Petrographic Study, Mode of Occurrence and Tectonic Setting of the Palung Granite, Lesser Himalaya, Central Nepal

Arjun Bhattarai, Lalu Prasad Paudel and Harel Thomas
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Arjun Bhattarai: Central Department of Geology, Tribhuvan University, Kirtipur, Kathmandu, Nepal Author-Name: Kabi Raj Paudyal
Lalu Prasad Paudel: Central Department of Geology, Tribhuvan University, Kirtipur, Kathmandu, Nepal
Harel Thomas: Doctor Harisingh Gour Vishwavidyalaya, Sagar (M.P.), India

Journal of Development Innovations, 2025, vol. 9, issue 2, 22-39

Abstract: The Palung granite located in Central Nepal exhibits significant mineralogical, textural, and structural variations. Detailed field mapping, petrographic analysis, and modal mineralogy and their composition helped to identify five distinct zones in this pluton, reflecting progressive magmatic differentiation and tectonic overprinting. The more deformed southern part compared to the northern part shows gneissic texture. Geochemical data plotted on the tectonic discrimination diagrams show a consistent and coherent pattern. The K2O-SiO2 plot shows the potassium enrichment typical of evolved felsic magmas, suggesting significant crustal involvement during magma generation. The sample cluster trends in the Al2O3-SiO2 diagram show felsic to intermediate crustal sources rather than the purely mantle-derived magmas. The fractionated felsic granites are observed in the FeOáµ—/(FeOáµ— + MgO) versus SiOâ‚‚ diagram. Likewise, F/FM versus M/AFM and F/CF versus C/ACF helped to identify that the Palung granite mainly originated in the continental collision (CCG). The granite samples plotted in the A/CNK versus A/NK diagram show that most of the samples are weakly to moderately peraluminous, with A/CNK values commonly exceeding 1.0, belonging to metasedimentary or felsic crustal source materials. Petrological and chemical evidence, and field study suggest that the Palung granite crystallized at moderate to shallow crustal levels, likely within the upper to mid-crustal depth.

Keywords: Palung granite; Granite-gneiss; Zonation map; Lesser Himalayan granite (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q54 Q59 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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