Journal of Geosciences Research

Vol. 3, No.1, January, 2018

www.ggsnagpur.org pp. 1 - 12

Heavy Mineral Study of Dhosa Sandstone, Kachchh Basin, Western India:

Implication for Provenance and Tectonic Setting
1 1 2 1
Asma A. Ghaznavi *, A.H.M. Ahmad , M. Masroor Alam and M. Adnan Quasim
1 2
Department of Geology, Department of Civil Engineering, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh -202002, India
*E-mail: ghaznavi.asma@gmail.com

Abstract

This paper presents the results of an integrated heavy and detrital minerals study of Dhosa Sandstone of Chari Formation in the Kachchh
basin, western India. Mineralogically, these medium to coarse-grained sandstones are mature quartz arenite to sub-arkose. Monocrystalline
quartz is the dominant framework grain followed by polycrystalline quartz, feldspar and micas. The characteristic heavy minerals of the
sandstone are zircon, tourmaline, rutile, biotite, muscovite, sillimanite chlorite, epidote, hornblende, staurolite and opaques. Zircon, tourmaline
and rutile (ZTR) dominate the heavy minerals assemblage. The principal component analysis suggests four groups of heavy minerals
comprising chlorite, sillimanite and hornblende in PCA-1, zircon, biotite and staurolite in PCA-2 and rutile, epidote and muscovite in PCA-3.
Tourmaline is the lone member of PCA-4. The heavy minerals assemblage shows that Dhosa Sandstone Member was derived from a mixed
provenance of granite-gneiss and meta-sedimentary supracrustals exposed in topographic highs of moderate relief under temperate to sub-
humid climate. The cyclic nature and vertical trend of heavy mineral frequencies in the sandstones can be attributed to fluctuations in sea level
relief of the source area. Mineralogical maturity coupled with characteristic heavy mineral associations, paleoflow evidence and tectonic history
of the region indicates that Aravalli craton situated in the east and northeast and Nagar Parkar massif on north and northwest of the basin were the
source areas of the Dhosa sandstone.

Keywords: Heavy minerals, Paleocurrent, Provenance, Principal component analysis, Dhosa Sandstone, Kachchh basin, Western India.

Introduction particular source lithology and can be correlated with an

The study of source-rock characteristics, lithological
variation and dispersal pattern in the Kachchh basin has been
investigated earlier using sedimentological methods. Study of
detrital mineralogy is ubiquitous and substantial in this regard.
However, framework grains in isolation cannot establish the
correct crustal setting due to modifications in the sediments
during transport, diagenesis, pre-depositional and post-
exposure weathering. Heavy minerals study unravels
information regarding pre-erosional weathering (Nechaev and
Isphording, 1993; Sevastjanova et al., 2012), transportation,
depositional environment and tectonic history of the
sedimentary province. These mineral assemblages are
generally well preserved in the sedimentary settings
associated with pronounced topographic relief due to rapid
transportation, consequent high rate of sedimentation and
burial. Thus, heavy minerals analysis can be used to decipher
provenance of sandstones (Basu, 1976; Pettijohn, 1984; Singh
et al., 2004; Tucker, 2009; Boggs, 2012; Patra et al., 2014;
Pandey et al., 2017). Heavy minerals are intimately related to
identifiable source terrain. Marked changes in the heavy
mineral suites are vital indicators of depositional break or
unconformities (Tieh, 1973) especially for the recognition of
para-conformities. The vertical and stratigraphic evolution of
heavy mineral assemblage of a basin reflects tectonic events
and erosional history of the source terrains (Raju and
Dehadrai, 1962; Singh et al., 2004).
Concentration of minerals by marine processes depends
on the energy condition of a particular environment (Stapor,
1973; Riech et al., 1982). Drummond and Stow (1979)
observed that smaller and denser heavy mineral grains (zircon,
leucoxene, rutile, ilmenite, etc.) are concentrated in low
energy environment, whereas large and less dense heavy
minerals (kyanite, tourmaline, staurolite and sillimanite) are
found in relatively high energy areas. Briggs et al. (1962)
studied the effects of grain shape on the settling velocities of
heavy mineral grains and illustrated that the variation in shape
has an effect on the drag coefficient (dynamic reaction
between fluid and particle) of similar magnitude to that caused
by variation in specific gravity.
2 p Asma A. Ghaznavi
Fig.1. a) Geological map of Kachchh Basin (after Fursich et al., 2001); b) Ler dome (study area).
This paper presents the results of detrital mineral study
and heavy minerals analysis of Dhosa Sandstone, Ler dome to
provide constraints on the provenance and tectonic setting.
The heavy mineral suites become increasingly complex in a
vertical sequence of sediments that are eroded from orogenic
belts. Their evolutions reflect the uplift and erosion of
successively more complex lithologies in the source area.
Geological Setting and Stratigraphy
Breakup of Gondwanaland in the Late Triassic-Early
Jurassic led to the northward drift of Indian Plate that caused
sequential rifting and repeated movements along Precambrian
tectonic trends, which lead to the formation of Kachchh basin.
In Late Triassic, Kachchh basin rifted along the trend of Delhi
fold belt in consonance with northward drift of India away
from Gondwanaland, resulting in the formation of Kachchh
rift basin as subsiding block between the Nagar Parkar Hills
and southwest extension of Aravalli Range (Norton and
Sclator, 1979; Biswas, 1987). The primeval fault pattern in the
basement rocks controls the configuration of this E-W
trending rift basin (Biswas, 1977). Presently, the basin is
bordered by Nagar Parkar Massif in the north, Radhanpur-
Barmer arch in the east and Kathiawar uplift in the south.
Inundation of Tethys Sea (Early-Middle Jurassic)
through the opening of Arabian Sea was the cause of marine
sedimentation in Kachchh basin. By Late Bajocian, the sea had
JGSR, Vol. 3, No.1, January 2018
flooded the basin in response to marine transgression, which
persisted from Bajocian until the Early Cretaceous (Singh et
al., 1982; Pandey et al., 2009). Terrestrial sedimentation took
place in Late Triassic and Early Jurassic (Fürsich et al., 2001).
The Jurassic outcrops are found in three areas viz. the
Kachchh Mainland, Wagad Uplift and Island Belt in the salt
marshes of Great Rann of Kachchh. The Kachchh Mainland
occupies largest part of the basin. It is most studied section and
comprise of quaquaversal units referred to as domes (Rajnath,
1932). From north of Bhuj, these extend from Jara dome in
west to Habo dome in east with intervening Jumara, Nara
(Kaiya), Keera and Jhurio domes (Fig. 1).
Waagen (1875), while describing the rich ammonite
faunas collected by Stoliczka, subdivided the Jurassic rocks
into Patcham, Chari, Katrol and Umia group in ascending
order. Biswas (1971, 1980) added the term Jhurio Formation
below the Patcham Formation. The Ler Dome is mainly
represented by Chari and Katrol formations (Fig.1). A small
outcrop of Jurassic rocks situated 10km southeast of Bhuj
(Talib and Faisal, 2006). The Gypsiferous Shale Member
(Table 1) is the oldest stratigraphic unit of the Chari Formation.
This unit coarsens into Dhosa Sandstone Member (Upper
Callovian-Lower Oxfordian) which consists of mainly
argillaceous coarse silt to fine-grained sandstones (Ramkumar
et al., 2013). The gradational boundary between Dhosa
Sandstone Member and Gypsiferous shale is diachronous.
Ripple-laminated sandstone units mostly occur at the base and
JGSR, Vol. 3, No.1, January, 2018 Heavy Mineral Study of Dhosa Sandstone p 3

towards the top of the Dhosa Sandstone Member. The Dhosa Table 1: Lithostratigraphy of Dhosa Sandstone Member of Chari
Sandstone Member further upgrades to Dhosa Oolite Member Formation (Jurassic and Lower Cretaceous) of Kachchh Mainland (after
Fürsich et al., 2001).
(Table 1). The high sea-level during Oxfordian resulted in the
deposition of this member which is a characteristic of marker Age Formation Member
horizon in most of the areas of the Kachchh Basin (Fürsich et Bhuj
Albian-Aptian Umia
al., 1992; Singh, 1989). Ukra
Neocomian Ghuneri
Methodology Tithonian Umia
Tithonian-
Katrol
Total 50 samples of Dhosa sandstones were collected Kimmeridgian
from Ler Dome area and 33 thin sections were made. Around Late-Early
300-350 points of the framework grains were counted per thin Chari Dhosa oolite
Oxfordian
section by Ghazzi-Dickinson method (e.g. Dickinson, 1970; Dhosa sandstone
Ingersoll et al., 1984). The grid spacing used in point counting Early Oxfordian
Gypsiferous Shale
exceeded the grain size so as to avoid individual grains being Ridge sandstone
counted more than once (e.g. Van Der Plas and Tobi, 1965). Callovian
Shelly shale/Keera golden oolite
For analysis of petrofacies, the counts of Qm (monocrystalline Sponge limestone
quartz), Qp (polycrystalline quartz), Qt (total quartzose Bathonian Patcham Purple Sst./Echinodermal packstone
grains), F (total Feldspar grains), P (plagioclase feldspar), K Jumara coralline limestone
(potassium feldspar), Lv (volcanic rock fragments), Ls Goradongar yellow flagstone
(sedimentary lithic grains), Lt (total lithic grains) and L (total Bathonian- Jhura golden oolite
Jhurio
unstable lithic fragments) was done as defined by Dickinson Bajocian Canyon L.st./Badi golden oolite
(1985) and recalculated to 100%. Badi white limestone
Twelve of these samples were crushed for the purpose of
heavy mineral separation and rinsed with water to clean off the
clay fraction. The crushed material was then sieved on mesh dominated by monocrystalline quartz with some
size ASTM-120. Bromoform (sp. gr.: 2.89) was used for the polycrystalline grains of both recrystallised as well as
separation of heavy minerals. The minerals that settled at the stretched varieties. Monocrystalline quartz ranges from a
bottom of the separating funnel were washed with acetone and maximum of 91.90% to a minimum of 76.62% with an average
stannous chloride and mounted on glass slide with Canada of 85.21% (Table 2). Few of them have inclusions in form of
balsam. The minerals were identified under microscope by mica and rutile. Recrystallised metamorphic quartz grains
their diagnostic optical character and their numbers were comprise an average of 0.88% to 7.82% and have impurities in
determined for each horizon by field count method following form of minute mica flakes and clay. These occur as sub-
the procedure outlined by Lindholm (1987). The value of ZTR rounded to well rounded polycrystalline grains which are
was calculated by following the method of Hubert (1962). made up of elongated and lensoid individuals of micro and
Principal component analysis of the multivariate data was fine-grained quartz. Stretched metamorphic quartz are
done by using SPSS software for statistical classification. completely absent in some of the sandstones. In few
sandstones occurrence of stretched metamorphic quartz is as
Results and Discussion high as 4.58% and average 1.07%.
The feldspar suit comprise of plagioclase, microcline
Detrital Mineralogy and orthoclase. Microcline is most abundant, ranging from
6.99% to 2.66% (av. 4.57%) (Table 2). Plagioclase abundance
In the studied sandstones, lighter minerals are ranges from 0.59% to 3.93% (av. 2.23%). Orthoclase is least

Table 2: Range and average of petrographic composition and detrital petrofacies (Dickinson, 1985) of the Dhosa Sandstone Member at Ler dome.
MQ PQ Feldspar Mica
Chert RF H Qt% F% L% Qm% F% Lt% Qp% Lv% Ls% Qm% P% K%
CQ RMQ SMQ M P O Mus B
Min. 76.62 0.88 0.00 2.66 0.59 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 86.03 3.75 0.00 79.4 3.75 0.99 60.27 0.00 0.00 89.51 0.63 2.95
Max. 91.90 7.82 4.58 6.99 3.93 1.26 4.97 0.43 2.27 2.59 2.18 96.25 9.83 6.39 92.93 10.02 11.8 100 0.00 39.73 95.93 4.38 7.52
Av. 85.21 3.03 1.07 4.57 2.23 0.19 1.38 0.03 0.78 0.80 0.71 90.5 6.88 2.62 86.06 7.07 6.87 74.45 0.00 25.55 92.41 2.42 5.17
SD 3.33 1.79 1.08 1.07 0.88 0.39 1.17 0.09 0.54 0.59 0.64 2.58 1.71 1.82 3.08 1.75 2.77 13.5 0.00 13.5 1.86 0.96 1.31
Note: MQ-Monocrystalline Quartz; CQ- Common Quartz; PQ- Pollycrystalline Quartz; RMQ-Recrystallized Metamorphic Quartz; SMQ- Stretched
Metamorphic Quartz; M-Microcline; P-Plagioclase; O-Orthoclase; Mus-Muscovite; B-Biotite; RF- Rock fragments; H-Heavies; SD- Standard Deviation.
4 p Asma A. Ghaznavi JGSR, Vol. 3, No.1, January 2018

Table 3: Percentage of heavy mineral content in Dhosa sandstones, Kachchh, western India.
Sample
Zircon Tourmaline Rutile Epidote Biotite Muscovite Chlorite Sillimanite Hornblende Staurolite ZTR Opaque Transparent
No.
D1 34.97 32.68 17.97 5.56 3.27 5.56 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 85.62 24.81 75.19
D2 31.82 22.08 13.96 18.51 0.00 7.47 3.25 2.92 0.00 0.00 67.86 21.97 78.03
D3 43.20 28.91 13.61 0.00 9.18 5.10 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 85.71 21.43 78.57
D4 39.63 20.37 30.37 0.00 0.00 9.63 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 90.37 33.33 66.67
D6 34.72 24.65 19.10 12.15 0.00 3.47 0.00 2.78 3.13 0.00 78.47 34.03 65.97
D8 21.05 41.78 10.20 2.30 2.63 2.30 11.18 2.63 5.92 0.00 73.03 20.16 79.84
D10 42.29 22.22 12.54 10.39 8.96 0.00 0.00 0.00 3.58 0.00 77.06 24.24 75.76
D11 34.72 15.28 5.90 15.28 6.60 3.47 9.72 3.47 2.78 2.78 55.90 26.32 73.68
D12 38.46 22.71 15.38 8.42 4.76 2.56 0.00 2.93 4.76 0.00 76.56 17.46 82.54
D13 25.00 33.33 16.67 8.33 0.00 0.00 0.00 8.33 8.33 0.00 75.00 30.82 69.18
D14 31.03 24.14 10.34 10.34 3.45 3.45 6.90 3.45 3.45 3.45 65.52 26.09 73.91
D15 42.86 25.00 13.64 11.36 7.14 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 81.49 27.08 72.92
Average 34.98 26.10 14.97 8.55 3.83 3.58 2.59 2.21 2.66 0.52 76.05 25.64 74.36

abundant and average to around 0.19%. Mica occurs mainly in
the form of muscovite and biotite. Muscovite ranges from 0 to
4.97% (av. 1.38%) and are more abundant than biotite.
Rock fragments ranges from 0 to 2.59% (av. 0.80%).
Both metamorphic as well as sedimentary rock fragments
occur in these sandstones such as schist, phyllite, siltstone and
chert.
overall non-opaque minerals easily recognizable due to their
lamellar twining and striation parallel to their long axis. The
other non-opaque heavy minerals (Table 3) include epidote,
biotite, muscovite, chlorite, sillimanite, hornblende, staurolite
(Fig. 3). The presence of higher proportion of stable minerals

Heavy Mineral Analysis

The heavy minerals in Dhosa sandstones occur in form

of non-opaque as well as opaque minerals. Transparent
minerals constitute an average of 74.36% of the overall heavy
minerals. Zircon, tourmaline, rutile, biotite, muscovite and
sillimanite thar are characteristic weathering products of
medium to high grade, metamorphic and granitic-gneissic
source form majority of the overall heavy minerals content.
Others include chlorite, epidote, hornblende and staurolite.
The opaque minerals mostly occur in the form of oxide and
hydroxides of iron such as magnetite, hematite and limonite.
These range from 34.03 to 17.46% with average value of
25.64% (Table 3).
Zircon is one of the most stable heavy minerals and is
ubiquitously present in all the studied sandstones owing to its
mechanical and chemical stability. It constitutes an average of
34.98% amongst heavy minerals. Colour zoning is typical and
frequent in the mineral ranging in shape from euhedral (Fig.
2a), sub-rounded to rounded (Fig.2b) and elongated in some
cases (Fig. 2c). Tourmaline occurs as varied shades (Fig. 2d),
pink (rubellite) (Fig. 2e), yellow (Fig. 2f) and blue (indicolite)
(Fig. 2g) varieties. It shows strong birefringence and high
order interference tints. Tourmaline forms an average of
26.10% of the total non-opaque minerals and occurs as short
slender prisms to rectangular, triangular and six-sided basal Fig.2. Photomicrographs of the heavy minerals showing a) zoned zircon;
sections (Fig. 2f). b) rounded zircon; c) elongated yellow zircon; d) brown tourmaline; e)
pink tourmaline; f) zoned yellow tourmaline; g) blue tourmaline
Rutile occurs as small grains in deep brownish red (indicolite); h) rutile; i) epidote; j) biotite; k) muscovite; l) chlorite; m)
colour (Fig. 2h) constituting around 14.97 % (Table 3) of the sillimanite; n) hornblende.
JGSR, Vol. 3, No.1, January, 2018 Heavy Mineral Study of Dhosa Sandstone p 5

Fig.3. Bar graph representing sample-wise percentage of all the heavy minerals present in the Dhosa Sandstone Member.

brings the ZTR index to an average of 76.05%. The vertical parameters show that the grain size of Dhosa Sandstone ranges
variation in heavy minerals shows that ultrastable minerals between 0.36Φ and 2.86Φ i.e. medium to coarse grained
were abundant throughout the section (Fig. 4). Epidote and (Table 4). These are moderately to very well sorted with an
biotite were not present on a uniform pattern in the lower part average of 0.52Φ. These dominantly coarse sediments are
of the section and hornblende, chlorite, sillimanite and strongly fine skewed between mesokurtic to platykurtic
staurolite were completely absent in the lower lithologies. (1.43Φ-0.64Φ; av. 0.50Φ).
However, they show an increase in the upper portion which During sedimentary processes, tourmaline grains
might be the result of high gradient due to which detritus was become spherical, egg shaped or long ellipsoidal due to
transported and deposited quickly, thereby providing various degree of rounding. Large variety of tourmaline
insufficient time for these minerals to break down. morphology is the derivative of a mixed provenance (Fig.2e-
g). Polycyclic tourmaline grains eroded from pre-existing
Granulometric Analysis siliciclastic deposits are well rounded due to their ultrastable
nature both mechanically and chemically (Krynine, 1946).
The grain size analysis and different statistical These are associated with equally well rounded zircons and

Zircon Toumaline Rutile Epidote Biotite Muscovite Hornblende Chlorite Sillimanite Staurolite
22.3
Dhosa Sandstone Member
Chari Formation

0
0 25 50 0 15 30 45 0 20 35 0 10 20 0 5 10 0 6 12 0 3 9 0 6 12 0 6 9 0 2 4

Fig.4. Comparative study of all the heavy minerals in the Dhosa sandstones. The stratigraphic section of Dhosa Sandstone Member shows vertical
variability in heavies and relative changes in the frequency of occurrence of the heavy minerals in each sample.
6 p Asma A. Ghaznavi JGSR, Vol. 3, No.1, January 2018

Table 4: Various computed statistical parameters. The role of climate on compositional maturity of detrital
Standard Graphic sandstones has been studied by many workers (Basu 1976,
Sample Mean Size Kurtosis 1985; Franzinelli and Potter, 1983; Mack, 1984; Suttner and
Deviation Skewness
No.
MzØ sIØ SKI KG Dutta, 1986). The residence time of sediments depend largely
on the relief conditions, low relief usually stretches the
D1 0.47 0.26 0.15 0.98 sediment residence time thereby destroying the labile contents
D2 0.46 0.33 0.32 1.18
and increasing quartz percentage. Presence of hot and humid
D3 1.85 0.99 0.96 0.98
D4 0.45 0.20 0.09 0.92
climate intensifies this process. On ln (Q/RF) vs. ln (Q/F)
D6 0.49 0.29 0.23 0.64 diagram the Dhosha Sandstone plots in the field no. 1 of Weltje
D8 0.55 0.27 0.19 0.94 et al. (1998), indicating that the sedimentation took place in
D10 0.36 0.21 0.25 0.77 moderate relief and temperate-sub-humid climate (Fig. 5).
D11 1.75 0.99 0.96 0.98
D12 1.77 0.90 0.85 0.88 Tectono-Provenance and Source
D13 2.86 0.72 0.87 1.43
D14 1.64 0.88 0.94 0.95 On the basis of the detrital mineralogy, petrofacies data
D15 0.40 0.24 0.24 0.79
(Table 2) were plotted on the standard ternary diagrams viz. Qt-
F-L, Qm-F-Lt, Qp-Lv-Ls and Qm-P-K as specified by
tourmaline indicating long distance of sediment transport. Dickinson (1985). In the Qt-F-L plot, points mainly lie in the
Euhedral and less rounding of many heavy mineral grains continental block provenance (Fig. 6A). However, some of the
suggest short distance of transportation and presence of the points also fall in a recycled orogenic provenance. The Qm-F-
source rock in the vicinity of the depositional basin. Euhedral Lt plot suggests a quartzose recycled orogen provenance (Fig.
zircons (Fig. 2a) may have been derived from crystalline 6B). The Qp-Lv-Ls triangular plot based on rock fragment
source rocks (Iijima, 1959; Okada, 1961). Dominance of population reveals the polymineralic component of source
coarse-grained heavies is suggestive of high energy region. The samples are completely devoid of volcanic lithic
environments. Rounded grains are product of meta- fragments, hence, the data points entirely lie on the Qp-Ls leg
sedimentary source. Hence, the overall zircon suit of Dhosa pointing to a rifted continental margin type of tectono-
sandstones may have been derived both from acidic plutonic provenance (Fig. 6C). The Qm-P-K plot takes into account Qm
and meta-sedimentary rocks. as monocrystalline quartz, P as plagioclase feldspar and K as
the sum of microcline and orthoclase, which suggests maturity
Source Rock Assessment of continental block provenance (Fig. 6D).
Petrographic study suggests a granite gneiss source rock
Different source rocks yield a distinct suite of light and with meta-sedimentary supracrustals. The Dhosa Sandstones
dense minerals. Usefulness of polycrystalline or composite were derived from a mixed tectono-provenance comprising
quartz has been emphasized by many authors (Blatt and deep continental interior block and minor contribution from
Christie, 1963; Basu, 1985; Ghaznavi et al., 2015; Quasim and
Ahmad, 2017). Quartz is derived mainly from granite
batholith or granite gneisses. Re-crystallised metamorphic
quartz indicates origin from re-crystallised meta-quartzites,
high grade metamorphosed and gneissic rocks. Stretched
metamorphic quartz is probably derived from foliated
metamorphic rocks. High ratio of polycrystalline quartz to
total quartz suggests a metamorphic source. Presence of alkali
feldspar indicate plutonic and metamorphic rocks as source
but abundant microcline feldspar indicates granitic gneiss and
pegmatitic source.
Heavy mineral associations also indicate source rocks.
The ZTR association indicates felsic to intermediate
provenance in stable cratonic setting (Uddin and Lundberg,
1998), recycled sedimentary source (Zulfa, 1985; Burnett and
Quirk, 2001) and/or a meta-sedimentary or granitic source
(Preston et al., 2002). Epidote mostly occurs in greenscist,
epidote-amphibolite facies and high-pressure metamorphic
rocks and also in igneous rocks (Deer et al., 1982; Ehrmann Fig.5. Log ratio plot after Weltje et al. (1998) (Q-Quartz, F-Feldspar, RF-
and Polozek, 1999;Asiedu et al., 2000). Rock fragments).
JGSR, Vol. 3, No.1, January, 2018 Heavy Mineral Study of Dhosa Sandstone p 7

Fig.6. Classification of Dhosa Sandstone (after Dickinson, 1985). Provenance field in A and B are I) Continental Block: I-A: Craton Interior, I-B:
Transitional Continent, I-C: Continent uplift; II) Recycled Orogen: II-A: Quartzose, II-B: Transitional, II-C: Lithic; III) Magmatic Arc: III-A: Dissected,
III-B: Transitional III-C: Undissected and IV: Mixed. In C, Rifted continental margin: I; Subduction complex: II; Collision suture and fold thrust belt: III,
Arc Orogen: IV. In D, Circum pacific volcano plutonic suites: I; arrow indicates maturity and stability from continental block provenance.

quartzose recycled orogen provenance. Nechaev and combination of dominantly acid and basic igneous and low and
Isphording (1993) proposed three groups of heavy minerals high rank metamorphic rocks (Fig. 8).
viz. MF, MT and GM. The MF suite is characterised by mafic
minerals including olivine, idinsite, pyroxene and green- Paleocurrent and Provenance
brown hornblende. The MT suite comprises of basic
metamorphic minerals such as pale coloured blue-green The paleocurrent data of the trough and planar cross
amphiboles, epidote and garnet. The GM suite constitutes beds shows bipolar paleocurrent i.e., NNW and NNE pattern
zircon, tourmaline, staurolite and less commonly sillimanite, (Figs. 9 and 10). Aravallis situated in the east and northeast of
andalusite, monazite and kynite forming an association which the basin and Nagar Parkar massif on north and northwest of
is derived from weathering of continental igneous and the basin (Dubey and Chatterjee, 1997) are the two possible
metamorphic rocks. The samples plot in the GM and MT sources of the sediments based on paleocurrent study. The
categories are assigned a passive continental margin (Fig.7). Nagar Pakar massif occurs as thin to very thick and extensive
Hence, heavy mineral suites in the samples are similar to sheet like masses of granites often intruded by acidic dykes of
passive margin mineral assemblages. On the basis of relatively rhyolite to quartz trachyte composition. These granites also
smooth subsidence curves during Jurassic a mature passive- contain xenoliths of basic rocks, both of plutonic and volcanic
margin sedimentation can be predicted (Sciunnach and origin (Kazmi and Khan, 1973; Kella, 1983). The studied
Garzanti, 2012). Presence of tourmaline-zircon-biotite- sandstones were the product of these granites (Muslim et al.,
muscovite mineral assemblage indicates granite -gneissic 1997) which shed them in aftermath of weathering and
source and staurolite-sillimanite-epidote assemblages indicate erosion.
a medium to high grade metamorphic source. Presence of Presence of epidote is also common along the joints and
green coloured tourmaline is indicative of granitic origin and veins in the Nagar Parkar Massif (Kazmi and Khan, 1973)
presence of pale yellow coloured tourmaline suggests low- which makes a descent percentage of heavy mineral content in
grade metamorphic source (Pettijohn, 1975). Zircon is
contributed from the granitic bodies that occur in association
with gneisses. Rounded grains of rutile and zircon are
indicative of reworked source. The heavy mineral suites found
in Dhosa Sandstone Member reflect their sources in the mixed
provenance, such as the eroded and weathered parts ofAravalli
Range and Nagar Parkar Massif.
The heavy minerals have been categorised into five
lithounits on the basis of their abundance. Blue tourmaline
(indicolite) indicates a pegmatitic source, whereas pink
tourmaline, zircon, apatite, and sphene suggest an acid
igneous source. Pyroxene, rutile and spinel represent basic
igneous parentage, whereas garnet, hornblende, sillimanite,
staurolite and epidote suggest high rank metamorphism. Low-
rank metamorphic rock is represented by brown tourmaline,
biotite and chlorite. The heavy mineral assemblage shows that Fig.7. GM-MT-MF plot for the heavy minerals of Dhosa sandstones
Dhosa Sandstone Member may be a derivative of a (after Nechaev and Isophording, 1993).
8 p Asma A. Ghaznavi JGSR, Vol. 3, No.1, January 2018

the samples (8.55%) (Table 3). However, heavy mineral

assemblage of Aravallis as zircon, monazite, apatite,
tourmaline, rutile, etc. (Dubey and Chatterjee, 1997) does not
match completely to the variety in the samples. Because
zircon, tourmaline and rutile are abundant, apatite and
monazite are completely absent.

Paleogeography

The Tethyan realm constitutes the Indo-East African

Fig.8. Average percentage of heavy minerals expressed in logarithmic
scale representing different source rock types based on presence of
different mineral varieties.
Province as a separate province in the Kachchh region
(Krishna, 1983). During Middle to Upper Jurassic, India and
the adjoining regions of Afghanistan, Iran, Jordan, Egypt,
Somalia, Ethiopia and Malagasy were occupying the shallow
water of the Indo-Malagasy or Indo-East African Gulf,
belongs to Indo-East African Province (Talib and Gaur, 2008)
(Fig. 11). The Kachchh basin shows a changing paleo-
shoreline from N-S to dominantly NW-SE due to basinal
evolution during Jurassic-Cretaceous (Balagopal and
Srivastava, 1975; Casshyap and Aslam, 1992; Biswas, 1991).
During Late Triassic rifting, a narrow graben opened in the
early rift phase. There was a global rise in the sea level which
transgressed and deposited sediments (Oxfordian). This rise in
sea level protected the low lying basement rock from
production of sediments and the N-S trending shoreline
reached close to Aravallis in the east. These retro-gradational
sediments during the period are characterised by rock
fragments and heavy minerals of metamorphic affinity along
with polycrystalline, undulatory quartz grains. These were
deposited under shelf sub-tidal to intertidal depositional
environments. Metamorphic heavy mineral assemblage
dominate the lower part and during Neocomian (?)
Tauronian/Coniacian. Southwest migration of shoreline took
place due to basin tectonic related forced regression. The
Aravallies as initial source became far away and batholithic
granitic bodies to the north (Nagar Parkar Massif) emerged as
the dominant source of progradational sediments. These
sediments were deposited in shoreface tidal delta/inlet, back
barrier, lagoon and foreshore depositional environments
(Dubey and Chatterjee, 1996; Ahmad and Bhat, 2006; Ahmad
et al., 2013) and composed of granitic rock fragments and
heavy minerals of igneous origin viz. zircon, tourmaline and
rutile along with pyroxenes and hornblende.

Principal Component Analysis

Principal component analysis, a multivariate statistical

Fig.9. Lithology and paleocurrent pattern of the measured river section at
Ler Dome.
technique, is very useful to study the inter-relationships
between several variables (Davis, 2002). It picks up
statistically significant variables that account for considerable
amount of variance of the multivariate data. It has been
recommended that only those principal components, which
are greater than unity are statistically significant and can be
used for geological interpretation (Read and Dean, 1968,
JGSR, Vol. 3, No.1, January, 2018 Heavy Mineral Study of Dhosa Sandstone p 9

However, chlorite shows an anomalous behavior as it is

Fig.10. Map showing paleocurrent flow in Ler dome.
inclined both to PCA-1 and PCA-4 with sub-equal loadings of
0.665 and 0.620.
Zircon, tourmaline and rutile do not fall in the same
group suggesting that stability is not the sole criterion for the
Dhosa sandstone heavy minerals. Presence of chlorite,
sillimanite and hornblende can be attributed to their possibility
of belonging to source rocks of igneous and metamorphic
groups possibly granite, gneiss and schist variety. In Dhosa
sandstones, presence of zircon, biotite and staurolite in one
group is conspicuous in terms of their stability and highly
diverse nature. Zircon belongs to ultrastable group, staurolite
belongs to metastable group, while biotite to an unstable
group. Staurolite is fairly resistant to weathering and burial
diagenesis and to a certain extent, recycling. Its occurrence
with zircon may be a result of recycling of mature pre-existing
sediments. PCA-3 point towards the possibility of low grade
metamorphic facies possibly derived from green schist facies
rocks fromAravalli Craton.

1972). Four principal components with eigen values greater Conclusions

than unity are calculated i.e., 3.531, 2.393, 1.695, 1.249 (Table
5). They account for 35.314, 23.933, 16.952 and 12.489
percent of variance, respectively, which account for a
cumulative percentage of 88.689. Thus, these four principal
components are statistically significant in the present study.
On the basis of principal component analysis, four
groups of rocks have been identified. The first group, PCA-1
has chlorite, sillimanite and hornblende, PCA-2 has zircon,
biotite and staurolite and PCA-3 has rutile, epidote and
muscovite. Tourmaline is the lone member of PCA-4.
The study shows that Dhosa Sandstones constitute
various heavy minerals viz., zircon, tourmaline, rutile, epidote,
biotite, muscovite, chlorite, hornblende, sillimanite and
staurolite in decreasing order of abundance. Haematite,
magnetite and limonite are the opaque constituents of the
heavy minerals assemblage. Zircon, tourmaline and rutile are
th
most abundant heavy minerals, making ~3/4 of all the non-
opaque heavy minerals. This suggests that favorable
hydrodynamic and geochemical conditions were present for

Table 5: Matrix of four components for the 10 heavy minerals of the

Dhosa sandstones, Chari Formation, Kachchh basin.
Heavy minerals Principal components
1 2 3 4
Eigen values 3.531 2.393 1.695 1.249
% of total variance 35.314 23.933 16.952 12.489
Cum. % of total variance 35.314 59.247 76.200 88.689
Zircon -0.831 0.512* -0.008 -0.123
Tourmaline 0.335 -0.439 -0.561 0.411*
Rutile -0.581 -0.733 0.188* -0.010
Epidote 0.256 0.465 0.534* -0.437
Biotite -0.266 0.773* -0.540 0.110
Muscovite -0.443 -0.326 0.642* 0.475
Chlorite 0.665* 0.276 0.176 0.620
Sillimanite 0.843* -0.201 0.221 -0.327
Hornblende 0.861* -0.184 -0.282 -0.231
Staurolite 0.406 0.576* 0.438 0.286
*Highest positive value of principal component loading
PCA – 1: Chlorite + Sillimanite + Hornblende
PCA – 2: Zircon + Biotite + Staurolite
Fig.11. Paleogeography of western India including Kachchh during PCA – 3: Rutile + Epidote + Muscovite
Middle to Upper Jurassic showing Indo-East African Province (after PCA – 4: Tourmaline
Talib and Gaur, 2008; continental assembly after Enay and Cariou, 1997).
10 p Asma A. Ghaznavi
attainment of mineralogical maturity of the heavy minerals.
The sandstone petrofacies suggest the granite-gneiss with
some meta-sedimentary supracrustals source rocks exposed in
topographic edifices of moderate relief under temperate to
sub-humid climate. The detritus was derived from a mixed
tectono-provenance comprising deep continental interior
block and minor contribution from quartzose recycled orogen
provenance. The bipolar paleocurrent pattern indicate NNE
and NNW direction on corroborating with the heavy mineral
assemblage shows a mix source comprising both medium to
high grade metamorphic as well as granitic rocks. This
suggests Aravalli situated in the east and northeast and Nagar
Parkar massif on north and northwest of the basin as the two
most probable provenances for the Dhosa Sandstone Member.
The principal component analysis of heavy mineral
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