Fissure-Driven Volcanic Processes in the Deccan Province arising from Shallow Subcrustal Magma Chambers: conclusions derived from the magnetic fabric examination of the Pachmarhi Dyke Swarm

Abstract:

The Deccan Continental flood basalts (DCFB) are associated with three major dyke swarms: the Narmada-Satpura-Tapi (N-S-T), the Western Coastal and the Nasik-Pune dyke swarm. The DCFB around Pachmarhi is characterized by a lower Magnesium number (Mg#) and higher TiO₂ content, suggesting more evolved Deccan basalts compared to others. Approximately 244 mappable doleritic and basaltic dykes around Pachmarhi, located in the eastern part of the N-S-T dykes within the DCFB, have lengths ranging from 140 m to 22 km, with a mean of ~5.15 km. The Pachmarhi dyke swarms exhibit emplacement within preexisting fractures, with a discernible preferred orientation aligning at ~N82°E, roughly following an ~E-W trending trajectory. This alignment corresponds to the general trend of the Narmada-Son lineament (NSL) and is perpendicular to the direction of the minimum horizontal stress (σ₃). This σ₃ direction aligns with the ~N-S trending paleoextension during the period of dyke emplacement. Selected dykes in Pachmarhi have been studied using the Anisotropy of Magnetic Susceptibility (AMS) technique. The primary aim is to determine the direction and sense of magma flow within the dykes, providing insights into the depth, number, and spatial distribution of magma chambers and their potential association with the mantle plume. The Rock magnetic studies on the Pachmarhi dykes have unveiled the presence of high-titanium magnetite particles, predominantly of Pseudo-Single Domain (PSD) nature, with a lesser proportion of Multi-Domain (MD) grains.

To ascertain the direction and sense of magma flow in dyke margins with oblate fabric, the imbrication of the magnetic foliation plane (dip and strike of the K₁-K₂ plane) has been employed. For dyke margins exhibiting prolate fabric, the imbrication of the magnetic lineation (plunge of the K₁ axis) has been utilized. However, in cases where one dyke margin features an oblate ellipsoid and the other a prolate ellipsoid, the imbrication of the magnetic foliation is used for the former, while the imbrication of the magnetic lineation is used for the latter. This thorough analysis has revealed multiple trends of magma flow ranging from vertical/sub-vertical to inclined suggesting that most of the dykes were close to the magma sources, with just a single dyke exhibiting a sub-horizontal flow pattern, based on the angle measurements from the horizontal.

The intersection of imbrication within the margins of each dyke provides valuable information about the flow geometry of the area, suggesting the presence of multiple shallow subcrustal magma chambers. This finding aligns with earlier confirmations through structural attributes (length and thickness of dykes) by quantifying the magmatic overpressure and the source depth of the magma chamber of the Pachmarhi dykes and Nandurbar-Dhule dykes. The multiple trends of flow indicate a polycentric flow pattern for the Pachmarhi dykes, similar to the Nandurbar-Dhule dyke swarms in the western region of the N-S-T dykes. Consequently, it can be inferred that the emplacement of dykes in the NSL region was primarily facilitated by a "polycentric flow" mechanism through sub-crustal magma chambers, whereby magma was injected through crustal fissures, resulting in a significant volume of magma being generated in the DCFB.