This article reports a precise 3506.8 ± 2.3-Ma U-Pb SHRIMP zircon age for dacitic lava in a well-preserved low-grade metamorphic and low-strained greenstone belt succession of the southern Iron Ore Group, Singhbhum craton, India. This age makes the succession the oldest-known greenstone belt succession in India and one of the oldest low-strain greenstone successions in the world after the 3.51-Ga Coonterunah Group of the Pilbara craton, Western Australia, and the moderately deformed 3.54-Ga Theespruit Formation of the Barberton Greenstone Belt, Kaapvaal craton, South Africa. The geochemical composition of the dacitic lava and related volcanic rocks suggests that they formed in a volcanic arc setting. The succession also contains a major ∼120-m-thick oxide facies banded iron formation that distinguishes it from the slightly older successions of the Pilbara and Kaapvaal cratons. This banded iron formation may well be one of the oldest and most well preserved, and together with associated volcanics,...

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Dating the Oldest Greenstone in India: A 3.51-Ga Precise U-Pb SHRIMP Zircon Age for Dacitic Lava of the Southern Iron Ore Group, Singhbhum Craton

The Archaean nucleus of Singhbhum: the present state of knowledge

The genesis of Archaean chromitites from the Nuasahi and Sukinda massifs in the Singhbhum Craton, India

http://www.mantleplumes.org/WebDocuments/mazumder2005.pdf

Proterozoic sedimentation and volcanism in the Singhbhum crustal province, India and their implications

Geochemical and ion-microprobe U-Pb zircon constraints on the Archaean evolution of Singhbhum Craton, eastern India

Geological aspects of the banded iron-formation of Bihar and Orissa

Major and trace element analyses of representative samples of various types of banded iron-formation and its various minerals, associated sediments, iron ores and volcanic tuff from different localities of Orissa, India, are presented in this paper. The Orissa banded iron-formation is classified as Precambrian banded iron formation and is similar to the oxide facies iron formation of Lake Superior type. The Orissa iron formation consists only of iron oxide and silica with total absence of iron silicate, sulfide and carbonate minerals, and is devoid of terrigenous material. The trace element content suggests the source of the underlying quartzite to be a continental igneous rock mass, while the interbedded tuff are of undoubted volcanic origin. The overlying iron formation were chemically precipitated as oxidate sediments in which the principal iron mineral — magnetite — was formed at low temperature in a shallow marine environment. From the overwhelming similarity of major and trace element contents of all the samples from the different localities, it is postulated that these detached outcrops originated in the same continous basin.

Geochemistry of banded iron formation of Orissa, India

The chromiferous ultramafic rocks of Sukinda Valley (21°0'–21°5'N:85°43'–86°0'E) of Orissa are intrusive into the Iron-Ore Supergroup (2,950–3,200 Ma) at the eastern periphery of the Indian Precambrian shield. Both laterally and vertically, chromite occurs as persistent layers, lenses or pockets in the serpentinized and silicified dunite-peridotite extending over a strike length of 25 km. The ultramafic rocks and the chromitite layers are cofolded with the Iron-Ore Supergroup into a plunging syncline. Primary layering, ball and pillow structures, cross laminations, graded bedding etc. can also be detected. The different varieties of chromite ore present in the area are massive, banded and spotted, laminated and friable. The grain size of chromite varies between 0.25 and 4 mm, and the fineness of the grain increases from the bottom to the top layers. The cell dimension of chromite (8.23–8.32 A) decreases with the increase of Al2O3.

Geological features and origin of the chromite deposits of sukinda valley, Orissa, India

Petrography and petrology of the Precambrian banded iron-formation of Orissa, India and reformation of the bands

The Sukinda Valley of Orissa is underlain by the banded iron formation (BlF) and chromite-bearing ultramafic rocks of Precambrian age. Besides these, local exposure of a quartz-arenite bed with basal conglomerate is correlated with the Kolhans. A basal quartzite horizon is conformably overlain by the BIF. lhe quartz-arenite (Kolhans?) with a conglomerate at the base lies with a local disconformity over the BIF. Chromitebearing ultramafites are pre-kinematic intrusives into the iron formation and have been co-folded with the older sediments. Orthopyroxenite and granitic rocks are intrusive into the chromiferous ultramafites. Occasional intrusive dolerite dykes in the valley may be correlated with the Newer Dolerites of Singhbhum. The regional structure of the Precambrian rocks of the Sukinda Valley, as established by the present authors, is a cross-folded doubly plunging syncline with the culminated fold axis striking ENE-WSW which is parallel to the main fold axis of the Eastern Ghats Orogenic belt. The plunge of the main fold axis is towards NE and wsw. The cross-folded axis, lying between Tungaisuni and Champajhar villages, trends NNW-SSE and is subparallel to the cross-folded axes of the Eastern Ghat Orogenic belt.

K. L. Chakraborty

Papers

Geological aspects of the banded iron-formation of Bihar and Orissa

Geochemistry of banded iron formation of Orissa, India

Geological features and origin of the chromite deposits of sukinda valley, Orissa, India

Petrography and petrology of the Precambrian banded iron-formation of Orissa, India and reformation of the bands

Stratigraphy and Structure of the Precambrian Banded Iron Formation and Chromite-Bearing Ultramafic Rocks of Sukinda Valley, Orissa