Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Chromian spinel-rich black sands from eastern shoreline of Andaman Island, India: Implication for source characteristics

  • Published:
Journal of Earth System Science Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Black sands rich in chromian spinel commonly occur in pockets along the eastern shoreline of Andaman Island where various types of peridotites and volcanics belonging to the Andaman ophiolite suite are exposed in close vicinity. The chemistry of these detrital chromian spinels has been extensively used here in identifying the source rocks vis-à-vis deciphering the source characteristics. The composition of the chromian spinels (Cr#: 0.20–0.88, Mg#: 0.26–0.77, Al 2 O 3: 5.04–48.21 wt.%, TiO 2: up to 1.39 wt.% and Fe 2+/Fe 3+: 1.73–9.12) varies widely signifying multiple sources, of which mantle peridotites and volcanic rocks are relevant in an ophiolitic terrain. The volcanic chromian spinels are relatively fresh, commonly euhedral, sometimes with compositional variations, and contain inclusions in contrast to the mantle peridotitic chromian spinels which are rounded, extensively fractured, and altered. We used a number of geochemical bivariate plots in order to know the provenance protoliths. The volcanic chromian spinels show geochemical characters of MORB, related to spreading centers (either MOR or back-arc) and also boninites/arc-tholeiites, related to active subduction. On the other hand, the peridotitic spinels indicate partially depleted lherzolite and depleted harzburgite source of the ophiolite suite.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4
Figure 5
Figure 6

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Acharyya S K 2007 Collisional emplacement history of the Naga-Andaman ophiolites and the position of the eastern Indian suture; J. Asian Earth Sci. 29 229–242.

  • Allen R, Carter A, Najman Y, Bandopadhyaya P C, Chapman H J, Bickle M J, Garzanti E, Vezzoli G and Ando S 2007 New constraints on the sedimentation and uplift history of the Andaman–Nicobar accretionary prism, south Andaman Island; In: Formation and applications of the sedimentary record in arc collision zones (eds) Draut A, Clift P D and Scholl D W, Geol. Soc. Am. Spec. Paper 436 223–256.

  • Arai S 1992 Chemistry of chromium spinel in volcanic rocks as a potential guide to magma history; Min. Mag. 56 173–184.

  • Arai S and Okada H 1991 Petrology of serpentine sandstone as a key to tectonic development of serpentine belts; Tectonophys. 195 65–81.

  • Arai S and Ishimaru S 2008 Insights into petrological characteristics of the lithosphere of mantle wedge beneath arcs through peridotite xenoliths: A review; J. Petrol. 49 665–695.

  • Arai S, Kadoshima K and Morishita M 2006 Widespread arc-related melting in the mantle section of the northern Oman ophiolite as inferred from detrital chromian spinels; J. Geol. Soc. London 163 869–879.

  • Arai S, Okamura H, Kadoshima K, Tanaka C, Suzuki K and Ishimaru S 2011 Chemical characteristics of chromian spinel in plutonic rocks: Implications for deep magma processes and discrimination of tectonic setting; Island Arc 20 125–137.

  • Augé T 1987 Chromite deposits in the northern Oman ophiolite: Mineralogical constraints; Min. Dep. 22 1–10.

  • Bandopadhyay P C 2005 Discovery of abundant pyroclasts in Eocene Namunagarh Grit, south Andaman: Evidence for arc volcanism and subduction during the Palaeogene in the Andaman area; J. Asian Earth Sci. 25 97–107.

  • Bandopadhyay P C 2012 Re-interpretation of the age and environment of deposition of Paleogene turbidites in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, western Sunda Arc; J. Asian Earth Sci. 45 126–137.

  • Barnes S J 1986 The distribution of chromium among orthopyroxene, spinel and silicate liquid at atmosphere pressure; Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 50 1889–1909.

  • Barnes S J and Roeder P L 2001 The range of spinel compositions in terrestrial mafic and ultramafic rocks; J. Petrol. 42 2279–2302.

  • Bedard J H 1999 Petrogenesis of boninites from the Belt Cove Ophiolite, New Foundland, Canada: Identification of subducted source components; J. Petrol. 40 1853–1889.

  • Cookenboo H O, Bustin R M, and Wilks K R 1997 Detrital chromian spinel compositions used to reconstruct the tectonic setting of provenance: Implications for orogeny in the Canadian cordillera; J. Sedim. Res. 67 116–123.

  • Curray J R 2005 Tectonics and history of the Andaman Sea Region; J. Asian Earth Sci. 25 187–232.

  • Dick H J B and Bullen T 1984 Chromian spinel as a petrogenetic indicator in abyssal and alpine-type peridotites and spatially associated lavas; Contrib. Mineral. Petrol. 86 54–76.

  • Droop G T R 1978 A general equation for estimating Fe 3+ concentrations in ferromagnesian silicates and oxides from microprobe analysis, using stoichiometric criteria; Min. Mag. 51 431–435.

  • Evans B W and Frost B R 1975 Chrome-spinel in progressive metamorphism – a preliminary analysis; Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 39 957–997.

  • Faupl P, Pavlopoulos A, Klotzli U and Petrakakis K 2006 On the provenance of mid-Cretaceous turbidites of the Pindos zone (Greece): Implications from heavy mineral distribution, detrital zircon ages and chrome spinel chemistry; Geol. Mag. 143 329–342.

  • Ghosh B and Konar R 2011 Chromites from meta-anorthosites, Sittampundi layered igneous complex, Tamil Nadu, southern India; J. Asian Earth Sci. 42 1394–1402.

  • Ghosh B and Morishita T 2011 Andradite–uvarovite solid solutions from hydrothermally altered podiform chromitite, Rutland ophiolite, Andaman, India; Can. Min. 49 573–580.

  • Ghosh B and Bhatta K 2014 Podiform chromitites in lherzolitic mantle rocks (Andaman ophiolite, India): The role of magma/rock interaction and parental melt composition; Bull. Soc. Géol. Fran. 185 123–130.

  • Ghosh B, Pal T, Bhattacharya A and Das D 2009 Petrogenetic implications of ophiolitic chromite from Rutland Island, Andaman – a boninitic parentage in supra-subduction setting; Mineral. Petrol. 96 59–70.

  • Ghosh B, Morishita T and Bhatta K 2012 Detrital chromian spinels from beach placers of Andaman Islands, India: A perspective view of petrological characteristics and variations of the Andaman ophiolite; The Island Arc 21 188–201.

  • Ghosh B, Morishita T and Bhatta K 2013 Significance of chromian spinels from the mantle sequence of the Andaman Ophiolite, India: paleogeodynamic implications; Lithos 164–167 86–96.

  • Ghosh B, Ray J and Morishita T 2014a Grain-scale plastic deformation of chromite from podiform chromitite of the Naga–Manipur ophiolite belt, India: Implication to mantle dynamics; Ore Geol. Rev. 56 199–208.

  • Ghosh B, Morishita T, Sen Gupta B, Tamura A, Arai S, and Bandyopadhyay D 2014b Moho transition zone in the Cretaceous Andaman ophiolite, India: A passage from the mantle to the crust; Lithos 198–199 117–128.

  • Harada T and Arai S 1997 The application of detrital chromian spinel chemistry to geochemical survey of chromite deposit: Examples of the Kamuikotan tectonic belt, central Hokkaido, Japan; Res. Geol. 47 201–209.

  • Kadoshima K and Arai S 2001 Chemical analysis of detrital chromian spinels from the Lizard area, Cornwall: An attempt for lithological and petrological overview of the Lizard peridotite; Nue. Jahr. Min. Monatshefte 5 193–209.

  • Kamenetsky V S, Crawford A J and Meffre S 2001 Factors controlling chemistry of magmatic spinel: An empirical study of associated olivine, Cr-spinel and melt inclusions from primitive rocks; J. Petrol. 42 655–671.

  • Karmalkar N R, Dessai A G, Duraiswami R A and Leblanc M 1995 Evidence of garnet to spinel peridotite transistion in the harzburgites of Indus ophiolite belt: An indication of their mantle origin; Curr. Sci. 69 767–770.

  • Karmalkar N R, Dessai A G and Duraiswami R A 1997 Morphological and chemical changes in spinels and their bearing on the cumulate or residual nature of the peridotites from the Indus Ophiolite, India; Indian Mineral. 31 12–23.

  • Lee Y 1999 Geotectonic significance of detrital chromian spinel: A review; Geosci. J. 3 23–29.

  • Lenaz D, Kamenetsky V S, Crawford A J and Princivalle F 2000 Melt inclusions in detrital spinel from the SE Alps (Italy–Slovenia): A new approach to provenance studies of sedimentary basins; Contrib. Mineral. Petrol. 139 748–758.

  • Luhr J F and Haldar D 2006 Barren Island Volcano (NE Indian Ocean): Island-arc high-alumina basalts produced by troctolite contamination; J. Vol. Geoth. Res. 149 177–212.

  • Malpas J and Robinson P T 1987 Chromite mineralization in the Troodos ophiolite, Cyprus; In: Evolution of chromium ore fields (ed.) Stowe C W (New York: Van Nostrand-Reinhold Publishers), pp. 220–227.

  • Melcher F, Grum W, Simon G, Thalhammer T V and Stumpfl E F 1997 Petrogenesis of the ophiolitic giant chromite deposits of Kempisari, Kazakhstan; J. Petrol. 38 1419–1458.

  • Mitchell A H G 1985 Collision-related fore-arc and back-arc evolution of the northern Sunda arc; Tectonophys. 116 323–334.

  • Paul J, Burgmann R, Gaur V K, Bilham R, Larson K M, Ananda M B, Jade S, Mukal M, Anupama T S, Satyal G, and Kumar D 2001 The motion and active deformation of India; Geophys. Res. Lett. 28 647–650.

  • Pober E and Faupl P 1988 The chemistry of detrital spinels and its implications for the geodynamic evolution of the Eastern Alps; Geologis. Runds. 77 641–670.

  • Press S 1986 Detrital spinels from alpinotype source rocks in Middle Devonian sediments of the Rhenish Massif; Geologis. Runds. 75 333–340.

  • Ray K K, Sengupta S and Van Den Hui H J 1988 Chemical characters of volcanic rocks of Andaman ophiolite, India; J. Geol. Soc. London 145 393–400.

  • Roberts S 1988 Ophiolitic chromitite formation: A marginal basin phenomenon?; Econ. Geol. 83 1034–1036.

  • Robinson P T, Zhou M F, Malpas J and Bai W J 1997 Podiform chromitites: Their composition, origin and environment of formation; Episodes 20 247–252.

  • Roy S K 1992 Accretionary prism in Andaman fore arc; Geol. Surv. India Spec. Publ. 29 273–280.

  • Sack R O and Ghiorso M S 1991 Chromian spinels as petrogenetic indicators: Thermodynamics and petrological applications; Am. Mineral. 76 827–847.

  • Vigny C et al. 2005 Insight into the 2004 Sumatra –Andaman earthquake from GPS measurements in southeast Asia; Nature 436 201–206.

  • Yumul G P and Balce G R Jr 1994 Supra-subduction zone ophiolite as favorable hosts for chromitite, platinum and massive sulfide deposits; J. South East Asian Earth Sci. 10 65–79.

  • Zhou M F and Robinson P T 1994 High-chromium and high-aluminum podiform chromitites, western China: Relationship to partial melting and melt/rock interaction in the upper mantle; Intern. Geol. Rev. 36 678–686.

  • Zhou M F and Robinson P T 1997 Origin and tectonic environment of podiform chromite deposits; Econ. Geol. 92 259–262.

  • Zhou M F, Robinson P T, Malpas J and Li Z 1996 Podiform chromitites in the Lubusa ophiolite (southern Tibet): Implications for melt–rock interaction and chromite segregation in the upper mantle; J. Petrol. 37 3–21.

Download references

Acknowledgments

The authors thank the anonymous reviewers for their comments and suggestions in improving the content. The authors acknowledge the financial support received from the Department of Science and Technology, India (SR/FTP/ES-65/2009) to carry out field work and microprobe analyses. S Sengupta and S Nandy of GSI, EPMA Laboratory, Kolkata are thankfully acknowledged for their assistance during the microprobe analyses.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geology, University of Calcutta, 35 Ballygunge Circular Road, Kolkata, 700 019, India

    Koyel Bhatta & Biswajit Ghosh

Authors
  1. Koyel Bhatta
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Biswajit Ghosh
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Biswajit Ghosh.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Bhatta, K., Ghosh, B. Chromian spinel-rich black sands from eastern shoreline of Andaman Island, India: Implication for source characteristics. J Earth Syst Sci 123, 1387–1397 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12040-014-0474-4

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12040-014-0474-4

Keywords

Search

Navigation