High-Al Gabbro in Proterozoic Anorthosite Massifs of Orissa: Implications for Anorthosite Genesis

High-Al gabbro is reported here for the first time from three anorthosite complexes of Orissa sector of Eastern Ghats Granulite Belt (EGGB). It has distinctly different textural, mineralogical and chemical characters from the anorthosite within which it occurs, and also from the spatially associated Fe, Ti and REE enriched ferrodiorite suite.

The high-Al gabbro of EGGB is comparable to similar rocks from other anorthosite complexes in major, trace element compositions and Mg# range (50-58). However, in contrast to the high-Al gabbro of the Laramie Anorthosite Complex (LAC), it does not form the most primitive rock of this association and exhibits negative Eu anomaly (Eu/EU^* 0 2 0 6). The Mg enriched composition of the silicates of the high-Al gabbro and higher MgO contents of the associated anorthosite and ferrodiorite of the LAC are other critical differences.

Variable composition of the parental melts for these rocks at EGGB and LAC is interpreted Derivation of these aluminous melts by partial melting of basalt under high pressure i s suggested.