A review of Hadean to Neoarchean crust generation in the Singhbhum Craton, India and possible connection with Pilbara Craton, Australia: The geochronological perspective

The Precambrian Singhbhum Craton (SC) of the Eastern India holds a prolonged record of sporadic crust generation and evolution starting from as ancient as the Hadean till late-Archean. Like every craton, episodic nature of crust generation in the SC has been indicated by several workers based on numerous stratigraphic and geochronological evidence long before. However, it is only in the past decade that a growing zircon U-Pb-Hf database has resolved its evolution in detail, such as the timing of juvenile crust versus reworking events. Integration of over a thousand geochronological data (n = 1558) from Hadean (>4 Ga) till the end of Archean (2.5 Ga) exhibits multiple prominent crustal growth peaks during c. 3320 Ma, 3300 Ma, and 2780 Ma combined with moderate peaks at c. 3460 Ma, 3380 Ma, and 2820 Ma. Integral crust modelling of Hf isotope(zircon) indicates major juvenile crust addition during the periods c.3760-3640 Ma, 3620-3440 Ma while prominent age frequency peak at c.2780 Ma defined by U-Th-baddeyelite ages of regional mafic-ultramafic dyke swarm provides a direct proxy of large scale juvenile crust generation. The interplay between the growth of new crust and reworking of older crust combined with multiphase deformation and metamorphic events till the end of Archean constructed the critical juxtaposition of diverse crustal components of this important craton. Constraining crust generation and deformation events from an updated geochronological database of this craton, reveal remarkable similarity in crustal growth pattern with the Archean Pilbara Craton, Australia. Moreover, paleomagnetic studies of the Neoarchean mafic dyke swarms of both the cratons indicate similar paleo-positions. Therefore, compiled field-geochronological-paleomagnetic parameters invoke the possibility that the Archean Singhbhum and Pilbara Cratons might have been connected and shared similar crustal history at least till the Neoarchean era.