Apatite as an indicator of tectono-magmatic evolution of silica-undersaturated to silica-oversaturated rocks on the NW Indian Plate margin

Abstract

Permo-Carboniferous intrusive rocks situated on the NW boundary of the Indian Plate between the Main Mantle Thrust (MMT) and Main Boundary Thrust (MBT) have tremendous potential for enhancing our knowledge of regional tectono-magmatic activity in Pakistan, yet these units have received only limited investigation to date. Here, we examine the petrology, apatite geochemistry and Sr-Nd isotopes, and geochronology of the silica-undersaturated (sodalite syenite and nepheline syenite), silica-saturated (monzonite and quartz syenite), and silica-oversaturated (granite and quartz monzonite) intrusive suites of the Ambela Granitic Complex (AGC) in northern Pakistan. Cathodoluminescent (CL) images of apatite in the three suites show mostly oscillatory zonation and a homogenous texture. The apatite chemistry of three intrusives is characterized by high fluorine (F), rare earth element (REE), yttrium (Y), and thorium (Th) contents, and low levels of chlorine (Cl), iron oxide (FeO) and magnesium oxide (MgO), suggesting a magmatic origin. The three suites exhibit variation in Sr-Nd isotopes, i.e., ⁸⁷Sr/Sr⁸⁶_i = 0.7035 to 0.7057 and εNd(t) = +0.3 to +6.0 for the silica-undersaturated group, ⁸⁷Sr/Sr⁸⁶_i = 0.7044 to 0.7205 and εNd(t) = +1.8 to +3.8 for the silica-saturated group, and ⁸⁷Sr/Sr⁸⁶_i = 0.7075 to 0.7186 and εNd(t) = −2.5 to +1.2 for the silica-oversaturated group. Garnet stability field indicators in the nepheline syenite imply a deeply sourced magma, with Sr-Nd isotopic, and trace-element compositions of the apatite indicating formation in the subcontinental lithospheric mantle. In contrast, the silica-oversaturated melts formed during magma ascent through crustal interactions at a range of depths, with their apatites showing affinity with A-type granites. Apatite grains from the three magmatic groups show distinctive Sr, Eu and Y patterns, reflecting less fractionation of the silica-undersaturated and -saturated suites than of the silica-oversaturated suite. Furthermore, apatites of the former suites have higher Eu/Eu* and SO₃ and lower Ce/Ce* than those of the latter suite, suggesting development under more oxidizing magmatic conditions. T_DM2 ages demonstrate parent material of Mesoproterozoic to Neoproterozoic age, whereas LA-ICP-MS U-Pb dating of magmatic apatite indicates cooling of all suites concurrently at ∼322–262 Ma. The latter ages document significant magmatic activity in the study region during the Late Carboniferous to Middle Permian, probably in connection with rifting of the northern margin of the supercontinent Gondwana, leading to opening of the Neo-Tethys Ocean.