Cluster Analysis of Mineral-chemical Data of Basaltic Rocks from Linga, Eastern Deccan Volcanic Province (EDVP) and its Petrogenetic Implications

Abstract

Cluster analysis studies based on electron microprobe data of phenocryst mineral phases (namely olivine, clinopyroxene and plagioclase) of basaltic rocks around Linga (21° 58' N: 78° 56' E), eastern Deccan volcanic province have been carried out for the first time. Based on highly significant correlation coefficients obtained for relevant major oxides of phenocrystal mineral phases, it is suggested that mineralogical parameters such as Fo% in olivine, Ca/Mg# in clinopyroxene and An% of plagioclase play important role to decipher the evolution of the phase chemistry. Those highly significant major oxides were subjected to multivariate statistical analysis, involving hierarchical segmentation, cluster analysis and construction of dendrograms. For each of the minerals, the clusters decrease systematically. The ultimate cluster patterns may either correspond to liquid immiscibility-related intraflow chemical variation or to multiple staged magmatic emplacements.