Geochemistry of Shales from the Proterozoic Intracratonic Kaladgi- Badami Basin, Karnataka, Southern India as an Indicator of Palaeoweathering and Evolution of the Dharwar Craton

Shales of the Proterozoic Kaladgi Supergroup, occupying the intracratonic Kaladgi-Badami Basin in the Dharwar craton, are analyzed for mineralogical as well as major and trace element compositions. Field setting and elemental ratios, critical to provenance, indicate (1) major contribution from highly weathered Archaean silicic source rocks like Peninsular Gneiss and Closepet Granite, (2) the shales lack any systematic time-dependent variation of composition and (3) they record normal weathering history. Compared to the middle Archaean cratonic shales of the Dharwar craton, the Kaladgi shales are enriched in K₂O, Th, La, Ce and Yb and depleted in MgO, Cr and Ni suggesting secular change in the Cpper crustal composition towards more felsic nature. The middle Archaean shales document acid leaching as an important weathering process, whereas the Kaladgi shales reflect intense weathering of the source similar to that of present day warm humid climate. In contrast to the extreme variability of the middle Archaean shales, the Kaladgi shales show smaller compositional variation suggesting development of Iarger platformal environment suitable for repeated recycling and efficient mixing. During late Archaean crustal growth, emplacement of juvenile granites into the crust and subsequent intracrustal melting has transferred huge amount of incompatible elements into the upper continental crust. The effect of ths change is clearly imprinted in the evolved composition of the Kaladgi shales.