred orientation of
euhedral to subhedral feldspar (mainly
microcline) +biotite +hornblende (Fig. 6).
Deflections of foliation of porphyritic
granitoids around the xenoliths of basic
granulite are also consistent with flow of
magma around solid objects. In the central part
of the batholith orientations of feldspar
megacrysts are haphazard. C/S structures are
also seen at places (Fig. 7; Berthe´ et al., 1979).
Presence of both magmatic and solid-
state deformation features in PGG batholith
demonstrates that the shearing has been active
during and after complete crystallization of the
magma. The control of shear zone/fault zone/
thrust zone for emplacement of granitoid
magma, giving rise to porphyritic granitoid
rocks has been suggested in published
literature (e.g., D'Lemos et al., 1992; Rajesh,
2000).
5. Episodes of Metamorphism
The dominant schistosity (S1) in the
enclaves is defined by the preferred
arrangement of metamorphic minerals (e.g.,
sillimanite in khondalite, pyroxene and
hornblende in basic granulite, and hornblende
in amphibolite). These suggest that the M1
48 Tectonothermal Evolution of Chotonagpur Granite Gneiss Complex

Fig 6. Imbrication ("tilting") of some elongate euhedral megacryst of K-feldspar, Raghunathpur College. Ruler = 14 cm.

Fig 7. Centimetre-thick shear zone in porphyritic granitoid, Raghunathpur college campus. Pen = 14.5
 B. Goswami and C. Bhattacharyya 49

Table 2. Thermobarometric estimates for the near-peak metamorphic stage of regional metamorphism (M1) and
thermal metamorphism (M2)
M1 M2
Amphibolite facies domain Granulite facies domain Porphyritic granitoid domain

(Hbl-Crystallization) (2)
Calc-silicate rocks (5)

Calc-silicate gneiss**

Porphyritic granitoid
Basic granulite(Hbl
Basic granulite (3)

Nepheline syenite
(No. of Samples)

Amphibolite (3)

Mica schist (5)

Enderbite (1)

Enderbite (1)
hornfels) (3)
Khondalite

gneiss (12)
Rock Type

Method
BH 725 820 860 720 800
W 784 800
P.G. 600a 600b 820c
FS 669
B, 92 641
G 742* 725*
Temperature ± 50 (0C)

GP 610*
SB 615** 653
H 680** 640* 600
LG 730** 729
B,91 653
L 677
FK 705
S 722 794
WS 776
Peak temp. (ºC)~700 ~820 ~800
BH 4.6 7.2 9.9 5.8 6.9
MP 7.1 7.1
NP 6.6*
Pressure ± 0.5 (kbar)

B, 91 6.8
L 6.4
P.G. 4.5 4.5 5 -7
PC 7.4**
M 7.5**
M 7.2**
NH 6.5*
Peak Pressure (kbar) ~ 4.5 ~ 7.0 ~ 5.5
Data from Bhattacharyya and Mukherjee (1987); ** Data from Sen and Bhattacharya (1993); rest of the data from Goswami (2007). Abbreviations:
B, 91: Bhattacharya, A. et al.(1991); B,92: Bhattacharya, A. et al. (1992); BH: Blundy, J.D. and Holland, T.J.B. (1990); C: Carmichael, D.M. (1970);
FK: Fonarev, V.I. and Konialov, A.N. (1986); FS: Ferry, J.M. and Spear, F.S. (1978); G: Ganguly, J. (1979); GP: Graham, C.M. and Powell, R.
(1984); H: Harley, S.L. (1984); L: Lal, R.K. (1993); LG: Lee, H.Y. and Ganguly, J. (1988); M:Moecher, D.P. et al. (1988); MP: Mc Carthy and
Patino Douce(1998); NH: Newton, R.C. and Hastleton, H.T. (1981); NP: Newton and Perkins (1982); PC: Perkins, D.I. and Chipera, S. (1985); S
:Sengupta, P.K. et al. (1990); SB: Sen, S.K. and Bhattacharya, A. (1984); W: Wells (1977); WS: Whitney, J.A. and Stormer, J.C. (1977). P.G.:
Petrogenetic Grid
a
Petrogenetic Grid of calc-silicate rocks: Winkler (1988, Fig. 15.3, p.247); bPetrogenetic Grid of metapelitic rocks: Carmichael (1978); cPetrogenetic
Grid of nepheline syenite gneisses: Goswami and Bhattacharyya (2008)
50 Tectonothermal Evolution of Chotonagpur Granite Gneiss Complex
metamorphism is coeval with the first phase
of deformation (D1). M1 continued upto D2
deformation event. During the emplacement
of porphyritic granitoid batholith in the
regionally metamorphosed country rocks, the
latter were subjected to contact metamorphism
(M2) in hornblende-hornfels facies leading to
migmatites in some places. Widespread
alteration of pyroxene to hornblende and of
both pyroxene and hornblende to biotite in
basic granulites occurring as enclaves in
porphyritic granitoid gneiss batholith resulted
from M2 (Goswami, 2007).
Thermobarometric estimates for the
near-peak metamorphic stage of regional
metamorphism (M 1 ) and contact
metamorphism (M2) are given in Table 2
(Goswami, 2007). The preferred estimate of
M1 metamorphic conditions in granulites is
suggested to be ~8000C and 6.5-7.5 kbar. The
absence of garnet in basic granulites of present
study indicates that the peak-M1 pressure was
unlikely to be high. Enclaves of enderbites and
basic granulites within porphyritic granitoids
are metamorphosed by M2 event. They give
variable estimates of pressure which is due to
lack of complete resetting of M1 textures
(especially for garnet bearing assemblage of
enderbites) during M2 event.
6. Summary of Tectonothermal History
For a long time the Chhotonagpur
Grnaite Gneissic Complex (CGGC), which is
tectonically attached with Singhbhum craton
towards south, has been thought of as a product
of late Archaean to Paleoproterozoic crustal
consolidation (Sarkar, 1988). Available age
data have indicated, however, a dominant 'Late
Grenvillean' tectonothermal event at 900 -
1000 Ma in CGGC (Ghose, 1992 and
references therein). An earlier
Mesoproterozoic metamorphism (1.6-1.4 Ga;
Ray Barman et al., 1994) was registered only
at a few places of the CGGC.
Recently Chatterjee et al. (2008) have
shown that emplacement of gabbroic
anorthosite rocks of the Saltora area (lying a
few km east of the study area) took place at
1550±12 Ma subsequent to D1 but before D2
deformation event. Subsequent metamorphism
in the CGCC is recorded by the 947±27 Ma
zircon growth in the anorthosite, and 950±20
Ma and 995±24 Ma monazite growths in the
matrix and within garnet of metapelite
granulite located north of the anorthosite
(Chatterjee et al., 2008). The prograde pre/syn-
D1 granulite facies metamorphism (M1) in the
enclave suite (750-8500C and 4-6 kbar) is
suggested to be >1.4 Ga (EPMA monazite age)
(Maji et al., 2008). EPMA dating of monazites
in sheared granites yielded ~0.9-1.0 Ga (Maji
et al., op. cit).
However, for the migmatitic gneisses of
adjoining Muruguma area it has been
suggested that regional metamorphism (M1)
and formation of associated non-porphyritic
granitoids took place about 1178±61 Ma ago
(Rb-Sr whole rock isochron, Ray Barman et
al., 1994). Radiometric age data of samples
from Bero suggest that the age of emplacement
of porphyritic granitoid magma was 1071 ±
64 Ma (Rb-Sr whole rock isochron, Ray
Barman et al., 1994). The K-Ar ages of biotite
from porphyritic granitoid gneisses (870 ± 40
Ma) and that of muscovite from leucogranite
(810 ± 40 Ma) of the Jaipur area, about 43 km
SW from the western boundary of the present
area, gives somewhat younger ages due to
lower blocking temperatures of K-Ar (Baidya
et al., 1987).
Based upon the above meagre age
 B. Goswami and C. Bhattacharyya
information of rocks/minerals of Puruliya
district and CGGC as a whole, the summary
of metamorphism, deformation and
magmatism particularly with reference to the
present area may now be drawn as
follows.
Three major phases of ductile
deformation have been recognized in the
region. The earliest phase (D1) is responsible
for the dominant metamorphic penetrative
foliation (S1) in amphibolite and granulite
facies rocks occurring mainly as enclaves
(about 1400 Ma ago?). After attaining the peak
metamorphic condition the anatectic granitoid
melt was profusely injected along the S 1
foliation plane of some metasediments and
amphibolites giving rise to non-porphyritic
granitoid gneisses/composite gneisses. The
country rocks in which the granitoid magma
was emplaced were already metamorphosed
under amphibolite facies. NPGG and LGG
magmas generated at 700 0 C and 800 0 C
respectively (zircon saturation temperatures)
at 100 to167 Mpa PH2O (Goswami, 2007).
Deformation (and metamorphism) continued,
so that the S1 schistosity along with injected
granitoid bands and veins were folded during
D2, possibly before the end of M1. The D3
phase generated the regional NPSZ having two
branches NSZ and SSZ passing northern and
southern peripheries of PGG body and
showing excellent development of mylonitic
texture. The granulite facies terrain has been
uplifted from deeper level along the shear
zones and juxtaposed with amphibolite facies
terrains (Fig. 1, see cross-section) during D3
phase.
The porphyritic granitoid melt (900 to
1000Ma) was responsible for the thermal
metamorphism/ metasomatism of the country
rock under hornblende-hornfels facies (M2).
51
Emplacement of porphyritic granitoid magma
took place along the shear zones. Available
geochronological data suggest that M2 episode
continued for about 1000 Ma to 900 Ma
(Chatterjee et al., 2008).
The CGGC in general, and the present
area in particular, seems to have experienced
at least two major tectonothermal episodes
during the Proterozoic (Chatterjee et al., 2008),
having a large time-gap between the two
episodes. The regionally metamorphosed
granulites (M1 = >1400 Ma) have shown an
ITD path (Ray Barman et al., 1994) followed
by an emplacement of PGG and contact/
thermal metamorphism (M2 at 900-1000 Ma).
It is interesting to note that there is a large time
gap between regional metamorphism granulite
(1400 - 1500 Ma) and thermal metamorphism
due to emplacement of the porphyritic
granitoids (900 - 1000 Ma). The D1 and D2
folds have been interpreted as coeval with the
M1 metamorphism. Usual interpretation of
large overturned folds and pervasive
schistosity (in the metasediemntary enclaves)
involve crustal shortening. In the absence of
more reliable precise dates for the different
components of the study area/region, it would
be impossible to exclude the possibility of
crustal convergence before the onset of
regional metamorphism. However, high T
(~800oC) but relatively low P (~7 kbar, present
study) estimates of granulites (Maji et al., 2008
estimated 750-850oC and 4-6 kbar from a
larger data base) and amphibolites (700oC at
~4.5 kbar) do not suggest crustal over-
thickening. High thermal gradient, abundant
mafic/ultramafic intrusions (Mandal et al.,
2007), and geophysical evidence for the
presence of sill-like mafic body at about 5 km
depth (Verma et al., 1988) on the other hand,
can suggest magma under-plating. Except
52 Tectonothermal Evolution of Chotonagpur Granite Gneiss Complex
biotitization and hornblendization related to
the emplacement of PGG (M2) the granulite
facies rocks of present study do not show much
sign of retrogression, which, in turn, supports
rapid exhumation immediately after M 1
episode. Further, granulite facies rocks are
separated from adjacent amphibolite facies
rocks by two shear zones (Fig. 1). The granulite
facies rocks during exhumation formed a horst
like structure within the amphibolite facies
rocks (Fig. 1, see cross-section).
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Acknowledgements
We thank the authorities of Calcutta
University and the Principal, J.K. College, Puruliya
for providing research facilities. We are also very
much thankful to Prof. D. Mukhopadhyay, and Prof.
A.R. Basu for reviewing the manuscript critically
and suggesting improvements. Editorial review by
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