Basement-Cover Relationship in the Khetri Copper Belt and the Emplacement Mechanism of the Granite Massifs, Rajasthan, India

The Precambrian Khetri Fold Belt in northern Rajasthan, India, is bifurcated by the transverse Kantli Fault into the North Khetri Belt (NKB) and the South Khetri Belt (SKB). A new stratigraphic and structural framework has been proposed for the NKB and the SKB. The NKB and the SKB evolved independently and show different basement-cover relationships. The Proterozoic cover sequence on either side of the Kantli Fault differ significantly from each other in litho-characteristics, specially in the content of felsic-volcanics. The 1832 ± 3 Ma old synsedimentary felsic volcanism in Proterozoic sequence is considered to be coeval with the Jasrapura Granite dated at 1844 ± 7 Ma.

Geochronological data from several granite bodies suggest a plutonic event around 1500 ± 200 Ma which constrains the third phase of deformation in the basement rocks. TWo types of granites are recognised; one akin to the Hercynian-type peraluminuous, compositionally restricted ilmenite-bearing S-type granite and the other Caledonian-type, compositionally restricted I-type granite.

Both forceful ballooning and forceful permitted type processes were responsible for the plutonic activity. Significant amongst the first-type are the Udaipurwati Granite and the Chapoli Granite; the former shows stretching of the sodium-rich early consolidated intrusion as a result of inflation of the potassium-rich central part of the magma balloon.

A general readjustment of the isotopic systems within minerals occurred around 700 - 800 Ma or even later, possibly a Pan-African event, which has been correlated with widespread granitic activity in western Rajasthan.