Integrated Petrographic, Mineralogical, and Geochemical Study of the Upper Kaimur Group of Rocks, Son Valley, India: Implications for Provenance, Source Area Weathering and Tectonic Setting

ABSTRACT The upper Kaimur Group (UKG) of the Vindhyan Supergroup in central India, primarily consists of three rock types-Dhandraul sandstone, Scarp sandstone and Bijaigarh shale. The present study aims to reconstruct the parent rock assemblages, their tectonic provenance, mineralogy, weathering intensity, hydraulic sorting and depositional tectonic setting. Samples from the UKG rocks representing the Dhandraul sandstone, Scarp sandstone and Bijaigarh shale were studied using a combination of petrographic, mineralogical, and geochemical techniques. Texturally, medium to coarse grained UKG sandstones are mature and moderate to well sorted. Deficiency of feldspars in these sandstones indicates that the rocks are extensively recycled from distant sources. Their average modal composition for Scarp (avg. Qt99F0.2L0.8) and Dhandraul (avg. Qt99 F0.1L0.8) sandstones, classifies them as quartz arenite to sub-litharenite types, which is consistent with geochemical study. Major element concentrations revealed that sandstones have high SiO2, K2O > Na2O, and low Fe2O3, which are supported by the modal data. On the other hand, sandstone samples are enriched in most trace elements such as Ce, Sr, V, Sc and Zr and depleted in U and Th. The CIA values (43.17-76.48) of the UKG rocks indicate low to moderate weathering, either of the original source or during transport before deposition, which may have related to low-relief and humid climatic conditions in the source area. Further, petrographic and geochemical interpretations indicate that they are derived from craton interior to quartzose recycled sedimentary rocks and deposited in a passive continental margin. Therefore, granitic and low grade metamorphic rocks of Mahakoshal Group and Chotanagpur granite-gneiss, situated on the southern and south-eastern side of the Vindhyan basin are suggested as possible provenance for the UKG rocks.