Journalof Southeast Asian Earth Sciences,Vol 4, No 4, pp.

293-335, 1990 0743-9547/90 $3 O0+ 0 00

Pnnted m Great Britain Pergamon Press pie

Geological, petrological and geochemical characteristics of granitoid

rocks in Burma: with special reference to the associated W-Sn
mineralization and their tectonic setting
KHIN ZAW*

Applied Geology Department, Postgraduate Training in Mineral Exploration, Rangoon Umverslty,

Thamaing College P O , Thamaing, Rangoon, Burma (Myanmar)

(Received 16 January 1989; acceptedfor pubhcation 11 January 1990)

Abstract--The gramtold rocks m Burma extend over a distance of 1450 km from Putao, Kachm State in the
north, through Mogok, Kyaukse, Yamethm and Pylnmana in the Mandalay Diwslon, to Tavoy and Mergui
areas, Tenasserim Dwision, m the south. The Burmese granitolds can be subdivided into three N-S trending,
major belts viz. western gramtold belt, central graniotold belt and eastern gramtoid belt The Upper
Cretaceous-Lower Eocene western belt gramtoids are characterized by high-level intrusmns associated with
porphyry Cu(Au) related, younger volcamcs; these plutonic and volcanic rocks are thought to have been
emplaced as a magmaUc-volcamc arc (tuner magmatlc-volcamc arc) above an east-dipping, but westwardly
m~gratmg, subductmn zone related to the prolonged plate convergence which occurred during Upper Mesozoic
and Cenozoic.
The central gramtoid belt ~s characterized by mesozonal, mostly Upper Cretaceous to Lower Eocene plutons
associated w~th abundant pegmat~tes and aphtes, numerous vein-type W-Sn deposits and rare co-magmatic
volcamcs. The country rocks are structurally deformed, metamorphic rocks of greenschist to upper amphibohte
facies ranging m age as early as Upper Precambnan to Upper Paleozoic and locally of fosslliferous, metaclast~c
rocks (Mid Jurassic to Lower Cretaceous). Available K/At radiometnc data Indicate significant and possibly
widespread thermal disturbances m the central granitold belt during the Tertmry (mostly Miocene). In this study,
the distribution, lithologlcal, textural and structural characteristics of the central belt granltoids are reviewed,
and their mineralogical, petrological, and geochemical features are presented A bnef description of W-Sn ore
veins assocmted with these granito~d plutons is also reported.
Present geological, petrological and geochemical ewdences demonstrate that the W-Sn related, central belt
granitoids are mostly granodionte and gramte which are commonly transformed into granito~d gnelsses. These
central belt granitolds were formed from a calc-alkaline magma derived from a source of contanental, smlic
materials Highly potassic characters and high intml SrS7/Srs6 ratms (0 717 __+0.002) and Rb/Sr ratios (0.40-33.10)
with an average value of 6.70, further corroborate their denvaUon from a well estabhshed continental, smhc
basement. Although future chemical and isotopic investigations would be desirable, none of the present evidence
argues the interpretatmn that the granitoid magma was generated by the re-melting of the regionally
metamorphosed country rocks
The close assocmtmn of W-Sn bearing quartz veins and the gramtoid rocks also suggests that the metals were
denved from the same crustal sources as their host granitolds. The central belt gramtoids are considered to have
been emplaced during the continent-arc collision of referred Upper Triassic-Jurassic magmatic-volcanic arc with
the continental foreland to the east at the early stage of westward migratmn of the east-dipping subductmn zone
to the west. The W-Sn related, central belt gramtolds of Upper Mesozoic-Lower Eocene are notably different
from those of mainly Triassic gramtoids from northern Thailand and Permo-Tnassic granites of the Malay
Peninsula, and thus the central belt granitolds were emplaced m a umquely distract geologic and tetomc setting
m the SE Asmn region
Major element data for the central belt gramtoids, which are assocmted with W-Sn mineralizatmn he within
the field of Sn-mmeralizmg granites from New England in Na-K-Ca plot (Jumper and Kleeman, J Geochem
Explor. 11, 321-333, 1979), but largely outside the field on SiO2-CaO + MgO + FeO-Na20 + K20 + A1203 plot.
Trace element abundances of the central belt granitoid rocks suggest that the Sn content of the gramtoids alone
should be used with great caution to discriminate the W-Sn bearing (mineralized) granltold plutons from the
W-Sn poor (barren) plutons m search for the W-Sn depoms m Burma, but trace element data show the tendency
for granitoid plutons which bear W-Sn minerahzaaon to be comparatwely more ennched m Be, Bi, Cu, Mo,
Pb, Sn, Y, and Zn, but less depleted in Ba and Zr than those plutons in which no W-Sn occurrences are recorded.
The eastern belt granitoids are still largely unknown but characterized by medium to coarsely porphyriUc
textures and country rocks of regionally metamorphosed, turbidit~c sediments of Chaung Magy~ Group (Upper
Precambrian). This eastern granitoid belt lies ~mmediately to the north of mostly Triassic granitolds m northern
Thailand, and the Sn-W bearing, mesozonal, Permo-Tnass~c, Mam Range gramto~ds m the western part of the
Malay Peninsula. The latter granitolds were considered to have been emplaced dunng continental colhsmn, but
geologic and tectonic reformation for the eastern belt gramtoids in Burma are still incomplete to confirm this
contenUon Alternatwely, present available geologic evidences cannot rule out the possthdity that the eastern belt
granito~ds were emplaced in a continental margin above an eastward subductmg ocean floor dunng the Lower
Paleozoic.
According to the criteria given by Chappell and White (Pac~c Geol. 8, 173-174, 1974), the porphyry
Cu(Au)-related, western granitoid belt plutons have I-type characteristics, whereas the W-Sn related, central
granitoid belt contains both the hornblende-bearing I-type granito~ds as older intruswe phases and the W-Sn
beanng, S-type granitoids as younger plutonic phases. The eastern belt granlto~ds cannot be classified as being
of either I- or S-type, as petrochemical data are still lacking.

*Present Address: Centre for Ore Deposit and Exploration Studies, Umversity of Tasmama, G.P.O. Box 252C, Hobart, Tasmania, Austraha.

293
294 KHIY ZAW'
INTRODUCTION
THIS paper presents geological, petrological and geo-
chemical characteristics of gramtold rocks in Burma
with special reference to their tectomc implication and
the emplacement of the related W-Sn mmerahzation.
Gramtoid rocks occur m approxlmately N-S trending,
linear belts over a distance of 1450km from Kachin
State m the north to the Tenassenm Dwlslon m the
south. These belts extend southwards through the
Malay and Thai Peninsula to Billiton Island of
Indonesia, and northwards into Yunnan Province m
China
Hutchlson (1977) demonstrated a tectonic subdivision
of Malaysian granitoids and their detailed mineralogical
and petrological characters, together with trace element
abundances, and Clarke and Beddoe-Stephens (1987)
recently gave an account of geochemistry, mineralogy
and plate tectonic setting of granitold rocks from
Sumatra, Indonesia. A similar petrological and miner-
aloglcal investigation of the gramtold plutons in
Thailand was also done (e.g. Pongsaplch and Mahawat
1977, Suensilpong et al. 1977, 1983, Ishihara et al. 1980,
Putthapiban 1984, Lehmann and Mahawat 1989), and
Beckinsale et al. (1979) made a geochronological and
geochemical study of granitold rocks in Thailand in
relation to a plate tectonic model. Petrology and geo-
chemistry of the related Sn-Ta--Nb pegmatite deposits in
Thailand were also recently reported by Suwimonprecha
et al. (1987) and Suwimonprecha (1989).
Recently Schwartz and Askury (1989) also did a
detailed geochemical study of Malaysmn tin granites.
Cobbing et al. (1986) presented the tectomc emplace-
ment of the granitoid rocks of the Southeastern Asian tin
belt with special reference to Malaysmn gramtoids, and
Mitchell (1977) considered the tectonic settings in which
Southeast Asian granitoids (including gramtoids of
Shan-Tenasserim region in Burma) were emplaced, but
no mineralogical, petrological, and geochemical ac-
counts of gramtold rocks in Burma region were pre-
viously reported and well documented. Thus, an attempt
was made in this paper to fill this gap to understand this
~mportant mineralized granitold province xn the South-
east Asian region.
Gramtoid rocks in Burma can be subdivided into
three mare belts as shown in Fig. 1
1 Western granitoid belt
Granltold intrusions at Salingyi and Wuntho areas
belong to this belt. Existence of younger volcamcs (e.g.
Mt Popa) along this belt suggests a high-level (epizonal)
emplacement of these granitoids. The volcanic rocks
include andesites, dacites, trachytes and rhyolites with
minor basalts. The volcanic activities at Shinmataung in
the Pokokku area also lie along this gramtold belt
Porphyry Cu(Au) mineralization (e.g. Monywa) is no-
tably associated with younger volcanic rocks in these
western belt granitolds. At Salingyi, the granltold rocks
occur as marginal differentiates of predominantly
dlorltlC plutons with minor gabbros. Recent K/Ar dating
of the igneous rocks of Salingyi area by The UNDP
Geological Survey and Exploration Programme has
yielded 103 + 4 M a for granites, and 106 z 7 Ma and
91 + l l.8Ma for diorites and gabbros respectively
(Ahad 1980)
The Salingyi gramte is grey or pink, and locally
leucocratic. The rocks are medium-grained, though finer
and coarser varieties with porphyriuc texture are noted
in some places. It is essentially composed of quartz,
orthoclase, plagioclase, biotite and very minor horn-
blende. Quartz and feldspars frequently exhibit graphic
mtergrowths. The granitoid intrusions in the Wuntho
and Pinlebu areas which lie in the northern part of this
western granitoid belt of Burma were thought to be
contemporaneous with granites in the Satingyi area. The
volcamc and intrusive rocks in the western belt are
considered to have been emplaced as a magmatlc-
volcanic arc above an east-dipping subductlon zone
during the Upper Mesozoic-Cenozoic
2. Central granitoid belt
This belt approximately corresponds to the most
westerly granitic belt of Mitchell's (1977) Southeast
Asian tin-bearing granitic belts, the back-arc tm
granitoid belt (Mitchell 1981), and the Mogok belt
of Searle and Ba Than Haq (1964). Igneous rocks
along the Shan Boundary Fault System and Tenasserim
gramtolds in the Sino-Burman Ranges recently de-
scribed by Bender (1983) also lie along this central
granlto~d belt.
The central gramto~d belt of Burma extends from
Putao and the jade mining areas m Myitkyina in the
north, through Mogok, Mandalay, Kyaukse, Yamethin,
Pylnmana, Taungoo, Loikaw (Kayah State), Tavoy and
Mergm areas to Kawthaung (Victoria Point) in the south
forming a narrow linear belt 1450 km in length and
50 km In width. W-Sn mineralization is closely related
and spatially associated with granitoid rocks in this belt.
Notable tungsten-tin deposits are the Hermyingyi and
Mawchi Mines.
The W-Sn related, central gramtold belt is separated
from the porphyry Cu(Au) related, western granitoid
belt by the Hninzee-Sagaing Fault System (Dey 1968,
Win Swe 1972, 1981b) or Sagaing-Namyin Transform
Fault (Mitchell 1981) or Shan Boundary Fault
System (Bender 1983) which has a Upper Cenozoic
northward dextral movement of about 450km
(Curray et al. 1979). The age of the major episode of
gramto~d emplacement in the central gramtoid belt ~s
Interpreted to be Upper Cretaceous and Lower Eocene
(see below). Recent geochronologic investigations also
suggested that the granitoids in the W-Sn related,
central granitoid belt have suffered significant thermal
disturbances during the Tertiary (Brook and Shelling
1976)
The gramtold rocks in the central belt were possibly
emplaced during continent-arc collision at the early stage
of westward migrating, east-dipping subduction zone
 Geological, petrological and geochemical characteristics of granitoid rocks, Burma 295

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Fig. 1. Map showing three gramtotd belts of Burma viz. western, central and eastern granitoid belts. Granitmd plutons
along the central granitoid belt indicate from north to south: (1) Putao-Myitkyina; (2) Kabaing (Mogok); (3)
Taunggyun-Bodawgyi; (4) Kyaukse-Belin; (5) Pyetkaywe; (6) Yinmabin-Payangazu; (7) Pyawbwe-Yamethin; (8)
Pyinmana (Yezin)-Takon; (9) Toungoo-Mawchi; El0) Thaton-Amherst; (l l) Tavoy; (12) MerguL

during the Upper Mesozoic and Lower Eocene. The to have been emplaced during the Upper Mesozoic and
W-Sn related, central belt granitoids and porphyry Lower Cenozoic interval but might not have been strictly
Cu(Au) related, western belt granitoids were considered contemporaneous
296 KHI~; ZA~

3 Eas'tcrn ~ranltotd heir coarser texture. The intrusion of the Tawngpeng gram-
,,old also gave rise to a limited metamorphic aureole in
Granltoid intrusions m the neighbourhood o)" the Chaung Magyl country rocks which have been
Namhsan, the main town of Tawngpeng, m the Mong converted into quartmtes, and sometimes Into
Tung and south Hsenwi area, and in the vicinity of feldspathlc, and mlcaceous slates and phylhtes
Kengtung and Tachileik, he along the eastern granltoid Pascoe (1959) also reported that in places, the Tawng-
belt m Burma. A series of gramtold plutons east ot peng granitold is associated with muscovite gramte and
Bhamo and Myltkylna, Kachm State probably belongs quartz-feldspar porphyry and the Tawngpeng granitoid
to this easternmost granitoid belt and this belt possibly of these parts is intruded by dolerites. The granitoids
extends northward Into the Yunnan Prownce of China exposed along Kengtung-Tachileik road are medium- to
No clear-cut boundary can yet be drawn between the coarse-grained with biotite and locally abundant horn-
eastern and central granltold belts, and geologic and blende. They are geographically correlative with Triassic
tectonic relationships of granitold rocks in the eastern gramtolds m nothern Thailand (Teggin 1975, Besang et
belt are still poorly known a/ 1975) and Permo-Triassic, Main (Western) Range
The Tawngpeng gramtold (La Touche 1913) m the granltolds in Malaysia (Hutchlson 1977). In northern
northern Shan State occurs as a very large intrusion Thlaland, Khuntan granitoid of Lower Jurassic age at
m NE Burma It hes along the eastern granitold Lampang, SE of Chlang Mal (Suensilpong et al. 1977)
belt covering the ranges W of Bawdwin Mine, a vol- and Tak granitoid of Upper Triassic age (Pongsapich
canic-hosted, Ag-rlch, polymetallic (Pb-Zn-Cu--Ag-Bal and Mahawat 1977) hes lmmedmtely south of the Keng-
masswe sulfide deposit (Khin Zaw 1990). The Tawng- tung-Tachileik granito~d in the eastern granitoid belt m
peng granltold is also exposed in the high country Burma. Suensilpong et al. (1977) reported that Sn de-
around Lol Mong and can be traced to the vlcmity of posits are found in lodes, in pegmatite veins or dissem-
Lol Lem ridge and as far north as the Burmese-Chinese inated in the Khuntan granltoid. Further southwards,
border and it extends northwards into Yunnan. The extensive Sn-W mineralization is associated with
Tawngpeng granitold m the eastern gramto~d belt Permo Triassic granitold rocks in Malaysia
demonstrably Intruded the Chaung Magyl Group o! Present geologic and tectonic information is still
Upper Precambnan age in the mare area of Tawngpeng. insufficient to interpret the granitoid plutons m the
on the north s~de of Lox Pan and along the southern eastern granltold belt in Burma as being the result of
slope of Lol Ling in south Hsenwl. Thus, stratlgraphlc continental collision as suggested by Mitchell (1977)
data indicate that the Tawngpeng granlto~d was era- for slmdar gramtolds in the Malay Peninsula. Data
placed during the Phanerozoic are also insufficient to correlate the eastern belt gram-
Mitchell et al (1977) reported a Rb/Sr whole rock tolds In Burma either w~th gramto~ds )n western
age of 340_+ 34Ma for the Tawngpeng gramtold Malaysia or w~th those in the eastern Malay Peninsula.
exposed along the Kyaukme-Namhsan road, and ac- However, none of the present evidence argues the possi-
cordingly Bender (1983) regarded the Tawngpeng gran- blhty that the eastern belt gramtoid plutons have been
ltold as a Carboniferous mtruswe, but Mitchell et al. emplaced in continental foreland above an east-dipping
(1977) pointed out that this age data must be treated Bemoff zone during the Lower Paleozolc No W-Sn
with caution because of the divergence m the initial mineralization has so far been reported in association
Rb/Sr ratios Slmdar Rb/Sr whole rock analysis with the gramto~d of the eastern gramtoid belt but th~s
indicates a Paleozoic (Cambro-Ordovlcian) age for eastern part of Burma ~s one of the most unexplored
the Tawngpeng granltold K,'Ar dating of biotites parts of the country.
and feldspars suggests that the Tawngpeng granltOld
has suffered significant thermal disturbances m
relatively recent time (post 44 Ma?) (Brook and Snelling DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTERISTICS OF
1976) GRANITOIDS IN THE CENTRAL
The Tawngpeng gramtoxd consists of quartz, plaglo- GRANITOID BELT
clase, orthoclase (sometimes mlcrocline), muscovtte and
biotite and usually bears evidence of intense crushing. In this paper, the W-Sn bearing central belt granitoids
It ~s generally coarse-grained, often porphyritic, with will be described and their mineralogy, petrology and
phenocrysts up to 3 cm across. Normally it is decom- geochemistry discussed in detail. Twelve major granitoid
posed to a considerable depth. Sphene, apatite, and bodies in the central belt have been named and are
mrcon are found as accessories. Pascoe (1959) also shown in Fig. 1 from north to south vxz.: (1) Putao-
reported sporadic tourmahne and original pyrite as Myitkyina; (2) Kabaing (Mogok); (3) Taunggyun-
accessory constituents. These phases were not observed Bodawgyl; (4) Kyaukse-Belin; (5) Pyetkaywe; (6)
in the few Tawngpeng gramtoid samples studied by the Yinmabin-Payangazu; (7) Pyawbwe-Yamethin; (8)
author The Tawngpeng granltoid has some senc~tiza- Pyinmana-Takon; (9) Taungoo-Mawchl; (I0) Thaton-
tion and saussurmzatlon. The Tawngpeng granitoid in Amherst; (11) Tavoy; (12) Mergui gramtoid plutons.
the main area differs from the adjacent Kabaing These and their country rocks will be reviewed here
(Mogok) granitoid of the W-Sn related, central grani- although data are still scanty and limited for many
told belt m containing no tourmaline and having a gramtoids.
 Geological, petrological and geochemical characteristics of granitoid rocks, Burma
1. Putao-Myitkyina granitoids
Granitoids occur in the Putao township and in the
jade mining area in the western part of Myitkyina
Township, Kachin State. These granitoid rocks appear
to lie along the central granitoid belt and form as a
northern continuation of the Kabaing granitoids of the
Mogok area in the south. A brief description of these
granitoids was made by Chhibber (1934), Pascoe (1959)
and Searle and Ba Than Haq (1964). The Putao grani-
toids represent the northernmost extremity of the central
granitoid belt of Burma. Pascoe (1959) reported three
plutons in the Putao area of N Kachin State, viz. the
Nam Tamai granitoid, Putao granitoid, and Taron
granitoid. The Nam Tamai granitoid occupies the centre
of the Tamai Valley and contains little or no biotite. The
Putao granitoid occupies the mountainous ranges on
either side of the Nam Tisang Valley, the rugged terrains
at the head of the Nam Tisang and Nam Kiu, and NE
of the Putao plain in which Fort Hertz lies.
The Putao granitoid is a biotite granite which shows
foliation in places and in the Nam Tisang Valley, the
rocks are porphyritic with large feldspar phenocrysts.
The Taron granitoid is also a biotite granite and forms
a high mountain ridge along the divide between Nam
Hat and Nam Tamai, at the junction of the Nam Tamai
with the Taron, and the southern extension of it crops
out along the range between the Nam Hat and Nmai
Hha Valleys. The granitoid rocks in the Putao area are
associated with syenites, diorites, pyroxenites, peri-
dotites and andesites, but the genetic relationships
among these rock units have not been studied. Granitoid
rocks also occur as a series of plutons W of Namya and
Indaw Chaung in the jade mining area of W Myitkyina.
The hill ranges between Nanyaseik and Manwe are
entirely made up of granitoid rocks which can be traced
for some distance southwest of Manwe and for at least
18 km N of Nanyaseik. The Myitkyina granitoids are
predominantly of medium-grained biotite granite with
subordinate amount of hornblende granite and mon-
zonite. Basic segregated patches of dioritic composition
are locally abundant.
Pascoe (1959) reported that although the Myitkyina
granitoids are generally medium-grained, coarse-
and fine-grained varieties are also recorded, and in
places grade into quartz-biotite monzonite. The granit-
oids contain quartz, biotite, and orthoclase and oligo-
clase are frequently intergrown to form microperthite.
Sometimes the quartz has a vermicular structure with
minute inclusions of feldspar. Numerous veins of peg-
matites and aplites traversed the main granitoid plutons.
In the jade mining area these granitoids intruded a series
of high-grade metamorphic gneisses, schists, quartzites
and bands of crystalline limestones which are assumed
to be the northern equivalent of the Mogok Series.
W-Sn mineralization has not yet been recorded in the
Putao and Myitkyina areas of Kachin State although
thin galena veins less than 3 cm occur in the country
rocks (Paleozoic?) close to the granitoids in Kachin
State.
297
2. Kabaing (Mogok) granitoids
The Kabaing granitoid is one of the most important
intrusions in the central granitoid belt of Burma and
forms a great batholith in the Mogok-Momcik area. The
granitoid rocks intruded the Archean rocks of the
Mogok Series which is mainly made up of high-grade
metamorphic gneisses, calc-silicates and ruby-bearing
marbles. The Kabaing granitoid is notably associated
with alkaline rocks (mostly aegirine-augite-nepheline
syenites) and ultramafic rocks predominantly of peri-
dotites with minor doleritic and noritic rocks. In some
places, the alkaline rocks appear to be fcnitized between
the Mogok marbles and granitoid proper.
The Kabaing granitoid and associated plutonic and
metamorphic rocks were described by Iyer (1953),
Chhibber (1934), Pascoe (1959), and Searle and Ba
Than Haq (1964). The Kabaing granitoid occupies
a large tract of country to the northwest of the Mogok-
Kyatpyin area. The granitoid is named after the out-
crop of Kabaing Hill. Small apophyses, plugs and
dykes of the Kabaing granitoid are also observed to
the north of Kyatpyin. The Kabaing granitoid is
medium-grained, grey granite with uniform mineral
composition and texture, consisting essentially of equal
amounts of orthoclase, plagioclase (oligoclase) with
quartz, biotite and a little muscovite. Accessories are
apatite and iron ores and myrmekitic growths are
occasionally found. At Thabeikkyin, in the area west of
Kin Chaung, biotite in the Kabaing granite occurs as
irregular flakes, and sericite in the interior of the plagio-
clase feldspar crystals.
A tourmaline-bearing, coarse-grained variety is locally
found as a sheet intrusion at the ridge of Konson Taung,
and at the south of Mogok. There, the granite is
moderately coarse in texture, consisting of quartz,
feldspars and idiomorphic tourmaline with a little
muscovite and biotite. The tourmaline is pink to red
(rubellite) or blue (indicolite) and is often beautifully
zoned. Medium- to coarse-grained pegmatite and aplite
dykes are not very common as a rule, but have been
found cutting the Kabaing granitoid and also the Mogok
marble in many places. At Sakangyi, a pegmatite
dyke of at least 30.5 m wide penetrated the Kabaing
granitoid. This pegrnatite contains orthoclase almost
coverted entirely into kaolin with large crystals of
quartz, lepidolite, biotite, muscovite and topaz
(Adam 1926). The dyke had been reported to contain
very minor cassiterite and columbite. Khin Zaw (1990)
noted many large, primary two-phase (liquid and gas)
fluid inclusions in quartz and topaz of the Sakangyi
pegmatite.
Searle and Ba Than Haq (1964) also reported that
some pegmatites N of Kyatpyin contain microperthitic
feldspar, tourmaline, zircon, coarse recrystallized flakes
of graphite and cubes of the radioactive mineral
uranothorianite. Although the Sakangyi pegmatite
contains minor cassiteritc, economic W-Sn deposits
have not been reported yet from the Mogok-Momeik
area.
29~ KHIr~ ZAW
3 Taunggyun-Bodawgvt granitoids
A series of small plutons occurs at Taunggyun,
Kaduta, Gawuntaung and Bodawgyi Taung m Smgu
and Madaya townships as a southern contmuation of the
Kabamg granitoids at Mogok. Sike Lynn (1982) recently
made a detailed investigation of the granitoid and their
associated metamorphic country rocks at Taunggyun.
and reported that the Taunggyun gramtold is generally
similar to the Kabaing granitoid m mineral composition
and texture. It is usually fine- to me&um-grained, bluish-
grey, slightly porphyrmc and foliated in places. It essen-
tially consists of quartz, orthoclase, plagloclase, and
b~otlte with minor muscovite, sphene, apatite and iron
ores. Most feldspars are extensively sericitized. Plaglo-
clase Is zoned and some myrmekites are present
The Taunggyun gramtold intrudes the country rocks
of gneisses, calc-silicates and marbles of the almandme -
amphiblolite facies. Similar metamorphic country rocks
are widely exposed at the Chaunggyl area to the north
between Mogok and Taunggyun (Them Them Oo 1982).
The Taunggyun and Chaunggyl metamorphic rocks are
thought to be equivalent to the Mogok metamorphlcs.
The contact of the Taunggyun gramtoid w~th the
country rocks is sharp w~th or without a skarn zone.
Smce contact metamorphism of the calcareous member
of the country rocks also occurs adjacent to the Taung-
gyun granitoid and the contact effect is found to be of
lower hornblende-hornfels facies with temperature ap-
proximately below 650~C and XCO~ < 0.25 (Slke Lynn
1982) The regmnally metamorphosed country rocks
trend approximately NNW-SSE and occur as roof
pendants The prominent joint set in the Taunggyun
gramtoid is ENE-WSE and in metamorphic rocks N-S.
No pegmatlte veins are found at Taunggyun
A small pluton occurs of Kaduta (Mya Mya Than
1982). Gawuntaung and Bodawgyi Taung (Them Win
1980) to the south of the Taunggyun gramtoid. The
Kaduta gramtolds are predominantly biotite granites
locally fohated near the margin of the pluton, but unlike
the Taunggyun granitold, pegmatltic veins are associated
with the Kaduta granitoid. No detailed study of the
gramtoids at Gawuntaung has yet been done but Thein
Win (1980) recently mapped them and their assocmted
metamorphic rocks at Bodawgyl Taung m the Pinle-in
area. The Bodawgyl granitoid occurs as a composite
pluton of 9 km 2 consisting dominantly of medium- to
coarse-grained, grey to dark brown, biotite granites with
subordinate hornblende granites. They contain quartz,
orthoclase, plagloclase with minor hornblende, sphene,
apatite, zircon and opaques. Zoning of plagloclase and
myrmekltic intergrowths are also found
The regionally metamorphosed country rocks at
Bodawgyi Taung are medium- to high-grade calc-
silicates, marbles and gneisses as in the case of the
Taunggyun area. Them Win (1980) observed very minor
superimposed contact metamorphic effects. Pegmatites
and leucogranites are also common as late-stage dykes,
veins and irregular bodies injected into the granitoid and
country rocks. Some pegmatite veins are &opslde-bear-
mg The jomtmg is N-S m both the metamorphic rocks
and granitoids at Bodawgyi, but pegmatites and leuco-
granites seem to have intruded along the NNW-SSE
trendmg foliation planes of the country rocks. Similar
granitoid rocks and associated metamorphic country
rocks are also exposed at Mandalay Hill as a southern
contmuauon of the Taunggyun-Bodawgyi granitoids.
Neither W-Sn occurrences nor W-Sn minerals as minor
constituents have so far been reported in the Taung-
gyun-Bodawgyi area and Mandalay Hill
4. Kvaukse-Belin gramtoid~
The granitolds associated with medium- to high-grade
metamorphic rocks are also exposed at Minmwe and
Belin areas in Kyaukse Township south of Bodawgyi
(Pinle-m) area and Mandalay Hill. The detailed mapping
of the area around Kyaukse and Belin by Myint Thein
(1975) has revealed that two major types of granitolds
were mtruded into a structurally deformed, narrow zone
which is dommantly made up of regionally metamor-
phosed country rocks of Pre-Carboniferous to possibly
Lower Paleozoic age.
The medium- to coarse-grained, tourmaline-biotite
gramtes which are the older granitold type intruded
concordantly and were later deformed producing ortho-
gneisses with typical augen structures. This is well ex-
posed at Shwethalayaung Hill. The younger, coarse-
grained porphyritic to non-porphyritic biotite granites
are the most abundant type and were emplaced discor-
dantly mto the country rocks of the Belin area which
have been regionally metamorphosed up to the amphi-
bollte facies and include quartzltes, calc-silicates,
marbles, phyllites, schists, and gneisses. The granitoid
intrusion has also resulted in minor contact metamor-
phic effects being superimposed on the regionally meta-
morphosed country rocks at the eastern part of the
Kyaukse area
Migmatitlc rocks and small, ~rregular pods, bands and
streaks of fels~c granites are also widely distributed in the
area of the highest grade zone of the metamorphosed
country rocks suggesting partial melting of the country
rocks during regional metamorphism. The absolute
age of the metamorphism cannot be ascertained, but
the marble unit at the easternmost part of the Kyaukse
ridge is lithologically similar to a nearby thick marble
sequence exposed at Thandawmyet Hill where a relic
fossil of Carboniferous age was obtained (Maung Thein
and Soe Win 1970). Thus the main phase of regional
metamorphism would have taken place sometime
after the Carboniferous, followed by the granitoid
intrusion.
Beryl- and tourmaline-bearing pegmat~tes and aplites,
and mlcrogranite dykes and veins also cut the granitoids
and the metamorphic country rocks. The pegmatite
dykes vary from 0.3 to 4.5 m in thickness and trend
nearly N-S. They contain quartz, perthite, muscovite,
tourmaline and minor garnet and beryl (aquamarine
variety). The pegmatites and aplites are often found as
composite dykes and veins, and seem to be commonly
 Geological, petrological and geochemical characteristics of granitoid rocks, Burma
injected along N-S trending cooling joints of the granit-
oid rocks, and to a lesser extent, along the NNW-SSE
striking foliation planes of the metamorphosed country
rocks. Mierogranite dykes of up to 30 m wide are also
found penetrating the granodioritic and dioritic rocks,
but no W-Sn deposit has been recorded in the Kyaukse-
Belin area.
5. Pyetkaywe granitoids
The Pyetkaywe granitoid pluton in the range north of
the Yinmabin igneous complex is one of the largest
bodies in the W-Sn related granitoid belt. It is about
32 km long and has a maximum width of 14 km. Khin
Zaw (1970) first mapped and described the granitoids
and the related country rocks at Pyetkaywe, and Garson
et al. (1976) investigated the eastern margin of the
Pyetkaywe plutons, and recently a detailed study of the
entire Pyetkaywe pluton was made by Khin Myo Thet
(1981) and Tin Aung Khaing (1981).
The most abundant rock type is porphyritic biotite
granite exposed in the central part of the range as a core
zone. Adamellites crop out mainly in the eastern margin
of the batholith (Garson et al. 1976) and non-porphyritic
granite in the western margin. Minor diorites are associ-
ated with the granitoids in the northernmost part of the
pluton. The diorites and adamellites are observed as
older intrusive phases and porphyritic ganitoid units as
younger intrusive phases. Metasedimentary country
rocks occur mainly at Buzayit Taung and are locally
exposed as scattered remnants near the western margin
of the range. They consist mainly of banded quartzites
and garnetiferous calc-silicate rocks. Dacite porphyry
and rhyolite are intercalated with the metasedimentary
rocks; the volcanic rocks are older than the granitoid
rocks (Khin Myo Thet 1981). The porphyritic biotite
granitoids are coarse-grained, porphyritic and are com-
posed essentially of quartz, alkali feldspars, plagioclase
and biotite. The feldspar phenocrysts are 2-4 cm across.
Coarse- to medium-grained, non-porphyritic biotite
granite consists mainly of quartz, perthite, plagioclase
and biotite.
Felsic medium-grained microgranites, tourmaline
granites, pegmatite and aplite dykes commonly occur at
late phases. Dolerite dykes sometimes cut across the
granitoid rocks. At Gu Taung, the granitoids occur as a
satellitic body to the main Pyetkaywe batholith to the
south and numerous pegmatite veins and dykes pene-
trate the granitoids and the related intrusive rocks. Khin
Zaw (1971) and Kyu Kyu Win (1980) reported more
than 50 major pegmatite veins and dykes in the Gu
Taung, and these are 3-6 m wide, 122-152m long, and
trending mostly N-S. A few dykes are traceable for more
than 305 m. The pegmatites consist of quartz, perthitic
K-feldspars of up to 8-11 cm across and muscovite
together with minor biotite, tourmaline (schorlite), beryl
(aquamarine), and garnet. At some localities, wolframite
is found in the pegrnatites as a minor constituent. Quartz
grains from the Gu Taung pegrnatites contain numerous
two-phase (liquid and gas) fluid inclusions.
299
At the eastern part of the Pyetkaywe batholith along
the west bank of the Pan Laung river, wolframite-
bearing quartzo-feldspathic veins are closely associated
with medium-grained, felsic granitoids. An E-W trend-
ing pegrnatitic vein of about 1 m wide and more than
150 m in length occurs west of Maunggwe village. The
vein contains minor amount of wolframite, fluorite, pale
blue-green beryl and malachite--azurite stains. Small
quartz veins trending NW-SE are found at Kyatgyi
Taung, 8 km southwest of Maunggwe. The quartz veins
penetrated felsic granite and contain wolframite crystals
up to 1 mm in length. Garson et al. (1972, 1976) also
reported that at Pedwe Taung located on the southwest
of Nyaunggyat village, several small wolframite deposits
(briefly decribed by Clegg 1944) are found in the biotite
granitoids. The veins here are vertical, narrow, N-S
trending and appear to have formed by infilling of a
shear zone. The veins are greisenised at the margins and
wolframite occurs within the veins as lenses and irregular
pockets.
6. Yinmabin-Payangazu granitoids
The igneous complex, about 29 km long and 13 km
wide, is the southern extension of the Pyetkaywe
batholith in the north. Maung Thein et al. (1972)
mapped and reported that biotite granite, commonly
porphyritic, is the most widely distributed rock type.
Associated igneous rocks are diorites together with
hornblendites; rhyolites occurring both as lava flows and
dykes; hornblende granites, muscovite granites, felsic
granites and pegmatites as younger intrusives. The
Yinmabin granitoids are medium- to coarse-grained,
non-porphyritic to porphyritic biotite granites.
The prophyritic granites occupying the middle north-
ern part of the pluton contain phenocrysts of alkali
feldspar up to 1.2-2.5 cm. Hornblende occurs as a minor
constituent and magnetite and garnet are locally present
as accessory minerals. The non-porphyritic granites are
the Yebokson type with "green" biotite and hornblende,
and the Taungnyo type containing brown biotite with
little or no hornblende. The Yebokson granites occur in
the southern part of the Yinmabin pluton. The green
biotites in this granite are completely chloritized biotites
which appear as green books, and thus may be easily
mistaken for true green biotites in hand specimens
(Maung Thein et al. 1972). Hornblende occurs as a
subordinate mafic mineral. The Taungnyo granite is the
most widely distributed among the granitoid rocks ex-
posed in the Yinmabin area. It occupies the eastern part
of the igneous complex in the north and the middle
part in the south of the Yinmabin igneous body. The
Taungnyo granite is coarse-grained, slightly prophyritic
and possibly grades into a non-phorphyritic variety.
The Yinmabin granitoids intruded metasedimentary
rocks of possible Lower Paleozoic and also Jurassic age.
The metasediments are mostly regionally metamor-
phosed in the greenschist and lower amphibolite facies.
The high-grade metamorphic rocks include banded
gneisses and migrnatites with lenticular, white (quartzo-
3()(b KHIN ZA~
leldspathlc) and dark (biotite- and/or hornblende-rich)
bands (Maung Them et al. 1972). Spotted phyllites and
schists result from intrusion of ~gneous rocks, but no
broad contact metamorphic aureoles have been seen.
The gramtold rocks in the Ymmabln area were also
apparently transformed into gramto~d gne~sses due to
later regional metamorphism Pegmat~te occurs mostly
as dykes and veins along joints m the granlto~d gnelsses,
but some are ~rregular m shape. Pegmatite veins of up
to 6 rn thick are found at Indamgtha and Thetkedeik,
and at the south and southwestern slopes of Talongyaw
Taung, Taunggwa and the western slope of
Moguangmyauk Taung. Maung Them et aL (t972) also
demonstrated that the pegmatJte veins are d~scontinuous
and lentlcular in shape. Pegmatite bodies trending ap-
proximately E W are common. In some pegmat~tes,
garnet and beryl (aquamarine variety) are present as
accessory minerals.
At Payangazu, medaum-gramed, often shghtly por-
phyritic granodaontes and hornblendltes occur as a
small, elongated mass of 5 8 km at the western margin
of the mare Ymmabln bathohth. Thein Zaw (198t)
reported that the granodiorite unit ~s younger than the
dlontes and hornblendites and is exposed as a dyke-like
body. and at the Payangazu quarry it intrudes the
metamorphic country rocks of mainly medium-grade
gne~sses and schists The granodlorltes are hght to dark
grey. the gram size becomes finer and the colour darker
at the margin of the dyke It consists of variable
proportions of plagloclase, orthoclase and quartz, with
biottte, sphene, and minor hornblende. The phenocrysts
are mamly quartz, plagloclase and minor orthoclase with
a maximum length of 1 mm The quartz phenocrysts are
corroded and embayed, and contain abundant fluid
inclusions. The major joint set in the granodioritles
is NNE--SSW but in the dlontes almost E-W Leuco-
gramtes, pegmatltes, and quartzo-feldspathlc veins pene-
trated the granito~ds and associated metased~mentary
rocks as late-stage d~fferentlates,
Yhe pegmat~tes at Payangazu are characterized by
variable texture, generally coarse, but m places they are
fine and aphtic or both coarse and fine varieties form
composite dykes The quartz and alkah feldspars (ortho-
clase and mtcrocline) and alblte up to 20 cm across occur
as major constituents m the pegmatites and muscovite,
biotite, tourmahne, garnet, beryl (aquamarine variety) as
accessories. The pegmatlte veins at Payangazu trend
NW-SE and seem to be related to the joints of the latest
phase of the intrusion (Thein Zaw 1981). Although the
Ylnmabm and Payangazu plutons he within the W-Sn
bearmg central granitoid belt, not a single W-Sn mineral
occurrence has so far been reported in assocmtion with
these plutons. Gold occurrences have been recently
reported at Yinmabm
7 P v a w b w e - Y a m e t h m granttoids
Aung Mymt Them and Myo Min (1973) mapped and
described the granitold rocks east of Pyawbwe and
Yamethin. The granitoid body here is about 48 km in
length and 16 km wide. The granitoid rock units of the
Pyawbwe-Yamethin area are essentially similar to those
of the Pyetkaywe and Yinmabin areas The biotite
granite ~s the most abundant type m the Pyawbwe-
Yamethin area and exhibits a variable texture from
medmm- to coarse-grained, non-porphyritic to por-
phyritic
The porphyritic variety is the most voluminous mtru-
swe rock in the area and well exposed at Taungkantlant,
Thamkbwetaung and in the Nat Taung ranges. The
porphyritic type commonly contains pink as well as grey
feldspar phenocrysts up to 2.5 x 4.0 cm m size. Biotite
is the common mafic mineral and hornblende occasion-
ally occurs as a minor constituent. The non-porphyritic
variety occupies Nyaunggaing Taung and the rocks are
generally speckled-grey to pinkish-grey, equigranular
and slightly porphyritic. Rhyolites, microgranites and
pegmatites also occur in association with the granitoid
rocks Pegmatite veins occur as dykes in igneous
and metamorphic rocks, the veins being about 1.5 m
thick although in some places they exceed 6m.
The mlcrogranites here are biotitic, medium-grained
and closely resemble those of Yinmabin-Payangazu
area.
As m the Yinmabm pluton, the Pyawbwe-Yamethm
granitold rocks intrude metasedimentary country rocks
of possibly Lower Paleozoic and Jurassic age. The
Lower Paleozoic rocks trend N-S or NNW-SSE and are
composed of medium- to high-grade marbles, calc-sili-
cates, quartzites, phyllites, schists and gneisses. The
Jurassic rocks trend NW-SE and mainly consist of low-
grade phyllites, slates, quartzites and metagreywackes.
Contact metamorphic effects are also observed in both
Lower Paleozoic and Jurassic metasediments. Spotted
schists can be seen in some places, but the contact
metamorphic aureoles are neither broad nor pro-
nounced. The granitoids also show gneissose texture and
appear to have been transformed into gramtoid gneisses
by later metamorphism and tectonic deformation. The
geologic structure of the east of Pyawbwe-Yamethin
area consists of N-S folds and ENE-WSW striking
en echelon faults. The joints in the porphyritxc biotite
granites trends N-S.
At Sinmakhwa Hill in Pyawbwe Township, gramtold
rocks occur as an elongated body of 2 4 km trending
NE-SW (Khin Win Kyi 1981). It resembles those of the
Payangazu pluton to the north. Approximately two-
thirds of the Sinmakhwa Hill area is underlain by biotite
gramtes. Diorite occurs as small patches. Banded
gneisses with both biotite and muscovite, granitoid
gnelsses and migrnatites are also found as isolated roof
pendants which are well exposed along the western
margin and in the middle part of the Sinmakhwa pluton.
The granitoid gneisses are apparently transformed from
the biotite granites. The biotite granite at Sinmakhwa is
pale grey, well jointed, non-porphyritic and essentially
composed of quartz, plagioclase, orthoclase, and biotite
as the chief mafic mineral. Sphene, apatite, magnetite
and zircon are found as accessories. Myrmekitic struc-
ture ~s also often noted.
 Geological, petrological and geochemical characteristics of granitoid rocks, Burma
Pegrnatites, aplites, leucogranites and graphic granites
are observed as veins and dykes cutting the biotite
granites and granite gneisses. Many of the veins and
dykes trend approximately N-S, but some locally trend
E-W. The dykes are almost vertical or steeply dipping
to the west or east. The dykes are 3-4.5 m thick and
30-150 m in length. Pegmatites are also seen as veins.
Pegmatites and aplites are in places observed as com-
posite dykes. The Sinmakhwa pegmatites are generally
similar to those of Gu Taung (Pyetkaywe) and
Payangazu (Yinmabin) areas to the north, and princi-
pally consist of quartz, orthoclase, albite, microcline
microperthite and muscovite. The quartz crystals from
the Sinmakhwa pegmatites contain abundant two-phase
(liquid and gas) fluid inclusions.
Neither metallic sulfide mineralization nor W-Sn
occurrences have been found in the Sinmakhwa Hill
area, but wolframite with no apparent tin mineralization
is observed in the western margin of the Pyawbwe-
Yamethin pluton whereas lead is more frequent in the
metasediments in the east. W(Sn) deposits previously
reported in the Yamethin area (Clegg 1944) occur at the
SE of Yamethin township between east of Pyinmana and
Takon. Thin wolframite-bearing quartz veins cut across
the porphyritic granitoid rocks, trend NW-SE and dip
steeply to the west. Wolframite occurs as small pockets
about 4 cm and sometimes up to 1 m in size. The quartz
veins also contain subordinate amounts of pyrite,
arsenopyrite, sericite, kaolinite and iron oxide. Surface
exposures are covered by soil but these veins seem to be
continuous along the strike. A notable W(Sn) deposit at
SE of Yamethin is the Megon Mine but a detailed
description of the geology of the mine has not been
made.
8. Pyinmana-Takon granitoids
Tin Kyaw Than (1977) mapped the granitoids and the
related metamorphic rocks exposed between the east of
Pyinmana and Yezin. As in the case of the Pyetkaywe
area, a predominantly biotitic and potassic granite is the
most widely distributed rock type. The texture varies
from medium- to coarse-grained and porphyritic in
many places with phenocrysts of feldspar up to
2 x 10cm. Diorites, hornblendites, leucogranites, tour-
maline granites, and pegmatites are also associated with
the granitoid rocks. Rhyolites, vesicular basalts and
andesite, which are thought to be of Cenozoic age, also
occur in the area. The associated metasediments are
regionally metamorphosed under greenschist to upper
amphibolite facies conditions. The granites were also
transformed into granite gneisses due to later regional
metamorphism.
Pegrnatites mostly occur as dykes and veins parallel to
the foliation in the granite gneiss to the north of
Shwegya and east of Thayetkon. Most are muscovite
pegmatites and some are leucocratic pegrnatites. They
show zonal arrangement in which the outer zone is pink
orthoclase-rich and the inner zone is quartz-rich. Peg-
matites often exhibit boudinage structures. About
301
20 W(Sn) individual workings are reported in the
area east of Pyinmana and Takon. Wolfram and, to a
lesser extent, tin deposits occur in thin quartz veins in the
granitoid and related country rocks. The vein-type
deposits are more commonly distributed than those of
alluvial and eluvial origins. Notable primary vein-type
deposits are the Kwedugyi, Tunmataung, Seiphutaung,
Padatchaung, Byingyi and Peinnedaik W-Sn mines.
Bateson et al. (1972) reported that W-Sn bearing quartz-
greisen veins dip steeply (50 or more) and in some
groups of quartz veins the productive ones are always
associated with greisen and dip steeply. The later veins
are almost always thinner than the rest, not associated
with greisen and dip at low angles (up to 30).
Tin Kyaw Than (1977) demonstrated that the
wolframite-bearing, greisen-bordered quartz veins at the
Kwedugyi Mine are mostly 2-4 cm, but sometimes up to
10 cm wide, strike E-W and have vertical dips. The veins
traverse both the medium-grained granite and the adja-
cent quartzite unit. At the Tunmataung Mine, as in the
case of the Kwedugyi Mine, the mineralized quartz
veins occur along the contact of granite and quartzite.
The veins have a maximum thickness of 2.5cm
and trend approximately E-W and dip 70-80 to the
south. Wolframite and cassiterite are generally associ-
ated with minor molybdenite, galena, sphalerite, and
chalcopyrite.
9. Taungoo-Mawchi granitoids
The batholith east of Taungoo is the largest in the
central belt, but no systematic geological mapping has
been done to investigate the distribution and relation-
ships of the different plutonic units. This is a large,
elongated batholith 240 km long with a maximum width
of 60 km. Chhibber (1934) reported that two varieties of
granitoids occur at Taungoo East. One is a fine- to
medium-grained sodic (low-Ca) granite consisting of
quartz, dominantly idiomorphic albite with subsidiary
orthoclase and large well-preserved books of biotite.
The other is a medium-grained K-rich granite composed
of quartz with dominant orthoclase (perthitic), albite,
biotite, and accessory opaque minerals. Aplitic and
quartzo-feldspathic veins, dolerite dykes and hornblende
granophyre are reported to occur in association with the
above types.
The Mawchi granitoid is a very small body
100 x 100m at the eastern margin of the Taungoo
batholith probably forming as an apophysis of the
Taungoo granitoid body. Khin Zaw and Khin Myo Thet
(1983) indicate that the granitoids at Mawchi are
bounded by limestones in the northwestern and parts of
the eastern flanks, and sandstones and shales on the
southern and western flanks. The Mawchi granitoid
intrudes a series of sedimentary rocks consisting of
sandstones, grits, calcareous mudstones, shales and lime-
stones named the Mawchi Group in the mine area. This
group is thought to be equivalent to the Mergui Group
(mostly Carboniferous) in the Tavoy and Mergui areas
of Tenasserim Division. The intrusion produced a low-
~,(k-' KHIN
grade thermal metamorphic aureole of quartmtes, spot-
ted grits, indurated slates and marbles.
The Mawchi metasediments trend N W - S E and dip
steeply to the west. The Mawchl granito~d pluton trends
approximately NW-SE, a &rectIon similar to that of the
country rocks. However, the contact ~s mostb ~rregular
and discordant. Many apophyses occur along the roof
zone Thin dykes and veins of aphtes and pegmatltes.
which are thought to be related to the late stage of
granlto~d emplacement, are seen penetrating the adjacent
sedimentary rocks. The Mawchi gramtoxd itself Js
bmtite-bearing and medium-grained but locally ~t ~s
porphyrmc m texture with large K-feldspar phenocrysts
and a little muscowte. It ~s noteworthy that discrete
grains of cassiterlte are observed m the Mawch~ gramt-
oid, and in many places, ~t ~s strongly tourmahnized and
kaohnized. A few quartz veins in the granno~d carrying
cassitente and wolframite were reported near Kyaukky~
m the Taungoo area but no detailed description of these
Sn-W occurrences have been recorded
Sn-W mineralization Is assocmted with the small,
satelhtic, Mawchl granito~d pluton. More than 60 major
Sn -W ore veins occur in parallel groups w~thm the apical
zone of the granltold body, whereas some of the veins
penetrate the slates and hmestones of the adjacent
metase&mentary rocks for short &stances (Goossens
1978, Bender 1983, Khm Zaw and Khin Myo Thet
1983). Before World War II the Mawch~ Mine was one
of the richest and largest Sn-W veins m the world The
majority of the Sn-W ~exns strike N S. sometimes
NE-SW, and &p steeply 75-80- to the west The ore
veins are up to 2.5 m thick with an average thickness of
1 m, some of the ore veins are traceable for up to 570 m.
The veins are drusy and carry casslterlte and wolframite
intimately intergrown with other minerals such as pyrite,
chalcopyrite, arsenopynte, molybdenite, bxsmuthinite,
sphalerlte, galena, fluorite and scheelate An alluvial tin
deposit ~s also located at Kehmpyu m the v~cmlty of the
Mawchl Mine area
10. Thaton-Amherst granitotds
Granltoid rocks are exposed in Thaton and along the
coast of Amherst (Kyaikkhami) and adjacent islands
The great mass of the highlands east of Thaton, culmi-
nating in the peak of Kyaikhteyo, is predominantly built
up of coarse-grained biotite granites with very minor
fine- to medium-grained tourmaline granites and rhyo-
lites. At Mokpalin quarry, the Thaton granitoids have
apparently transformed into granite gneisses which have
been injected by lamprophyres, pregmatites, aplites, and
irregular lenses of quartz. The Thaton granitoid ~s in
places characterized by marked foliation (e.g.
Kyaikhteyo) and jointing with a N W - S E trend. The
granitoid rocks in the Thaton area intruded a series of
metasediments made up of quartzites, argillites and
slates possibly of Carboniferous age. Chhibber (1934)
reported that the Thaton granite gnelsses are biotite-
and/or hornblende-bearing and contain quartz and
ZA~
feldspars and accessory sphene, zircon, apatlte, mag-
netite and chatcopyrlte
W Sn bearing quartzo-feldspathic veins are reported
to occur in the Thaton granltOlds and the adjacent
metasedlments. At Zlngyelk, 25 km south of Thaton,
about four parallel veins trend NW-SE, a direction
which is parallel to that of the prominent jolntlng in the
granltolds. The veins dip to the NE Their average
thickness is less than 10cm The veins are pegmatmc
and contain quartz, muscovite, tourmaline, and
feldspars In addmon to cass~terlte and wolframite, the
veins contain accessory pyrite, chalcopyrlte, arsenopyrite
and molybdenite. The veins In the metasediments are
thicker but much less continuous than those m the
granltolds. They dip to the west at comparatwely low
angles An alluvial tm occurrence has also been reported
at Kadeik, about 16 km southeast of Thaton~
The granltoids of the Amherst (Kyalkkharm) coast
and Green Island as described by Stamp (1926), are
small bodies connected with coastal gramtolds of Tavoy.
The granltolds intrude black shales (Mergul Group of
Carboniferous age) with a metamorphic aureole of mica
and mica-hornblende schists The gramtoids contain
large numbers of xenoliths, which range m size from
large blocks having the foliation of ordinary mica
schists, through irregular-shaped masses of all sizes, down
to small fragments. The granitolds are NOtlte granites
containing quartz, orthoclase, minor plagloclase and horn-
blende w~th accessory sphene and epldote. Nea~ the
boundary with the country locks, the gramtolds became
banded and fohated Microgranites, mlcrodxorltes and
hornblende granites occur as minor mtruswes in the area
W--Sn mineralization is reported to occur near Ye to
the north of Ta~o~, a) Dawna ,rod Seludaung
(Taungnyo) ranges, at Bflugyun l~land, and
Kunhnitkwe. The Dawna Range in Karen State is near
the Thai border m the east and has been reported to have
small wolframlte and tin deposits, but no detailed de-
scription of the deposits has been recorded. At!uwal tin
deposits also occur at the Seludaung (Taungnyo) range
which &wdes the coastal plains of Amherst and the
valley of Ataran river. Alluvial tm deposits are reported
on Bilugyun Island along the lower slopes of the ridge
of argillltes, quartmtes, and grey slates of the Mergm
Group which was penetrated by the coarse pegmatlte
veins and foliated tourmahne gramte and related
quartzo-feldspathic lenses, cassitente ma~ have been
derived from these lntrusives
At Kunhnitkwe, a W-Sn bearing pegmaute vem cross-
cuts the arglllites, quartzltes and slates of the Mergm
Group. It is discontinuous ~ t h a maximum thickness of
0.6 m and strikes approximately N W - S E following the
bedding planes of the country rocks. Many antimony
deposits (e.g. Thabyu and Natsan) are associated with
the metasedlmentary rocks of Mergul Group in the
Thaton and Amherst areas of Mon State. The antimony
deposits are excluswely m the metasediments and appear
to be stratabound. There ~s no granltoid rock exposure
in the vicinity of the antimony deposits nor is there any
known genetic relatmnshlps with the W-Sn deposits.
 Geological, petrological and geochemical characteristics of granitoid rocks, Burma
11. Tavoy granitoids
Following Brown and Heron (1923), Chhibber (1934)
and Pascoe (1959) reported at least six major granitoid
plutons in the Tavoy area, but detailed mapping of these
major plutons has yet to be undertaken. The granitoid
plutons intruded the metasedimentary rocks of the
Mergui Group (Carboniferous). They are markedly
elongated bodies with their longer axes parallel to the
NNW-SSE trend of the country rocks, being approxi-
mately 32--64 km in length with a maximum width of
16 km. Many smaller granitoid bodies up to 3 km across
are observed at the margins of the major granitoid
plutons and W-Sn mineralization is notably associated
with these satellitic bodies. At the Hermyingyi W-Sn
Mine, the mineralization is closely and spatially related
with a NNW-SSE trending small grantioid body of
0.5 x 1.2 km, which represents a northern tip of a larger
major pluton. Brown and Heron (1923) also noted that
mafic dykes of 6 m across in places cut the granitoids.
Pegmatites, sometimes tourmaline-bearing, are also
found penetrating the granitoids, but the relative age
of the mafic dykes and the tourmaline pegmatites is
unknown.
The granitoids of the Tavoy area vary considerably
in grain size and texture but are very uniform in
mineral composition. They essentially consist of
abundant quartz, orthoclase frequently as large
megacrysts, plagioclase, microcline and biotite. Horn-
blende is rarely present and then only in small
quantity. In the central part of the intrusion, the granit-
oid is generally coarse-grained and porphyritic. Towards
the periphery, there is a gradual transition to a finer-
textured and more uniform rock; biotite becomes scarce
or absent and gives way to muscovite. Accessories are
sphere, zircon, garnet and opaques. Coarse-grained foli-
ated, porphyritic variety is sometimes noted. Biotite- and
/or muscovite-bearing granitoids are the most abundant
types and commonly host the W-Sn deposits. At the
Hermyingyi W-Sn Mine, granitoid rocks contain quartz,
orthoclase, microcline (perthitic), plagioclase and abun-
dant muscovite with minor garnet, zircon, sericite, fluor-
ite and allanite with no apparent biotite under the
microscope, whereas at the Taungphila W-Sn Mine, the
host rock is biotite granitoid, and at the Peinnaichaung
and Yetkanzintaung Prospects, W-Sn veins are hosted
by biotite--muscovite granitoid (two mica granitoid).
More than 30 W-Sn occurrences are reported as
primary vein-type in the granitoid as well as alluvial and
eluvial deposits of secondary origin in the Tavoy area.
At Hermyingyi, more than 300 major and branching
wolframite and cassiterite-bearing quartz veins occur in
a near vertical and parallel vein system in the apical zone
of the granitoid intrusion. The mineralized veins strike
approximately N-S and dip steeply to the west and
sometimes to the east. The veins vary from less than 3 cm
to 1 m in width and some of the veins are traceable for
more than a kilometer (Clegg 1944, Khin Zaw 1978,
Nilar Shwe 1980, Bender 1983). Similar primary vein-
type occurrences but relatively smaller are found at
303
Kanbauk, Taungphila, Telepe, Pennaichaung and
Yetkanzintaung (Khin Zaw 1984) and Bawapin. Many
alluvial and eluvial placers also occur in the Tavoy area.
A notable example is the Heinda tin placer deposit
(Clegg 1944, Nanda Oo 1980, Bender 1983).
12. Mergui granitoids
Mergui granitoids are the southern extension of the
granitoid rocks in the Tavoy area and extend as far south
as Victoria Point (Kawthaung), the southernmost ex-
tremity of Burma. Like the Tavoy granitoids, the gran-
itoids of the Mergui and the ad~cent islands intruded
the metasedimentary rocks of the Mergui Group. Sethu
Rama Rao (1930) reported that granitoids in the Mergui
area form into three distinct ranges viz. the western
frontier range along the Burma-Thai border, the central
range, and the eastern (coastal) range, but no detailed
geological mapping of the Mergui plutons has been
made. Recently, Maung Thein (1974) and Nyan Thin
(1984) made petrological studies of the selected granitoid
rocks from the Mergui area and its archipelago.
The Mergui plutons are elongated NNW-SSE parallel
to the trend of the country rocks which are affected by
greenschist to lower amphibolite facies metamorphism.
The metasedimentary country rocks also exhibit contact
aureoles but not so pronounced over a large area. Biotite
granites together with two mica (biotite and muscovite)
granites are the most abundant rock types with a
subordinate amount of porphyritic biotite granites,
hornblende granites (adamellites), granodiorites and
minor tourmaline-muscovite granites. On the basis of
field evidences, Sethu Rama Rao (1930) and recently
Nyan Thin (1984) reported that hornblende-bearing
granitoids appear to be older and are confined to the
eastern Burma-Thai border regions whereas W-Sn
bearing biotite-muscovite granitoids as younger intru-
sives are more abundant at the western coastal region
in the Tenasserim Division including the Mergui
areas.
The texture of the Mergui biotite granite varies from
coarsely porphyritic to medium-grained, and foliated.
The biotite granite consists of quartz, microcline partly
sericitized, a little plagioclase, biotite and minor musco-
vite and hornblende. The hornblende appears to be
mostly chloritized. Tourmaline and muscovite are
usual accessories found at the margins of the plutons
where biotite becomes scarse. Cassiterite is reported as
a minor constituent of the smaller granitoid plutons.
As in the case of Tavoy area, W-Sn bearing quartz
veins with greisen borders, and pegmatites are notably
associated with the Mergui granitoids, and medium-
grained, biotite granite appears to be a more favourable
host than coarse-grained porphyritic and hornblende-
bearing granitoids. Pegmatites occur as disconnected,
lenticular veins but trend in a regular direction parallel
to the strike of the country rocks (NNW-SSE). The
pegrnatites contain quartz, orthoclase and muscovite
with accessory tourmaline, garnet, cassiterite and wol-
framite.

3)A KHIN ZAV~
More than 50 W-Sn workings have been recorded m
the Mergul area and the adjacent islands. The residual
and detrital tm deposits frequently result from decompo-
smon and weathering of pegmatltes and W Sn quartz
vem_~ Although eluvlal and alluwal cassltente occur-
rences are wldel~ scattered m the Mergm area, some
localmes are ~mportant for W Sn bearing pegmatltes
and quartz veins which penetrated both gramtolds and
associated metasedlmentar2, country rocks Workable
mmerahzed tourmahne muscovite pegmames are noted
at Kazat, Palaw, Te-Twe, and Yengnan Gre~sen-bor-
dered W-Sn quartz veins are sometimes assocmted w~th
pegmatltes and as m the Tavo~ area, the veins are found
in parallel groups, mostl} trending N E - S W or some-
times E- W and the &ps are usually high. Notable W-Sn
veto-type deposits are at Tagu, Mahwun, Palauk, and
Yadanabon (Namyen) The Tagu Mme ~ one of the
largest W-Sn deposits m the Mergm area and is well
known for the width of its quartz veins, some of which
are up to 5 m across, but all veins occur m the granitold
At the Mahwun (Checking) Mine, mineralized quartz
vem~ occur m the granitold near ~ts contact w~th the
Mergm sediments and a minor amount of pyrite and
arsenopynte has been recorded in the ~elns. in the
Palauk area (Palauk Mine, Mwechaung Chaung Mine
and Kathy Mine), the W Sn veins generally strake from
NE SW to E-W and are up to 0 3 m thick The veins are
partl} in the gramto~d and partly in the Mergm sedi-
ments, and contain molybdemte in a small amount No
b~smuth is found but native bismuth is reported m the
alluvials of the Palauk area. The Yadanabon (Namyen)
Mine (Goossens 1978, Bender 1983) is one of the richest
W--Sn deposits m the Mergul Division and lies about
3 krn west of the Burma-Thadand border The mineral-
ized quartz veins and strmgers are found m the decom-
posed sediments and gramtolds, and trend N E E - S W W
w~th gentle dip to the south. Clusters of wolframlte are
scattered m the veins, and cassitente is more evenly
&str)buted and more finely &ssemmated. Molybdenlte,
pyrite, chalcopynte, tourmahne, lepidohte and fluorite
are found as accessory minerals in the Yadnanbon W -Sn
~,el n':
PETROGRAPHIC INVESTIGATION
A total of 200 granitold samples were collected along
the W-Sn related, central granitoid bell and thin sec-
uons were prepared for petrographical and mineralogi-
cal investigations. Granito~d samples with very coarse-
grained textures were cut into slabs and examined by
staining methods. Modal analyses were made for all of
the samples and modal compositions of the selected
granitoid samples are presented m Table 1 together with
their petrochemtcal data.
The plot of the modal composition of granitoid rocks
on l U G S classification diagram (Fig. 2) after Streckeisen
(1973) indicates that the composition of the granitoid
rocks along the central gramtoid belt ranges from gran-
ites to granodiorites. Two samples of syenites were also
/'/A
\\
'
/ /---I:.o o',, oa \
Pl..A~E AI.KJ~l NN.I~P~
Flg 2 IUGS classxticatlon &agram (after Streckelsen 1973) for the
normative and modal compositions of the gramtold rocks from the
central gramtold belt, Burma. Sohd dots indicate norms and open
orcles modes
plotted in Fig. 2. The central belt granitotd intrusions are
associated with minor dirontes (e.g. Pyetkaywe)
Gabbro is found to be virtually absent and syenites
represent minor and probably neghgible volumes. Indi-
vidual plutons may contain a complete series ranging
from diorite through granodlorite to granite or in ex-
treme cases only the end members, namely diorite and
gramte. Thus, petrographic data indicate that the central
belt plutons are dominantly "calc-alkaline".
MINERALOGY
Mineralogically, granltoid rock m the central grani-
toid belt consists of six major minerals i.e. quartz,
plagioclase, alkali feldspars, biotite, muscovite, and
hornblende. Minor accessory minerals are zircon, ap-
atite, sphene, tourmaline, garnet, fluorite, topaz,
ilmenite, diopside, saussurite, sericite, kaohn, chlorite,
epidote, galena, calcite, and pyrite. Wolframite and beryl
are locally found in the granitoids but no monazlte has
so far been reported to be associated with the granitoids.
1. Major minerals
Quartz constitutes from 10 to 30 volume per cent in
most granitoid samples. Quartz occurs mostly in a fine-
to medium-grained groundmass but sometimes forms as
individual grains or phenocrysts up to 3 mm across and
as grains interstitial to feldspar. In many thin sections,
quartz is seen as myrmekitic or as graphic intergrowths
with feldspars. In some samples, quartz grains are seen
replacing muscovite. Quartz grains are sometimes found
as strained, composite, anhedral grains with undulatory
extmction. Plagioclase is generally subhedral and ranges
from An6 to An36 in composition, but mostly with an
oligoclase--andesine range. Plagioclase occurs as partly
corroded to well-formed crystals, and very often shows
twinning and oscillatory and normal zonings.
 Geological, petrological and geochemical characteristics of granitoid rocks, Burma 305

The zoned plagioclase is sometimes altered to sericite.
In some thin sections, plagioclases are seen to be rimmed
by myrmekites. Alkali feldspars are orthoclase, micro-
cline (commonly perthitic) and albite. The alkali
feldspars occur both as phenocrysts and groundmass.
The phenocysts are subhedral to euhedral and up to
5 x 10mm in size. The alkali feldspar grains are
sometimes fractured and strain shadows may be seen.
Orthoclase phenocrysts are mostly from 2 x 2 mm to
4 x 3 mm in size and occur as anhedral to subhedral
forms, and have undulatory extinction in some thin
sections.
At Pyetkaywe, central Burma, orthoclase rarely forms
as poikilitic crystals enclosing hornblende and plagio-
clase in hornblende--biotite granite samples (Tin Aung
Khaing 1981). Orthoclase grains often exhibit incipient
to strong perthitic texture, but various types of perthitic
intergrowth are characteristically observed in the associ-
ated microclines. In some samples, microcline perthite
is the most abundant feldspar; the common perthitic
intergrowths are stringer, vein, patch and braided
perthites with exsolution lamellae up to 50/~ wide.
Microcline microperthites are sometimes rimmed by
myrmekites. Microcline has 2 V more than 60 with a

Table 1. Partial chemical compositions, CIPW norms and modal analyses of granitoid rocks from the central granitoid belt, Burma
Kyatpyin Bodawgyi Bodawgyi Bodawgyl Bodawgyl
Location (Mogok) (Pinle-in) (Pinle-in) (Pinle-in) (lhnle-in) Pyetkaywe Pyetkaywe Pyetkaywe
Sample No. 16 58 59 60 61 62 63 64
SiO2 65.58 62.50 68 12 67.06 69.12 72.20 72.74 73 18
A120J 17 94 18 39 17.33 17.41 13.03 16.36 15 77 13 86
Fe203 as total iron 3 99 6 99 4.95 6.30 6.90 3.22 1.52 3 20
TiO 2 0.01 0.15 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.05 0 01 0.01
MnO 0.02 0.15 0.13 0.14 0.19 0.11 0.04 0.07
MgO 0.36 0.52 0.66 0.59 0.67 0.44 0.19 0.04
CaO 0.26 0.90 0.50 0.65 1.01 0.23 0.19 0.06
Na20 3 83 5.02 4.95 3.53 3.19 4.61 3 32 4.48
K20 5 88 4 15 1.54 3 26 2.87 1.62 5.49 3.97
Total 97.87 98 77 98 19 98 95 96 99 98 84 99 27 98 87
CIPW norms
Q 18.41 11.85 29.75 29.32 34.45 37 09 31 30 31.02
or 35.61 24.95 9.30 19.54 17 57 9.71 32 72 24 03
ab 33.21 43.22 42.81 30 30 27 97 39 55 28.33 38 82
an 1.32 4.54 2 54 3 27 5 19 1.16 0.95 0.30
C 4.92 2.07 1.75 1 05 1 94 6 70 4.05 1.11
mt 1.65 2.89 2.04 2 59 2.90 1.32 0.61 1.32
11 0.02 0.29 0.02 0 02 0.02 0.10 0 02 0.02
hy 4.86 8.18 6.79 7 90 8.95 4 37 2 02 3 38
Modal analyses
Qtz 9.00 24.59 28.13 25.55 30.75 39.00 33.36 29.50
kfsg 76 25 37.45 26.45 29.00 23.90 16 25 33 33 30.29
plag 11 50 19.85 31.64 32.65 30.62 27.14 25 14 26.69
bi -- 8.96 6.54 4.72 8.35 5 00 5 27 9 32
Mu . . . . . . . .
Hbl -- 6.90 5 42 7.23 3 60 -- 1 00 --
Others 3 25 2.25 1.82 0.85 2 78 2.61 1.90 4.20*
Porphyritic
Rock type by Quartz Gnelssose Gneissose Gneissose Gnemsose Biotite BloUte Tourmahne
hand specimen Syenite Granite Granite Granite Gramte Granite Gramte Gramte
Location Pyetkaywe Pyetkaywe Pyetkaywe Pyetkaywe Pyetkaywe Pyetkaywe Pyetkaywe Pyetkaywe
Sample No. 65 82 83 85 87 88 89 90
$102 72.84 70.98 71.99 72.68 70.56 72.34 73 12 71.25
Al20 ~ 15.86 16.39 17.64 17.37 16.76 16 16 14 89 14.82
Fe203 as total iron 2.48 3.39 3.03 1.95 5.29 3 36 3 04 3 44
TiO 2 0 00 0.07 0.02 0.01 0.01 0 02 000 001
MnO 0.05 0.09 0.05 0.03 0.01 0.04 0.05 0.27
MgO 0.01 0.37 0.27 0.12 0 03 0.19 0.04 0.06
CaO 0.67 0.34 0.15 0 12 0.07 0.10 0 09 O.06
Na20 4.02 3.22 3.06 2 96 3.14 2.28 4 05 4.48
K20 4.04 3.29 2 79 2.27 3 36 3.52 2.60 3.20
Total 99.97 98.14 99.00 97.51 99.23 98 01 97.88 97 59
CIPW norms
Q 31.49 37.66 41.94 46.70 37.35 44 57 38.90 29.59
or 23.92 19.86 16.69 13.78 20.08 21.33 15.73 19.35
ab 34.08 27.83 26.21 25.72 26.87 19.73 35.09 41 94
an 3.33 1.72 0.75 0.61 0.35 0.51 0.46 0.30
C 3.66 7.06 9.43 10.09 7 92 8.60 5 38 3.36
rat 1.00 1.41 !.25 0.82 2.17 1.39 1.26 1 42
il -- 0.14 0.04 0.02 0.02 0.04 -- 0.02
hy 2.51 4.32 3.69 2.26 5.23 3.83 3 18 4.02

(Table I continued overleaf)

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 G e o l o g i c a l , p e t r o l o g i c a l a n d geochemical characteristics o f g r a n i t o i d rocks, B u r m a 307

Table 1 (cont.)
Modal analyses
Qtz 38.77 18.86 19.06 18.25 32.36 30.25 41.96 41.95
kfsg 27.96 29.24 29.02 62.97 45.30 44.04 15.58 15.59
plag 23.45 29.75 20.87 10.04 14.79 20.55 34.15 34.12
bi 7.09 7.10 14.92 7.19 2 48 4.16 -- --
Mu -- -- -- 1.00 1.98 -- 5.14 6.06
Hbl 2.33 I 1.00 15 00 . . . . .
Others 0.40 4.05 1.11 0.55 3 09* 1.130 3 16 2.27
Porphyritic Porphyritic Porphyritic
Rock type by Biotite Hornblende Hornblende Biotite Tourmaline
hand specimen Granite Granite Granite Granite Granite Granite Granite Granite
Hermylngyi Hermyingyi Hermylngyi Hermyingyl Hermyingyi HermyingyI Hermyingyl Hermyingyl
Location (Tavoy) (Tavoy) (Tavoy) (Tavoy) (Tavoy) (Tavoy) (Tavoy) (Tavoy)
Sample No. 31 32 33 34 38 39 41 44
SiO2 70.59 72.89 69.91 72 93 77.59 76.50 77.81 70.42
AI203 15.89 15.38 17.64 14 75 14.12 12.58 10 90 12.75
Fe203 as total iron 3.45 3.26 3.37 2.32 4.01 4.12 4 02 7.54
TiO2 0 00 0 00 0 00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0 00
MnO 0.32 0.21 0.14 0.15 0.23 0.15 0.35 0.37
MgO 0.00 0.01 0.02 0.01 0 01 0.01 0.00 0.01
CaO 0.07 0.08 0.11 0.07 0.06 0.07 0 03 0 07
Na20 3.35 3.02 4.00 4.39 1.40 3.04 3 50 3.79
K20 4.03 3 55 3.81 4.37 1.57 2.53 3 28 3.92
Total 97.70 98.40 99.00 98.99 98 99 99 00 99 89 98 80
CIPW norms
Q 27.13 36 91 30.58 29.73 62.14 47.65 42.95 30.18
or 25 91 21 24 22.80 26.12 9.40 15.15 19.46 23.57
ab 37 27 31 01 34.27 37.58 12.00 26 06 29 73 32 63
an 0.35 0 40 0 55 0.35 0.30 0.35 0.15 0.35
C 3.97 5 50 6.82 2.70 10.14 4.77 1.54 2.18
mt 1.42 1.34 1 38 0 95 1.65 1.69 1.64 3.11
II . . . . . . . .
hy 3.95 3.60 3.60 2 57 4.37 4.33 4.53 7.97
Modal analyses
Qtz 35.39 36 92 36.30 28.66 38.73 31 82 38 06 34.98
kfsg 11.77 15.73 20.90 26.25 12 66 15.48 10.43 17.O1
plag 34.73 38.49 28.25 37.41 38.33 37.84 35 04 35.38
bi . . . . . . . .
Mu 15 86 7.25 13.75 6 50 7 83 12.76 I0 22 9.49
Hbl . . . . . . . .
others 2.25 1.61 0.80 1.18 2 45 2 70 6 25* 2.51

Rock type by
hand specimen Granite Gramte Granite Granite Granite Gramte Granite Granite
* Mostly tourmaline.
t Mostly fluorite and garnet.

were n o t e d at Y i n m a b i n area, central B u r m a viz. blende granite (adamellite) a n d h o r n b l e n d e - - b i o t i t e

b r o w n a n d green biotites ( M a u n g T h e i n et al. 1972).
T h e b r o w n variety exhibits p l e o c h r o i c scheme o f
= yellow, /~ = b r o w n , a n d ~ = d a r k b r o w n , whereas
the green biotite shows p l e o c h r o i c f o r m u l a o f a = o r a n g e
b r o w n , fl = olive green a n d ? = d a r k green. Biotite is
f o u n d p a r t i a l l y chloritized in s o m e sections. Biotite is
altered to Belin blue chlorite. A t P y e t k a y w e , clusters o f
biotite a n d are f o u n d as r e a c t i o n rims to h o r n b l e n d e in
h o r n b l e n d e granite (adamellite) s a m p l e s ( K h i n M y o
T h e t 1981).
M u s c o v i t e f o r m s as a c o m m o n a n d d o m i n a n t mica in
highly differentiated, late-state leucogranites, p e g m a t i t e s
a n d related rocks. It f o r m s as flakes a n d laths. M i n u t e
i r r e g u l a r flakes (sericites) are also f o u n d as a l t e r a t i o n
p r o d u c t s after feldspars. M u s c o v i t e is f o u n d m o r e c o m -
m o n l y a n d a b u n d a n t l y in the W - S n b e a r i n g g r a n i t o i d s
(e.g. at H e r m y i n g y i Mine, s o u t h e r n Burma). H o r n b l e n d e
f o r m s as a m a j o r m i n e r a l in m o r e marie varieties o f the
g r a n i t o i d . H o r n b l e n d e generally m a k e s u p f r o m 1 to 14
v o l u m e p e r cent o f the total m i n e r a l c o n t e n t in h o r n -
SEAE$ 4 / 4 - - D
granite. H o r n b l e n d e is c o m m o n l y a s s o c i a t e d with pale
b r o w n o r light yellow biotite. B o t h m i n e r a l s m a y alter to
chlorites. A t P y e t k a y w e , h o r n b l e n d e has a p l e o c h r o i c
f o r m u l a o f ~ = yellowish b r o w n , fl = light b r o w n a n d
= d a r k green.
2. Accessory minerals
Z i r c o n , a p a t i t e a n d sphene are the m o s t c o m m o n
assessory minerals. U n d e r the m i c r o s c o p e , zircon a n d
a p a t i t e generally occur as inclusions in b i o t i t e a n d the
r a d i a t i o n d a m a g e p r o d u c e d b y the zircon inclusions gave
rise to p l e o c h r o i c haloes. A p a t i t e also f o r m s as minute,
e u h e d r a l p r i s m a t i c crystals with six-sided b a s a l sections.
Sphene is r o u n d e d to r h o m b i c s o m e t i m e s with l a m e l l a r
twins parallel to 221. S p h e n e is locally o b s e r v e d as the
m o s t a b u n d a n t m i n o r accessory mineral, a n d at the
B o d a w g y i area, n o r t h e r n B u r m a , g r a n i t o i d s often c o n -
tain e u h e d r a l sphene crystal o f u p to 0.2 x 0.5 m m in
size (Thein W i n 1980). S p b e n e is s t r o n g l y p l e o c h r o i c
30~ KHIN ZAW
(~, : pale brownish yellow, fl = brown and orange
brown
Tourmahne is a dominant assessory mineral in tour--
mahne-bearing granite and highly differentiated felslc
granltOld In thin sections, tourmaline occurb as pris-
matic grams to crystals with triangular outhnes and is
strongly pleochroic from yellowish greep :o orange
brown Tourmaline frequently exhibits radiating thin
needles forming so-called "tourmaline suns" In the
Mogok-Momelk area at the northern part of the gran-
ltoid belt, the tourmaline granite contains euhedral gem
varieties such as red (rubelhte) or blue (lndlcohte) At
the Mawchl Mine, tourmaline occurs a> ~ dominant
accessory mineral in the gramtold to the e~cluslon of
other ferromagneslan minerals Microscopically. tour-
maline in the Mawchl gramtold is blue or brown,
occasionally zoned, sometimes replacing quartz aI~d
feldspars
Garnet, fluorite, topaz and cassttente sporadically
occur as minor accessories m the granitoids, and these
minerals occur as isolated, irregular or subhedral to
anhedral grains of less than 1 mm across Garnet crystals
are found m almost all gramtold samples from the
Hermymgyl Mine area, southern Burma In thin sec-
tions, garnet mostly occurs as subhedral to anhedral
grains of less than 0.03 to 0.9 mm across. No garnet was
recorded in the biotite gramtes or hornblende granites
(adamelhtes) of other granltold plutons although grains
of garnet are commonly microscopically observed in the
related leucogranltes and pegmatites (e.g at Pyetkaywe)
Fluorite IS found only m the Hermylngyl and Mawchi
granltold rocks Fluorite forms as rounded, anhedral
grains of up to 0.3 mm across are commonly' enclosed m
the cracks of garnet grains.
I o p a z were not found in this investigation, but it is
reported as minute prisms m altered granitold rocks at
Mawchl, southern Burma (Dunn 1938) Casslterite is
recognized in this study as discrete grains in the Mawch~
granito~d. Under the microscope, casslterlte ~s often seen
to be zoned and may show a red to colourless pale green
pleochrolsm. It is usually interstitial to quartz and
feldspars and more closely associated with tourmaline,
muscowte and fluorite, and sometimes ~t appears to
replace quartz and feldspars. Wolframite has been re-
ported m the granltolds at Mylnmati Mine (Goossens
1978) and Nyan Thin (1984) reported rare beryl m the
verx coarse-grained, pegmatitic gramtolds in the
Tenasserlm area, southern Burma, but these two were
often commonly observed m the associated pegmatlte
veins and dykes (e.g. at Pyetkaywe area, central Burma).
Allanite is reported as a minor constituent m the Hermy-
xngyl granitoid (Nllar Shwe 1980).
Rutlle is rarely observed as minute, elongated crystals
penetrating chlorltized biotite. Magnetite and titano-
magnetite are commonly found as opaque accessory
minerals. Ilmemte was frequently recorded in this study,
and at Pyetkaywe area, Garson et aL (1976) reported
that llmemte was noted in a small amount under the
microscope in the dyke-like intrusion of hornblende
granodmrtite west of Shablnga Taung. and in the
biotite-hornblende adamellite east of Kyatgyl pluton.
Recent geological investigation of Pyetkaywe indicates
that dark brown patches and pods associated with the
Pyetkaywe granitoids which were previously assumed to
be iron ores or wotframltes are in fact ilmenites. No
clinopyroxene was recognized m the granitoid rocks in
this present mineraloglc investigation but Garson et al
(1976) reported that pale green chnopyroxene (dlopside)
was observed microscopically in the granodiorites south
of Busaylt and east of Nyaunggyat at the Pyetkaywe
pluton.
The secondary minerals are also noted as minor
constituents in the granltoids. Saussurite is found partly
or completely replacing plagioclase, and sericite and
kaolin are noted as alteration products of feldspars.
Chlorite is present in the granitold replacing hornblende
and biotite. Epidote (chnozolsite) is not recorded in this
mvesugatIon, but epidote is reported in the adamellite at
Kyatgyl area and in the granodlorltes south and east of
Nyaunggyat, central Burma, and galena is also noted in
the chlorltized and epidotized granodiorite (Garson et al.
1976). Epldote up to 2% is noted in the biotite granites
and associated diorites and granodlontes at Kyaukse-
Behn area, central Burma (Myint Thein 1975). Epidote
Ls rarely found in the diorites at Sinmakhwa, central
Burma (Khm Win Kyl 1981) but granitoids at Amherst
(Kyalkkhaml) and Green Island, southern Burma, con-
tam abundant accessory epldote (Stamp 1926) At
Mawchl Mine area, Dunn (1938) reported that epldote,
calcite, magnetite and pyrite are locally present in the
more altered type of the granitoid rocks Monazite
together with ilmenite, magnetite and garnet are ob-
tained from the sands of streams draining the gramtoid
ridges m the Mergul area, southern Burma (Pascoe
1959), but monazlte has not been reported in the gram-
told rocks m Burma
GEOCHEMISTRY
For geochemical study, forty representative gramtotd
samples were selected from different granitoid plutons
from Kyatpyin (Mogok) in the north, to the Tavoy
area, Tennasserim Division in the south of the central
gramtoid belt.
1. Major elements
The major elements compositions of Si, A1 and Fe
were determined by standard wet chemical analysis; Na,
K, Ca, Mg and Mn by atomic absorption spectrometry
and Ti by spectrochemical method. The major element
data are given in Table 1 together with their modal and
normative compositions. The granitoid rocks of the
central granitoid belt have a considerable spread in
major element values. The range for SiO 2 is from (64.50)
to (77.81) wt% and for the other elements' A1203
(10.90-18.45); Fe203 as total iron (1.52-7.54); TiO2
(0.00-0.15); MnO (0.01-0.65); MgO (0.00-1.59); CaO
(0.02-1.01); N a 2 0 (1.40-4.95) and K20 (1.54-5 88)
 Geological, petrological and geochemical characteristics of granitoid rocks, Burma 309

14
12
10
0.11
0.12
- - - - - - - . ~ . : .: , ' . . , ~ . ,

8
4
2

~ . : .,.:......-:
g M~
13t
1.g .L
0.8
. . ..'. t : t . . . ~ j ~ ,

,,, 0
0.6 . ~ . CaO
O.4

0.2
" ";c.,~ Fig. 4 A1203-Na20+ K20-CaO plot of the granitoldrocks fromthe
d " ~ . ~
central granitold belt, Burma. Note the granitoid rocks fall in the
peraluminousfield.
0.4

0,.2 significant trends. Be, Bi, Cu, Mo, Pb, Sn, Y and Zn have
0 positive correlations whereas Ba and Zr show negative
4
.._....._....._..._...z..----

...
....
.

.....
...____~_..

correlations with SiO~. B, Co, Ga and Ni exhibit no
significant trends with respect to silica Comparison of
2
the selected trace element distribution of the granitoids
0 I , I ~ I I , I J 1 I I I I I I i
e2 64 68 88 70 72 74 7(I 78 from the central granitoid belt in Burma with those of
Sn related granitoids in other regions is shown in Table
Fig. 3. Variationof majorelementsvs $102in the granitoidrocksfrom 3 together with the quoted average abundance of these
the central gramtoidbelt, Burma Linesare visuallyestimatedbest fit trace elements in all normal granites after Levinson
lines. (1974)
2.1. Boron. Boron shows concentrations below or
The variation diagram for the major elements (Fig. 3) above the detection limit of 50 ppm, and gave a wide
shows that A1203, Fe~O3 (as total iron), TiO~, MgO, range of < 50-700 ppm which is much higher than the
CaO and Na20 have a negative correlation with SiO2, quoted average abundance of 15 ppm B for all normal
while K20 has a positive correlation with silica It is granites (Table 3). It is very variable and exhibits no
noteworthy that MnO shows a slight increase with significant trend with respect to silica, but can be
increasing SiO2. It is well compatible with mineralogical correlated with the presence of tourmaline in the grani-
data that garnet is frequently found as an accessory toids. All granitoid samples which contain tourmaline as
mineral in the granitoids (e.g. Hermyingyi granitoid) and a prominent mineral show high B concentrations.
Mn would have incorporated in the garnet as spessartine The highest values of 700 ppm B are in samples 87 and
molecules. Figure 4 shows a plot of A1203-Na~O + 90, tourmaline granites from the Pyetkaywe pluton, and
K20--CaO for the granitoid rocks from the belt and it Samples 64 and 88 which are also tourmaline-bearing
clearly indicates that the granitoids fall in the peralumi- granites of Pyetkaywe pluton contain 300ppm B.
nous field. Sample 54, a tourmaline granite from the Mawchi Sn-W
Mine, has 500 ppm B, and all other granitoid samples
2. Trace elements have below the detection limit of 50 ppm B. A similar
high B content of 40--300ppm was reported in the
Table 2 lists the trace elements data for this study. tin-bearing granitoids at Seward Peninsula, Alaska
Seventeen trace elements (B, Ba, Be, Bi, Co, Cu, Ga, La, (Sainsbury et al. 1968).
Mo, Nb, Ni, Pb, Sn, W, Y, Zn and Zr) were selected. Co, 2.2. Barium. Barium substitutes for the K + ion, and
Cu, Pb and Zn were analysed by atomic absorption mainly occurs in K-feldspar and, to a lesser extent, in the
spectrophotometry, and other dements by semi-quanita- micas. Ba is variable in concentration from less than 200
rive spectrochemical analysis. Although La, Nb and W to 1500 ppm but shows strong negative correlation with
were determined, no significant values were found, and silica. Samples 4, 52 and 53, hornblende- and biotite-
these elements are present in the granitoid rocks below bearing granitoids from the Yinmabin area, have
the lower detection limit of 50 ppm for La and 200 ppm 200-500 ppm Ba, and samples 58, 59 and 60, the three
for Nb and W, and hence the distribution of these out of four samples from the Bodawgyi pluton, contain
elements can not be considered and assessed. 1000-1500 ppm Ba which is also higher than the quoted
The majority of the other trace elements distributions average value of 600 ppm Ba for the normal granites
(Fig. 5) are also somewhat erratic, but show relatively (Table 3).
310 KHIN ZAW

All other gramtold samples m this study show Ba
contents below the detection limit of 200 ppm Ba. Flinter
et a! (1972) reported a concentration of < 40-2000 ppm
Ba xn Sn-W-Mo-Cu related granltoids from New
England, Australia. A range of 83-766ppm Ba was
recorded in Sn related, Devonian granitold rocks from
Nova Scotia, Canada (Smith and Turek 1976). Similarly,
Western (Main) Range granltoids from Malaysia con-
tain 6-877 ppm Ba with an average of 374ppm Ba
(Hutchison 1977).

Table 2 Selected trace elements dlstnbuuons (in ppm) of gramtold rocks from the central gramtold belt, Burma
Bodawgyl Bodawgyz Bodawgyl Bodawgyi
Location (Pmle-m) (Pinle-m) (Pmle-m) (Pmle-m) Pyetkaywe Pyetkaywe Pyetkaywe Pyetkaywe
Sample_No 5~ 59 60 61 62 63 64 65
B < 50 < 50 < 50 < 50 < 50 < 50 300 <. 50
Ba 1500 1500 1000 < 200 < 200 < 200 < 200 < 200
Be <-~ <5 ~ ,-5 <5 <5 ~ <5
Bt .-5 --5 ~ <5 <5 <5 <5 <5
Co 2~ 21 24 30 20 16 16 18
Cu 24 28 35 31 27 22 26 ~0
Ga 15 15 15 15 15 15 20 15
La < 50 < 50 < 50 < 50 < 50 < 50 < 50 < 50
Mo <1 <1 <l <l 1 1 <t 2
Nb < 200 < 200 < 200 < 200 < 200 < 200 < 200 < 200
N~ <I0 <10 <10 < 10 <10 <10 <I0 <10
Pb 98 116 92 86 103 87 89 102
Sn 5 10 10 5 10 3 50 7
W < 200 < 200 < 200 < 200 < 200 < 200 < 200 < 200
Y <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <I0
Zn 105 150 115 145 110 50 45 40
Zr 30 30 30 < 10 20 < 10 < 10 I0
Porphyrmc
Rock type by Biotite B~ome Tourmahne B~ot~te
hand specimen Granite Granite Gramte Granite Granite Gramte Gramte Granite
Location Pyetkaywe Pyetkaywe Pyetkaywe Pyetkaywe Pyetkaywe Pyetkaywe Pyetkaywe Gu-taung
Sample No 82 83 85 87 88 89 90 35
B < 50 < 50 < 50 700 300 < 50 700 < 50
Ba < 200 < 200 < 200 < 200 < 200 < 200 < 200 < 200
Be <5 <5 5 <5 <5 <5 30 <5
B, <5 <5 <5 10 <5 <5 10 ~5
Co 18 17 16 15 19 17 17 18
Cu 28 29 28 29 63 61 29 ~0
Ga 15 15 15 15 15 15 20 15
La < 50 < 50 < 50 < 50 < 50 < 50 < 50 < 50
Mo ~ 1 2 1 1 1 1 < l
Nb < 200 < 200 < 200 < 200 < 200 < 200 < 200 < 200
Nl <10 <10 <10 <I0 <10 <10 <10 <I0
Pb 107 98 129 106 141 122 63 115
Sn 15 15 15 7 10 15 50 5
W < 200 < 200 < 200 < 200 < 200 < 200 < 200 < 200
Y <10 <10 <10 <10 < 10 <10 <10 <10
Zn 90 60 50 35 45 40 35 70
Zr 50 10 < 10 < 10 10 10 10 < 10
Rock type by Porphyrmc Biotite Biotite Tourmahne Tourmahne Biottte
hand specimen Granite Granite Gramte Granite Granite Gramte Gramte Gramte
Location Yinmabin Yinmabin Yinmabin Ymmabm Payangazu Takon Takon
Sample No 4 51 52 53 6 1
B <50 <50 <50 <50 <50 <50 <50
Ba < 200 < 200 < 200 < 200 < 500 < 200 < 200
Be <5 <5 <5 <5 <5 <5 <5
B1 <5 <5 <5 <5 <5 <5 <~
Co 18 -- 17 19 21 --
Cu 30 -- 46 70 34
Ga 15 15 15 15 15 15 l0
La < 50 < 50 < 50 < 50 < 50 < 50 < 50
Mo <1 <1 2 2 2 2 <1
Nb < 200 < 200 < 200 < 200 < 200 < 200 < 200
N~ <10 <10 <10 15 <10 <I0 <10
Pb 115 -- 90 89 87 . . . . .
Sn 5 <1 15 < 1 3 2 2
W <200 <200 <200 <200 <200 <200 <200
Y <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10
Zn 70 -- 50 80 55 --
Zr <10 <I0 <10 50 <10 10 10
Biotite/ Hornblende/ Porphyritic Porphyritic
Rock type by Hornblende Muscovite Hornblende Biotite Biotite Biotite Hornblende
hand specimen Gramte Granite Granite Granite Gramte Gramte Granite
 Geological, petrological and geochemical characteristics of granitoid rocks, Burma 311
Table 2 (cont.)
Yezin Yezin Kyeikhtiyo Hermyingyi Hermyingyi Hermyingyi
Location (Pyinmana) (Pyinmana) Mawdu O'haton) (Tavoy) (Tavoy) (Tavoy)
Sample No. 3 7 54 56 28 30 31
B < 50 < 50 500 < 50 < 50 < 50 < 50
Ba <200 <200 <200 <200 <200 <200 <200
Be <5 <5 5 <5 <5 <5 <5
Bi <5 <5 <5 <5 10 I0 10
Co -- -- 14 16 15 15 16
Cu -- -- 77 25 48 38 74
Ga 10 15 20 15 15 15 15
La < 50 < 50 < 50 < 50 < 50 < 50 < 50
Mo <I <1 5 1 5 5 1
Nb < 200 < 200 < 200 < 200 < 200 < 200 < 200
Ni < 10 < 10 < 10 < 10 < 10 < 10 < 10
Pb -- -- 235 62 138 149 288
Sn 2 2 500 < I 50 50 50
W < 200 < 200 < 200 < 200 < 200 < 200 < 200
Y < 10 < 10 70 < 10 10 10 10
Zn -- -- 165 32 135 160 285
Zr <10 10 10 <10 <10 <10 <10
Porphyritic
Rock type by Hornblende BiotRe Tourmaline
hand specimen Gramte Granite Granite Granite Granite Granite Gramte
Hermyingyi Hermyingyi Hermyingyi Hermyingyi Hermymgyi Hermyingyi Hermyingyi
Location (Tavoy) (Tavoy) (TarDy) (Tavoy) (Tavoy) (Tavoy) (Tavoy)
Sample No. 32 33 34 38 39 41 44
B < 50 < 50 < 50 < 50 < 50 < 50 < 50
Ba < 200 < 200 < 200 < 200 < 200 < 200 < 200
Be <5 <5 <5 <5 <5 <5 <5
Bi <5 <5 <5 <5 <5 15 <5
Co 17 13 13 16 16 18 14
Cu 38 35 22 24 23 34 79
Ga 15 15 15 15 15 15 15
La < 50 < 50 < 50 < 50 < 50 < 50 < 50
Mo 2 2 I I 2 2 5
Nb < 200 < 200 < 200 < 200 < 200 < 200 < 200
Ni l0 < I0 < l0 < l0 10 < I0 l0
Pb 79 154 Ill 213 94 175 125
Sn 30 30 20 15 20 50 70
W < 200 < 200 < 200 < 200 < 200 < 200 < 200
Y I0 10 l0 l0 20 15 20
Zn 60 95 95 160 205 305 315
Zr < l0 < l0 < 10 < l0 10 < l0 < 10

Rock type by
hand speomen Granite Granite Gramte Gramte Granite Granite Granite

2.3. Beryllium. The majority of the granitoid rocks in
this study have Be less than the detection limit of 5 ppm,
a value also quoted for average abundance for all normal
granites (Table 3). A substantial portion of Be is pre-
sumably incorporated in the micas and it is also noted
that granitoid rocks in which tourmaline occur as an
accessory mineral are enriched in Be. Only four samples
in this study gave Be contents at or above the detection
limit, and all contain a subordinate amount of tourma-
line, and are collected from plutons associated with
known W-Sn occurrences. The highest value of 30 ppm
Be is recorded in sample 90, a tourmaline granite from
the Pyetkaywe pluton, and samples 64 and 87 which are
also tourmaline granites from Pyetkaywe contain 5 and
7 ppm Be respectively. Sample 54, a tourmaline granite
from the Mawchi Mine, contains 5 ppm Be.
2.4. Bismuth. The distribution of Bi is similar to
that of Be. The Bi content ranges from less than the
detection limit of 5-15ppm which is much higher
than the quoted average abundance of 0.1 ppm Bi for
all normal granites (Table 3). The highest value of
15 ppm Bi is recorded in sample 41, from the Hermyingyi
W-Sn Mine area. Samples 28, 30 and 31, also from
the Hermyingyi area, contain 10 ppm Bi, and samples
87 and 90, both of tourmaline granites from the
Pyetkaywe pluton, have 10 ppm Bi, but other samples
studied show concentrations less than the detection limit
of 5 ppm Bi.
2.5. Cobalt. The granitoids studied have a range of
13-30 ppm with an average value of 18 ppm which is
about three times higher than the quoted average abun-
dance of 5 ppm Co for all normal granites (Table 3).
Similar Co distribution of 14-33 ppm was reported in the
granitoids from Nova Scotia (Smith and Turek 1976).
2.6. Copper. All samples contain more than 20 ppm
Cu. Cu content ranges from 22 to 79ppm with an
average of 38 ppm, which is about four times higher than
the quoted average value of 10 ppm Cu for all normal
granites (Table 3). Cu shows a strong correlation with
silica. Samples 58-61, from the Bodawgyi pluton in
which no W-Sn occurrences were found, contain
24-35 ppm Cu and similarly, sample 56, a granitoid
sample from Kyeikhtiyo where no W-Sn deposits have
so far been reported, also gave a low Cu content of
 I' KHIN ZAW

Ba

4r~L ~ %
D ' i E
0
2o~ Be I
zol-
;o . . . . . . . BI 1
. . . . .

oo!I
E

1
Cu I !
J
20~- Ga!
OH -I
8t-
41" Mo I -I
~ ~ . . . . . . ,> . . ~1~.

C~. 201- N, ]
280 Pb
C~

-
5OO mm Sn
,,o F
sop
4O

2(~ _ ,__
Y

280 Zn
2O0
120
40 0
o m~ o"
60- Zr
~- i --'-'i-
" - ' - - q - " Y -~. " i ~ .~. . . . . ,.--~ - - t - - - - ~ + . , , i I
62 64 66 68 70 72 74 76 78 80

Si02 (wt%) )
6 _1 2 g_,:g
Fig 5 Varaat~onof trace elements vs SIO~in the gramtoid rocks from '~"
v
w v Gv/GG
the central gramto~dbelt, Burma L,nes are wsually esnmated best fit
lines
0

25 ppm In comparison, the highest Cu content of

79 ppm is observed in sample 44, a granitoid rock from
the Hermyingyi Mine area, and sample 54, a tourmaline
granite from the Mawchi Mine, contains high Cu
(77 ppm). Hence Cu shows tendency to enrich in W-Sn ,=

bearing granitoids.
3
2.7. Gallium. Gallium shows no distinctive pattern but
varies m a narrow range o f 10-20 ppm. All granitold
samples in this study contain not less than 10 ppm Ga,
but below the quoted average value of 18 ppm Ga for
normal granites (Table 3). Only sample 54, a tourmaline 0

granite from the Mawchi Mine and samples 64 and 90,

tourmaline gramtes from the Pyetkaywe pluton, have
20 ppm Ga. ,,n
E
e~
2.8. Lead. Lead is probably present mainly in
the feldspars. Like Cu, Pb shows a positive correlation
with silica and varies from 62 to 288 ppm with an
2 =3
average value of 121 ppm, which is six times higher
than the quoted average abundance of 20ppm Pb
for all normal granites (Table 3). The minimum v~ v o*a
value of 6 2 p p m Pb was noted in sample 56, a
Kyeikhttyo granite with which no W - S n deposits
have so far been reported. The Bodawgyi granitoids r-n,
(samples 58-61) in which there is also no W-Sn
mineralization contain 86-116 ppm Pb, whereas granites ,.-1

o f the Pyetkaywe pluton where there are minor tungsten

deposits contain 63-114 ppm Pb. Granitoids from the
Hermyingyi Mine area yielded the highest value of
288 ppm Pb in sample 31 and have a range o f (94-228)
 Geological, petrological and geochemical characteristics of granitoid rocks, Burma
ppm Pb, whereas a tourmaline granite from the Mawchi
Mine (sample 54) contains the high value of 235 ppm Pb.
Hence, like Cu, Pb shows a tendency of enrichment in
the W-Sn bearing granitoids.
2.9. Molybdenum. Like Cu, Mo shows a positive
correlation with silica. It tends to combine with sulfur
during magmatic crystallization and occurs exclusively
as molybdenite. The Mo content in the granitoid
rocks in this investigation varies from less than the
detection limit of 1-5 ppm and are relatively above the
quoted average value of 2ppm Mo for the normal
granites (Table 3). All granitoid rocks from the Hermy-
ingyi Mine area (samples 28, 29-34, 38-39, 41 and 44)
yielded a range of 1-5ppm Mo and sample 54, a
tourmaline granite from the Mawchi Mine contains
5 ppm Mo.
Twelve granitoid samples from the Pyetkaywe pluton
in which known tungsten prospects occur give a range of
< 1-2 ppm Mo, but the Yinmabin-Payangazu granitoid
rocks (samples 4, 6 and 51-53) which have no associated
W-Sn deposits also have < 1-2 ppm Mo, and all other
granitoid samples contain less than 1 ppm Mo. Thus, the
Mo content tends to be enriched in the W-Sn bearing
granites (e.g. Hermyingi granitoids). No discrete grains
of molybdenite were found in the granitoids but at the
Hermyingyi and Mawchi Mines molybdenite flakes are
noted as a frequent accessory sulfide mineral in the
quartz veins (Khin Zaw 1978, Nilar Shwe 1980, Khin
Zaw and Khin Myo Thet 1983).
An average Mo content of 3.1 ppm with a range of
2-5 ppm was reported in the Sn-W related granites from
Cinovec, Krusnehory Mt (Erzgebirge), Czechoslovakia
(Stemprok and Sulcek 1969). A variable but relatively
similar Mo content ( < 1-10 ppm) was also found in the
Sn-W bearing granitoids of New England, Australia in
which economic vein-type, molybdenite deposits occur
(Flinter et al. 1972). A higher Mo content of 11-39 ppm
was recorded in the granitoids at Nova Scotia (Smith
and Turek 1976).
2.10. Nickel. Like Co, Ni shows no significant trend
with silica and Ni content varies from less than the
detection limit of 10-15ppm. The highest value of
15 ppm Ni was noted in sample 52, a biotite-hornblende
granite from the Yinmabin pluton. Sample 59, a granite
sample from Bodawgyi, and samples 32 and 39, grani-
toid rocks from the Hermyingyi Mine area, have 10 ppm
Ni which is higher than the quoted average value of
4 ppm Ni for normal granites (Table 3), but all other
granitoid samples in this study contain less than the
detection limit of 10 ppm Ni. In comparison, a range of
10-33 ppm Ni was reported in the granitoids from Nova
Scotia (Smith and Turek 1976).
2.11. Tin. Sn is variable in the granitoid rocks from the
central granitoid belt in Burma, but like Cu and Pb, it
shows a positive correlation with silica. Sn concentration
mostly varies from less than the detection limit of
1-70 ppm. Sample 54, a tourmaline granite from the
Mawchi Mine, contains the highest content of 500 ppm
Sn; there are discrete grains of cassiterite in the Mawchi
granitoids.
313
The Sn content of the granitoids has been used as a
guide for the exploration of Sn mineralization. A certain
granitoid which contains Sn more than the quoted
average Sn content for all normal granites (Table 3) is
generally assumed to be indicative of Sn mineralization,
and defined as a tin granitoid or mineralized granitoid.
Conversely, a granitoid which has Sn content at or below
the average value for the normal granitoids is considered
to be tin-poor or barren pluton. However, many workers
(e.g. Flinter 1971, Flinter et al. 1972) argued that the
high value of Sn in the granitoids cannot be considered
as an indicator of Sn mineralization.
The quoted average Sn content for granites has been
reported as 1.5-3 ppm (Turekian and Wedepohl 1961),
3.5 + 1 ppm (Wedepohl 1969), and 3 ppm (Table 3). A
cut-off value of Sn content to discriminate Sn-bearing
from Sn-barren granitoid has also been widely but
variably quoted in the literature. Barsukov (1957)
suggested that a Sn-bearing granitoid contains 16-30 pm
Sn whereas Sn-barren has 3-5ppm. Ivanova (1963)
showed that a Sn-mineralized granitoid has an average
of 23.4 ppm Sn and Sn-barren 5 ppm, whereas F1inter
(1971) quoted a number of examples and considered that
a stanniferous (mineralized) granitoid contains at least
15 ppm Sn; he chose 10 ppm Sn as a cut-off limit. Beus
and Grigorian (1977) indicated that mineralized or
productive granitoids have 15 ppm Sn and the barren or
non-productive granitoids 5 ppm Sn.
On the basis of Sn distribution m the gramtoid rocks
from New England Complex, Australia, Juniper and
Kleeman (1979) mentioned that Sn-bearing or mineral-
ized granitoids contain 15-30 ppm Sn and the barren
granitoids 5 ppm Sn. Application of the above cut-off
limits to discriminate Sn-mineralized from barren grani-
toid rocks in this study gave a mixed result. The twelve
granitoid rocks collected from the different plutonic
phases of the large Pyetkaywe pluton, in which there
are only minor tungsten occurrences, yielded a wide
range of 3-50 ppm Sn. Samples 58-61 collected from the
Bodawgyi granitoids with no recorded W-Sn mineraliz-
ation gave 5-10ppm Sn. Similarly, the Yinmabin-
Payangazu granitoids (samples 4, 6, 51-53) in which no
W-Sn deposit has so far been reported, contain
< 1-15 ppm Sn.
Many W-Sn deposits are reportedly associated
with Pyinmana (Yezin)-Takon pluton, but the different
granitoid rock units, porphyric hornblende and/or
biotite-bearing granitoids (samples 1-3) and biotite
granitoid (sample 7), contain only 2ppm Sn each.
Although this low concentration of Sn could be ac-
counted for by the fact that the Pyinmana (Yezin)-
Takon granitoid samples were collected a few kilometres
away from the W-Sn mine-sites or old workings, Sn
content in the granitoids alone should be used with
great caution as a guide in search for W-Sn deposits in
Burma. The ten granitoid samples collected from the
immediate vicinity of the Hermyingyi Mine area contain
15-70 ppm Sn, and a granite sample from the Mawchi
Mine gave 500ppm Sn. The present investigation
suggests that granitoid rocks collected from the W-Sn
~14 KHIN ZAV~
mine-sites are distinctly enriched in Sn content and the
majority of the samples contain above the cut-off limit
of 15 ppm Sn.
Comparison of Sn content for Burmese gramtoids
with those of other Sn related granitolds elsewhere,
shows a dwersity of Sn distribution patterns (Table 3).
A range of 16-32 ppm Sn was reported xn granitolds
from Eastern Transbaikaha, U.S.S.R (Ivanova 1963)
and a maximum average value of 32 ppm was found in
gramtoids at the Armonc Complex, France (Chaurls
1965) whereas the Carmenelis granite from Cornwall has
a range of 5-30 ppm Sn (Hosking 1967), and granites
from Seward Peninsula, Alaska have 8-35ppm Sn
(Salnsbury et al. 1968). The Clnovec granite of Variscan
age, Krusnehory Mt (Erzgeblrge), Czechoslovakia, con-
tains a relatwely high Sn content of 50-180 ppm with an
average value of 79ppm (Stemprok and Sulcek 1969k
whereas Flinter et al (1972) reported a range of
< l-20 ppm Sn m the New England granites of Upper
Paleozoic age, Australia and Groves (1972) also
recorded a minimum average of 9 ppm Sn in tin-poor,
porphyritic biotite granite/adamelhte and a maximum
average of 49ppm Sn in tin-rich, biotite-muscovite
granite from the Blue Tier bathohth of Upper Devonian
age, NE Tasmania. A range of 6-28 ppm Snv, as noted
in Sn related, Devonian gramtolds, SW Nova Scotia
(Smith and Turek 1976).
For comparison with granltoids within the SE
Asian region, a considerably uniform but relatively
lower Sn content was reported for tin-bearing, Permian
to Triassic Malaysian granltoids. Hutchison (1977)
showed that the Sn contents of the Main Range (West-
ern) granltolds m Malaysia range from 5 to I I ppm with
an average value of 7ppm and the Boundary Range
(Eastern) granltOlds contain 4-6 ppm with an average
of 5 ppm. In Thailand, a widely variable but signifi-
cantly much higher Sn content of 40-2000 pm with an
average value of 510 ppm was observed In tln-stibnite
bearing, Upper Triassic-Lower Jurassic granitolds of the
Khuntan bathohth, Lampang, SE Chmng Mal
(Suensilpong et al. 1977). Thus, it is apparent that
Sn m granitold rocks shows different distribution
patterns in different regions, in various age groups, and
also within different plutomc phases of a single
bathohth This dwersity may be accounted for by the
differences m initial Sn concentration m the parent
magma and the degree and extent of the fractlonation
process
2 12 Yttrium. Y behaves like a heavy rare earth
element and can be grouped together w~th the lan-
thanides. The main lanthanlde in granitoids is La
reflected in either monazite or sphene, but La in all
granito~d samples from the central granitoid belt is
below the detection limit of 50 ppm and hence the
abundance of La cannot be assessed. However Y has an
abundance of more than the detection limit of l0 ppm
and positive correlation with silica although all granitoid
samples (except sample 54) contain Y below the quoted
average value of 40ppm for the normal granitoids
(Table 3)
GranltOld samples from the Hermyingyi Mine area
have 10-20 ppm Y and sample 54, a tourmaline granite
from the Mawchl Mine, yielded 70 ppm Y. Other gran-
ltolds which are assooated with minor W-Sn occur-
rences (e.g. Pyetkaywe granltOlds) or barren granitoids
(e.g Yinmabin) contain less Y than the detection limit
of 10 ppm. Thus, Y is comparatively more enriched in
gramtold plutons which bear major lode-type W-Sn
deposits in Burma. Flinter et al. (1972) also reported that
Y content of <10-15ppm was found in granitoids
from New England, Australia, which are related to
Sn-W-M o-Cu mineralization. Wedepohl (1969)
suggests that if apatlte is present, allanite is normal in
composition and Ce-nch, and m the absence of phos-
phates, allanite is Y-rich. Apatlte is a common and usual
accessory mineral in almost all granltold samples in this
study, and the allanite in the granitolds (e g from the
Hermylngyl Mine area) are expected to be Ce-rich
2 13. Z m c Like Cu, Pb and Sn, Zn has a strong
positive correlation with silica but it shows a wide range
from 32 to 315 ppm with an average value of 109 ppm
about three times higher than the quoted average abun-
dance of 40 ppm Zn in all normal granites (Table 3). The
minimum Zn content of 32 ppm is noted m sample 56,
a granite sample from Kyeikhtlyo where no W-Sn
mineralization has so far been recorded and similarly,
the Bodawygi granltolds (samples 58-61) with which no
W Sn deposits are associated, contained 105-145 ppm
Zn, and the granitold samples from the Ylnmabln pluton
(samples 51-53) gave 50-80 ppm Zn. The highest value
of 315 ppm Zn was observed m sample 44, a granitold
rock from the Hermylngyi Mine area and sample 54, a
tourmaline granite from the Mawchi Mine, also contains
a high value of t65 ppm Zn. Thus, like Cu and Pb, Zn
tends to be enriched in the W-Sn bearing granitolds in
Burma
2.14 Zirconium Although Zr Is mostl), m zircon,
it also can be incorporated m ferromagnesian minerals.
Zr shows negative correlation w~th silica and two
samples contain up to 50ppm Zr. One ~s sample 52
(biotite-hornblende granite from Yinmabln) and the
other is sample 82 (porphyritic biotite granite from
Pyetkaywe) The detection limit for Zr is 10 ppm and ~s
considerably below the quoted average value of 180 ppm
for all normal granites (Table 3) It is demonstrated that
W-Sn bearing gramtoids contain less Zr (< 10) ppm,
whereas barren granitolds (e.g. Ylnmabln gramtolds)
have more Zr (<10-50) ppm A variable amount
20-300 ppm) of Zr was recorded in the Sn-W-Mo-Cu
related granltoids of New England, Australia (Fhnter
et at. 1972). Similarly. a range of 60-243 ppm Zr with an
average value of 116ppm was noted m the Western
(Main) Range granitoIds of Malaysia (Hutchison 1977).
AGE OF EMPLACEMENT
Both stratigraphlc and radlometnc age data of the
central belt granitoid rocks in the Shan-Tenasserim-
Mogok regions are herein reviewed and discussed.
 Geological, petrological and geochemical characteristics of granitoid rocks, Burma
Chhibber (1934) demonstrated that the western edge of
the Shan Plateau is bordered by an important igneous
belt although his emphasis was mainly on effusive,
volcanic rocks. On the basis of stratigraphic reasoning,
Chhibber (1934) considered that the igneous belt along
the western edge of the Shan Plateau has been emplaced
during Upper Cretaceous to Lower Eocene. Maung
Thein et al. (1972) reported that near Yinmabin, the
granitoid rocks in this belt intruded metaclastic rocks of
possible Jurassic age. Garson et al. (1972, 1976) showed
that Pyetkaywe--Pyetpyo granitoid in the west of Pan-
laung Valley intruded easterly-dipping clastic fossili-
ferous sediments of the Panlaung Formation of Mid
Jurassic to Lower Cretaceous age. Bateson et al.
(1972) also showed that similar granitoid rocks at the
Seikphudaug-Padatchaung area, east of Pyinmana,
intruded northerly striking terrigenous metaclastic
rocks; the unmetamorphosed equivalent of these meta-
sediments are broadly similar in lithology to the
Panlaung Formation to the north.
The metamorphism and complete upheaval of the
Kalaw-Pinlaung basin (Jurassic-Cretaceous) of the
Southern Shan Plateau region was considered to have
been associated with the large-scale emplacement of
granitoid rocks in the central belt mostly during Creta-
ceous (Myint Lwin Thein personal communication
1981). Thus, stratigraphic evidences suggest that the age
of granitoid emplacement along the central granitoid
belt in Burma ranges from Upper Jurassic to Lower
Eocene. Recent radiometric dating shows that the time
span of granitoid intrusion in the central belt broadly
conforms with the stratigraphic evidence. Brook and
Snelling (1976) dated four mica concentrates from the
Padatchaung granite, just east of Pyinmana, which gave
a 56 + 2 Ma Rb/Sr age and (55 + 0.5) Ma K/Ar ages.
The concordance of Rb/Sr and K/Ar ages demonstrates
that the granite was intruded in Eocene time and cooled
very rapidly to below the blocking temperature for argon
diffusion in micas.
Brook and Snelling (1976) also did a K/Ar dating on
the adamellite (hornblende granite) from Neyaungga,
Pyetkaywe-Pyetpyo range, immediately north of the
Padatchaung area. The K/Ar ages of hornblende and
biotite yielded (82 + 2) Ma and (58 _+ 1) Ma respectively.
Since hornblende generally retains argon better than
biotite, the age of hornblende can be regarded as a
possible age of the intrusion; this approximates to Upper
Cretaceous, but a total rock Rb/Sr age of (152 + 24) Ma
was obtained for the two granite samples from the
Neyaungga area, and this Rb/Sr age clearly differs from
the K/Ar age estimates. In the Phuket area, just south
of Kawthaung (Victoria Point), four granites have
yielded Upper-Lower Cretaceous Rb/Sr ages (Snelling
et al. 1970) and Rb/Sr whole-rock determinations give a
Lower Cretaceous age for the three dated granites near
Ranong, just east of Kawthaung (Burton and Bignell
1969). Bender (1983), after H. Lenz, recorded a total
rock Rb/Sr age of 55 Ma for the Hermyingyi granite.
Thus, presently available stratigraphic and geo-
chronologic evidence indicates that granitoid emplace-
315
ment in the central granitoid belt possibly began as early
as Jurassic, but major episodes of intrusion took place
during the Upper Cretaceous/Lower Eocene. Hence,
emplacement of the central belt granitoids in Burma was
significantly later than the Permo-Triassic granites of
the Eastern range granites and also the Permo-Triassic
granites of the Western Range granites of the Malay
Peninsula (Hutchison 1977), and the largely Triassic
granitoids of northern Thailand (Teggin 1975, Besang
et al. 1975).
FORM AND INTERNAL STRUCTURE
The granitoid bodies in the W-Sn related, central
granitoid belt are commonly elongated and trend more
or less parallel to the general trend of the country rocks.
For example the longer axes of the elongated granitoid
plutons in the Tavoy area are characteristically parallel
to the NNW-SSE trend of the metasedimentary country
rocks of the Mergui Group. Contacts between granitoid
bodies and the country rocks are mostly irregular and
discordant although concordant granitoid plutons with
margins markedly parallel to the bedding or foliation of
the country rocks are also seen. No pronounced contact
aureole was found. In some localities, granitoid rocks
frequently show foliated structures at the margin of the
intrusions. The foliation was developed during the em-
placement by segregation of biotite resulting in bands of
extremely coarse materials, poor in biotite, alternating
with fine-grained bands rich in biotite.
The minerals exhibit no sign of strain or deformation.
Xenoliths of the country rocks of all shapes and sizes are
common in the granitoids, particularly near the periph-
eries of the intrusions. The xenoliths show surprisingly
little alteration except for a slight marginal bleaching or
silicification. Many apophyses commonly occur all along
the granitoid roofs. Very thin to moderately thick veins
and dykes of aplites and pegmatites which are thought
to represent more advanced stages of differentiation are
seen penetrating both granitoids and the country rocks.
The central belt granitoids are frequently porphyritic;
they also show sub-parallel to parallel alignment of
feldspar phenocrysts (e.g. at Pyetkaywe) as a primary
lineation structure.
POST-INTRUSIVE THERMAL EVENTS
Granitoid rocks in the central granitoid belt of Burma
have been affected by later reheating as evidenced by
K/Ar ages 18-15Ma (Miocene) determined on the
Kabaing granites (Searle and Ba Than Haq 1964,
Maung Thein and Ba Than Haq 1969), and of
Thabeikkyin granites (Brook and Snelling 1976). These
younger K/Ar ages were caused by argon loss due to
thermal disturbances probably related to the Cenzoic
faulting along the central granitoid belt or to the con-
temporaneous volcanism within the Central Lowlands of
the western granitoid belt. Biotites from a biotite granite
,~ KHIN ZAVV
at Yezm (Pymmana), Lmmedlately south of Padatchaung
area. have yielded a 27 + 1 Ma K/Ar age and the blotltes
from the Yezin gramte have also experienced argon loss
possibly due to the later thermal &sturbances the
granltold rocks along the central gramtoid belt appear to
have suffered more than one episode of post-intrusive
thermal &sturbances but the implication for these
younger K/Ar ages ~s not full} understood yet
Hutch~son (1977) interpreted the discordance of K/Ar
age (Cretaceous Jurassic) and Rb/Sr age (Permo
-Frla,~b~c) of the Western Main Range granites m
Malaysm to be related to uphftmg of the Mare Range
after the granltOld emplacemem
COUNTRY ROCKS AND RELATED
METAMORPHISM
In the northern part (e.g. at Mogok) of the central
granitoid belt, the country rocks are older and range in
age from as early as Precambrmn to Upper Paleozolc.
They are mainly made up of gneisses, schists, quartzites,
calc-sihcates, marbles and migmatltes of upper amphibo-
hte facies. Southwards at Pyetkaywe, the country rocks
are medium- to high-grade metamorphic rocks of green-
schist to lower amphibohte faoes which occur as isolated
roof pendants and further south at Ylnmabin, the
equivalent of these metamorphic rocks occur as a thicker
succession and are found to be Lower Paleozolc to
Jurassic (Maung Them et al. 1972) At Pyetkaywe,
fossihferous, metaclastlc sandstones and shales of Mid
Jurassic to Lower Cretaceous (Panlaung Formation of
Garson e t al. 1976) also occur as country rocks.
Further southwards, the country rocks are the slightly
metamorphosed Mawchi and Mergui Groups (mostly
Carboniferous) of slates and phyllites with minor quartz-
ites. It has been noted that the country rocks in the
southern part of the central granitoid belt are metamor-
phosed to a lesser extent than their counterparts m the
northern part. Prior to the major phase of granltOld
intrusions during Upper Mesozoic-Lower Eocene, the
country rocks along the central granltold belt appear to
have been affected by more than one episode of regional
metamorphism and structural deformation. Brook and
Snelling (1976) dated two samples of gneisses from the
metamorphosed country rocks (Nancho Group) from
Padatchaung area m P~lnmana Township and reported
a mlmmum K/Ar age of 185 Ma and whole rock Rb/Sr
model age of c 730 Ma Thus. limited Rb/Sr data
suggest that metamorphism of the country rocks has
taken place as early as the Upper Precambnan, and this
view ~s consistent with the presence of unmetamor-
phosed Lower Paleozo~c se&ments m the nearby Shan
Plateau.
Maung Thein and Soe Win (1970) recently reported
that at the Kyaukse area, a marble sequence contains a
relict tbssll of Carboniferous age suggesting that the rock
sequence had been originally Upper Plateau Limestones
and hence the metamorphism of the country rocks in the
area is post-Plateau Limestones (Devonian to Triassic)
possibly related to the "Triassic-Jurassic" Indosiman
Orogeny, a tectonic event rather widespread in the
regions further south and southeast of Burma. The K/Ar
age of 185 Ma for hornblende from the gneiss sample at
Padatchaung area may also give the best estimate of the
minimum age for the regional metamorphism (Brook
and Snelhng 1976) and associated thermal disturbances
related to this tectonic event. A s~milar age of post-
Plateau hmestones can be assigned for the metamor-
phism of the country rocks of Mawchl and Mergul
Groups (Carboniferous) m the Tennasserim area,
southern Burma.
Searle and Ba Than Haq (1964) also considered that
the regional metamorphism of the highly metamoi-
phosed country rocks in the Mogok area along the
central granltOld belt must have been post-Paleozoic and
almost certainly related to the Himalayan Orogeny. In
contrast, present geologic and tectonic evidences suggest
that the Alpme-Himalayan Orongeny seems to be more
responsible for the rapid uplifting of the granitotds and
unroofing of related country rocks in the central gram-
toid belt rather than the large-scale metamorphic over-
printing on the already metamorphosed country rocks.
A K/Ar age of 55 + 1 Ma for the biotite from a gnelss~c
country rock of the Padatchaung area and a Miocene
thermal event manifested by K/Ar ages of granites and
gnelsses of the Mogok and Thabeikkym areas (Brook
and Snelhng 1976) seem to agree with th~s contention
Granitold intrusions also caused the contact meta-
morphic effect superimposed on the already regionally
metamorphosed country rocks. The contact effect ~s
&splayed by spotted schists and phyllites or narrow
skarn zones which contain such contact metamorphic
minerals as wollastonite, diopside, tremohte, periclase,
epldote, and vesuvlanlte, but it IS noted that contact
aureoles are neither broad nor pronounced. A minor
metasomatlc (granitization) effect is also locally ob-
served (e.g Kyaukse), but ~s merely restricted at the
gramte-metasedlments contact.
LEVEL OF EMPLACEMENT
The gramtoid rocks In the central granltoid belt are
medium- to coarse-grained and frequently porphyritic
with phenocrysts of up to 4 cm across, although finer-
grained microgranites do occur in many places. The
largest phenocrysts are mostly of alkah feldspars. Paral-
lel to sub-parallel ahgnment of the feldspar phenocrysts
are also very often observed (e.g. at Pyetkaywe pluton).
Microscopically, the alkali feldspars are strongly
perthitic and exhibit perfectly developed, cross-hatched
twinning suggesting that they are maximum to near-
maximum microcline but it has to be confirmed by X-ray
methods.
The general absence of pronounced contact aureoles,
scarcity of comagmatic volcanic rocks and miarolitic
cavities and the abundance of associated pegmatites and
aplites support a mesozonal emplacement (Buddmgton
1959) for the granitoid rocks from the central granitoid
 Geological, petrological and geochemical characteristics of granitoid rocks, Burma 317

Table 4. Some chemical characteristics of granitoid rocks from central granitoid belt, Burma
Kyatpyin Bodawgyi Bodawgyi Bodawgyi Bodawgyl
Location Mogok Pinle-in Pinle-in Pirde-in Pinle-in Pyetkaywe Pyetkaywe Pyetkaywe
Sample No. 16 58 59 60 61 62 63 64
D.I. 92 15 84.09 88.61 86.22 6.40 93.05 96.40 94.98
C.I. 1.97 5.47 3.71 4.32 6 40 1.94 1.29 0.38
K20/Na 20 1.54 0 83 0.31 0.92 0.90 0.35 1 65 0.27
A1203/Na 20 1.80 1.83 2.48 2.34 1 84 2 53 1.75 1.63
Location Pyetkaywe Pyetkaywe Pyetkaywe Pyetkaywe Pyetkaywe Pyetkaywe Pyetkaywe Pyetkaywe
Sample No 65 82 83 85 87 88 89 90
D.I. 93.16 92.42 94.27 96.29 92.23 94.23 95.01 84.22
C.I. 3 35 2.38 1.23 0.83 0.40 0.85 0 53 0.41
K20/Na20 1.00 1.02 0.91 0.77 1.07 1.55 0 64 0.66
AI2O3/Na20 1.81 2.39 2.94 3.25 2.55 2 73 2.21 1.83
Sinmakhwa
Location Gu-Taung Yinmabin Yinmabin Ymmabm Yinmabm Yinmabin Payangazu (Pyawbwe)
Sample No. 35 4 19 51 52 53 6 23
D.I. 94 57 89.46 94 72 94.47 86.36 86.53 92 17 94 38
C.I. 1.36 2.49 0.19 0.40 4.09 4 56 0 71 0.44
K20/Na20 1 35 1.17 0.37 0.66 0.49 0 89 1.28 1.51
AI203/Na20 1 68 2.98 2.75 1.91 2 34 2.57 2 27 2.27
+ K 20 + CaO
Yezin Yemn Kyeikhtiyo Hermying3n Hermymgyi
Location Takon Takon (Pyinmana) (Pyinmana) Mawchi (Thaton) (Tavoy) (Tavoy)
Sample No. 1 2 3 7 54 56 28 30
D.I. 94 81 86.26 85 77 92.99 91.29 96.75 93.45 94.37
C.I. 0.62 3 99 5 17 1 46 2.90 0 42 0.59 0.44
K20/Na20 1 46 0.95 0.81 0.52 1.48 I. 11 1.09 1 07
A12Oa/Na20 1 77 2.26 2 15 3 20 2 43 2.21 1 64 1 65
+ K 20 + CaO
Hermyingyl Hermymgyl Hermymgyi Herm3nngyi Hermylngyi Hermymgyi Herm3nngyi Hermymgyi
Location (Tavoy) (Tavoy) (Tavoy) (Tavoy) (Tavoy) (Tavoy) (Tavoy) (Tavoy)
Sample No 31 32 33 34 38 39 41 44
D.I. 94.27 94 66 94.47 96.13 93.68 93.63 93.68 88 56
C.I. 0 35 0.42 0.59 0.37 0.32 0.37 0.15 0 37
K20/Na20 1 20 1.18 0.95 1.00 1 12 0.83 0.94 1.03
AI203/Na20 2.13 2.31 2.23 1 67 4.66 2.23 1.60 1.64
+ K20 + CaO
D.I. = Differentiation index of Thornton and Tuttle (1960); C.I. = crystalhzation index of Poldervaart and Parker (1964);
K20/Na20, wt% ratios; AI203 (Na20 + K20 + CaO), wt% ratios.

belt, Burma. The occurrence of muscovite in the highly
differentiated leucogranites in the central belt granitoids
is also indicative of the emplacement at a depth greater
than 2.5 km (Wones 1981) although muscovite in the
Hermyingyi granitoid may be related to hydrothermal
alteration.
PETROGENESIS
All analysed granitoid rocks from the central grani-
toid belt contain normative corundum up to > 1%
(Table 1) suggesting that the granitoids are alumina
saturated and peraluminous (see also Fig. 4). The D.I.
(differentiation index of Thornton and Tuttle 1960) in
these granitoids ranges from 82.94 to 96.75 and C.I.
(crystallization index of Poldervaart and Parker 1964)
from 0.15 to 6.40, while AI203/(Na20 + K20 + CaO)
weight per cent ratios vary from 1.60 to 3.20 (see Table
4). The bulk composition of the central belt granitoids
ranges from granite proper through quartz monzonite
(adamellite) and granodiorite to diorite but the majority
of the granitoid rocks fall in the granodiorite--quartz
monzonite range. A considerably narrow range of
K20/Na20 ratios (0.31-1.65) with an average value of
0.99 (see Table 4) is in good agreement with this.
Present petrological and geochemical evidences
demonstrate that the central belt granitoids are calc-
alkaline and relatively strongly differentiated. Regular
variation of major elements vs SiO2 and D.I. values up
to 96.75 further support that the granitoids are well
fractionated. The plot of normative Q: Ab: Or (Fig. 6)
after Tuttle and Bowen (1958) shows a relatively wide
compositional range of the granitoid rocks from the
central granitoid belt, but more than fifty per cent of the
points and almost all of the average values of the major
granitoid bodies fall within the cotectic lines of 0.5 and
5 kb. Thus, assuming Prho = PtotaJ, the maximum Prho
allowed by the wider scatter of points is 5 kb. However,
it is not known whether the wide compositional vari-
ation reflects the heterogeneity of the source materials at
the site of emplacement or the effect of phenocryst
accumulation in the melt of the bulk granitoid compo-
sition as the central belt granitoids are frequently
coarsely porphyritic, sometimes with phenocrysts of
feldspars in parallel or sub-parallel alignment.
Since more than half the points plot in a field centred
on the ternary minimum 0.5 kb (Fig. 6), the granitoid
 t~
/ \
/ ,
\,
/ \
\\
\
Ab
v v "~ V V V V V
Fig 6 Tema~ plot of normaUve Q-Ab-Qr (wt%) composmon of the
granitoid rocks from the central gramtold belt, Burma The boundary
curves and minima at 500 kb and 5000 kb are also shown after Tuttle
and Bowen (1958). Symbols indicate/~ = Kyatpyln (Mogok) graratold
(only one sample); x = Bodawgyi gramtold (average of four samples),
= Pyetkaywe-Gu Taung granitold (average of twelve samples),
C) =Yinmabm-Payagnazu granitold (average of six samples),
= Sinmakkwa (Pyawbwe) granitold (only one sample); [] = Yezm
(Pyinmana)-Takon gramtold (average of four samples); [] = Mawchl
granitoid (only one sample); A = Kyeikhyo (Thaton) gramtold (only
one sample), + = Hermyingyl (Tavoy) gramtold (average of ten
samples) Small dots represent all granitoid samples m this study
rocks would have been emplaced at Pn2o of 0.5 kb, and
then the liquidus temperature of the granitoid magma is
780C (Tuttle and Bowen 1958). If the bulk composition
is taken as quartz monzonite proper, the liquidus tem-
perature of quartz monzonite at 1 kb water pressure is
estimated as 850C (Piwinskii and Wyllie 1970). If it is
assumed that the granitoid rocks were emplaced at Pn2o
of 5 kb, the temperature of crystallization of the grani-
toid rocks would be considerably lower. It has been
already mentioned that the occurrence of perthitic maxi-
mum or near-maximum microcline implied that the
central belt granitoids are of the mesozonal, sub-solvus
type of Tuttle and Bowen (1958). The general absence of
pronounced contact aureoles and of comagmatic vol-
canics together with abundance of associated pegmatite
and aplite veins and dykes are in agreement with the
mesozonal emplacement of these granitoid rocks and
further suggest that these granitoid rocks were formed
from a considerably wet, volatile-rich, moderately high
temperature melt in a deep-seated environment. The
water-rich melt in this deep-seated condition allows very
slow cooling to permit crystallization of maximum
microcline and hydrous minerals such as biotite,
muscovite and hornblende.
Tuttle and Bowen (1958) suggested that the quartz
monzonite magma may have been generated by fusion
in the crust (crustal anatexis). K-rich characters of
the central belt granitoid rocks with K20 up to
(5.61) wt% (see Table 1) and SrS7/Srs6 values in a range
(0.711-0.799) with calculated initial SrST/Sr~6ratios up to
(0.717 + 0.002) (Brook and Snelling 1978) seem to ren-
der the proposition that the source of the granitoid
KHIN ZAV~
magma with bulk composition of granodiorite-gramte
appears to be continental and sialic materials. Rb/Sr
ratios of some gramtoids from the central gramtoid belt
range from 0.40 to 33.07 with an average value of 6 70
(see Table 5) also added further evidence for the den-
~auon of these granitoids from an estabhshed continen-
tal, smhc basement.
It has been exclusively described that the central belt
gramtoid rocks commonly grade into granitoid gneisses
w~th no apparent sharp contact m many places, and are
closely and spatially related to regionally metamor-
phosed, Precambnan to Upper Paleozoic and locally
Cretaceous, medium to high-grade largely gneissic and
sometimes migmatmc country rocks m a narrowly de-
formed zone Thus, although future detailed chemical
studies would be desirable, present geologic, petrologic
Or and geochemical evidences together with high initial
rauos of Sr87/Sr86 up to 0 717 +0.002 ~uggest that the
central belt gramtolds were derived from established
continental, slahc materials, perhaps b~ remelting of
the regionally metamorphosed, Precambrmn to Upper
Paleozoic metaclasUc rock~
CHARACTERIZATION OF BURMESE
GRANITOIDS
In the last decade, Chappell and White (1974) mtro-
duced the concept of two genetic types of granitoids,
I-type (igneous) and S-type (sedimentary). Since then,
many people working in other regions considered their
granitoid rocks in the broad context of I-type and S-type
(e.g. Beckmsale et al. 1979 for Thai granitoids). I-type
and S-type granitoids are considered to have been
derived by parital melting of two &fferent types of
source materials--igneous and sedimentary. While the
more positive and critical evidence to distingmsh I-type
and S-type are chemical characteristics, the other miner-
alogical and field evidences which reflect the original
chemical compositions are also given herein.
The available mineralogical, chemical and field data of
the western belt granitoids in Burma are compatible with
I-type. Recently Ahad (1980) made a detailed geological
investigation of the Salingyi granitoid pluton along the
western granitoid belt. At Salingyi, the granitoid rocks
are represented as marginal differentiates of more mafic
gabbros and diorites. Presence of magnetite with no
apparent flmenite and of apatite inclusions in the mafic
minerals of biotite and hornblende together with horn-
blende-bearing xenoliths suggest that the Salingyi grani-
toids are I-type. Low AI203/(Na20 + K,,O + CaO) < 1. I
and low K20/Na20 of the Salingyi granites (unpublished
data, Khin Zaw 1985) and the existence of porphyry
Cu-Au deposits associated with volcamcs in this grani-
toid belt also added to support that the western belt
granitoids are I-types. The central belt granitoids gave a
wider range of mineralogical and geochemical variability
and share both characteristics of I-type and S-type
granitoids of Chappell and White (1974). Petrographi-
cally, the central belt granitoids range from granite
 Geological, petrological and geochemical characteristics of granitoid rocks, Burma 319

Table 5. Rb/Sr and imtial SrS7/Sr~ratios of some granitoids from the central granitoid belt, Burma
(after Brook and SneUing 1976)
Sample No. Location Rock type Rb (ppm) Sr (ppm) Rb/Sr SrS~/Sr~S
8095A Padatchaung, Granite 691 154 4.48 0.727
Pyinmana
8095B Padatchung, Granite 860 26 33.07 0.799
Pyinmana
8095F Padatchaung, Gramte 304 182 1.67 0.723
Pylnmana
8095G Padatchaung, Granite 473 46 10.28 0.740
Pyinmana
7973A Neyangga, Gramte 228 134 1 70 0.722
Pyetkaywe
7973B N e y a n g g a , Hornblende 202 301 0.67 0.715
Pyetkaywe Gramte
7958A Thabeikkym Biotite 157 390 0 40 0 711
Granite
7958C Kabaing, Biotite 184 135 1.36 0.717
Mogok Gramte

proper to granodiorite and quartz monzonite. A detailed
petrochemical study of the different granitoid units
within a single pluton along the W-Sn related, central
granitoid belt has yet to be done, but present geochem-
ical investigations on selected granitoid bodies along the
entire central belt indicate that many are more akin to
S-type.
The variation diagrams of the major and trace
elements of the central belt granitoids (Figs 3 and 5)
show that the distributions of most of the elements
appear to be irregular. This irregular distribution com-
bined with relatively high SiO2 contents (64.50-77.81
wt%) and these granitoids (Table 1) suggest that they are
S-type granitoids. Na20 gave a range of 1.40-4.95 wt%
and hence Na~O contents alone cannot be used to
distinguish either I-type or S-type for the central belt
granitoids, but relatively high K20/Na20 ratios
(0.31-1.65) and also high AI203/(Na20+K20+
CaO) ratios (1.60-4.66) (see Table 4) together with
normative corundum (1.11-10.14%) (see Table 1)
strongly suggest that central belt granitoids are S-type.
High initial SrS7/Sr86 ratios (0.717 _+0.002) of the selected
granitoid plutons (see Table 5) positively indicate that
these granitoids are of the S-types. Thus, present chemi-
cal evidences of the W-Sn related, central belt granitoids
broadly conform with S-type characteristics.
Mineralogically, the central belt granitoids cannot
be unequivocally regarded as I-type or S-type. These
granitoids contain biotite _+ hornblende ___sphene _+
magnetite mineral association which is characteristic of
I-type as well as biotite ___muscovite _ garnet + ilmenite
mineral association which is characteristic of S-type.
Apatite commonly occurs as an accessory mineral in the
central belt granitoids but it is found as inclusions in
biotite and hornblende which is a characteristic feature
of I-type while it is also noted as larger discrete euhedral
grains which is a characteristic feature of S-type. Con-
cerning the field criteria the central belt granitoids
contain not only hornblende-rich xenoliths which is a
feature of I-type but also metasedimentary xenoliths
which is a feature of S-type. However, it is noteworthy
that at Pyetkaywe the diorites and hornblende granites
(adamellites) are clearly observed as older units mostly
confined to the east (Khin Zaw 1970, Garson et al. 1976,
Khin Myo Thet 1981) and contain hornblende-bearing
xenoliths while porphyritic to non-porphyritic, some-
times foliated, biotite _+muscovite granitoids occur as
younger intrusive phases containing metasedimentary
xenoliths.
Thus, both I-type and S-type are present within a
single pluton in the central granitoid belt, but I-types are
apparently found as older units and S-types as younger
plutonic granitoid units. This younger plutonic biotite
and/or muscovite bearing S-type granitoid notably hosts
the greisen-bordered, vein-type W-Sn-F mineralization
while it is likely to find W-Mo-Cu skarns and remnants
or porphyry-type Cu-Mo or Cu-Au mineralization in
association with granitoid units with I-type character-
istics. Lead sulfide deposits are also sporadically found
along the central granitoid belt especially at the northern
part of the belt, but no investigation has been made on
whether the Pb-bearing granitoids are I-type or S-type.
Recent independent studies by Nyan Thin (1984) on the
Tenasserim granitoids also demonstrated that horn-
blende-bearing granitoids appear to be older and mostly
occur at the eastern Burma-Thai Frontier Ranges while
W-Sn bearing, S-type, two mica granitoids are confined
to the western Coastal Ranges. As geochemical and
detailed mineralogical and petrological data are still
lacking the eastern belt granitoids cannot yet be distin-
guished as I-type or S-type.
RELATIONSHIPS WITH
W-Sn MINERALIZATION
The primary W-Sn mineralization is spatially and
genetically related with central belt granitoids in Burma,
and the W-Sn occurrences are predominantly of thin
vein to large vein (lode)-type deposits. W-Sn bearing
pegmatite veins and dykes are sometimes economically
important particularly in Mergui area (e.g. the Kazat,
Yengan, Palaw and Tetwe Mines). Sn as scattered
cassiterite grains (e.g. at the Mawchi Mine, Kayah State
and the Hermyingyi Mine, Tavoy) and W as dissemi-
nated wolframite patches (e.g. at the Myinmati Mine,
~2~ KHIN ZAW
east of Pymmana at the border of Shan State) are locally
found an the granitoads, but these disseminations are not
economac. Although skarn zones of several metres across
are commonly noted along the gramtold and country
rock contacts, no W-Sn bearmg skarn deposit has been
recorded in Burma The W-Sn veins attain a maxamum
width of 5m (e.g. the Tagu Mane, Mergm) and are
traceable for more than a kilometer (e.g. the Hermyingy]
Mine. Tavoy).
The mmerahzed veins form as near-verucal and paral-
lel vein system in the apacal zone of gramtoid plutons
(e.g. the Mawchi Mine, Kayah State and the Hermyingy]
Mine, Tavoy) or along the granitoid-metasediment con-
tact zone (e g. Pennaachaung, Tavoy) or exclusively in
the metasedimentary country rocks (e.g. Yetkanzin-
taung, Tavoy) Gre]sen zones of up to 3 m commonly
bordered the W-Sn quartz veins adjacent to the grani-
toid rocks, but at the Mawchi Mine, quartz-tourmaline
rock mostly occurs at the contact of the W-Sn veins
and the granitotd body. The quartz veins trend N--S,
NNE-SSW and locally NW-SE and E-W. The mineral-
ized veins contain cassiterite and wolframite but sheehte
is also present at the Mawchl Mine. Gangue minerals are
quartz, feldspars, m~ca, calcate, magnetite, bismuth,
fluorate, tourmaline, and manor beryl and topaz together
with the sulfide minerals--pyrite, pyrrhotite, chalcopy-
rate, arsenopynte, molybdenite, bismuthlmte, sphalente
and galena. It is also noted that wolframate is more
common in quartz veins proper whereas cassitente
occurs an the bordering grelsen
Recent fluid inclusion studies of the W-Sn veto type
deposats an the central granitoid belt indicate that the
majority of the fluid inclusions in vein quartz, fluorite
and scheelite and in quartz from the greasen gave a filling
temperature range of 120-27OC and locally as high as
360 'C and the inclusions are of low sahmty (less than 10
NaCI equivalent wt%), and exclusively of two-phase
(hqmd and gas) wath no CO2 liquid phase and daughter
mmerals (Khan Zaw 1978, Nilar Shwe 1980, Khin Zaw
and Khan Myo Thet 1983, Khan Zaw 1984). Character-
lSUCS of fluid inclusions in minerals (quartz, beryl and
topaz) from the pegmatlte deposits of the central gram-
told belt are broadly similar to those in minerals of
W-Sn ore veins in the same granitoid belt. The fluid
mclusaons an the minerals of pegmat~tes are also doml-
nantl} of two-phase (liquid and gas) with no CO, hquad
phase and daughter minerals They have yielded a low
salinity of (1.0-10.8 NaCI eqmvalent wt%) but higher
temperature range of 213-'C to more than 400-~C (Khin
Zaw 1990).
Thus, fired mclusaon characteristics and geother-
mometry suggest that the pegmatite emplacement
occurred under post-magmatic conditions along the
central granitoad belt and shortly followed by extensive
vein-type W-Sn mineralization, but the compositional
variation and maxing of meteoric waters with magmatic
sources during the entire post-magmatxc stage still
remains largely unresolved. Detailed study on the
primary fluid inclusions in the vein quartz in relation
with the composatlonal variatton of wolframites (hueb-
I ~ MAGI4ATIC HYDROTHERMAL MODEL )
i
Metasedmen~
Fig 7 Schematic models for the emplacement of veto-type, W-Sn
mmerahzatlon m the central gramto~d belt, Burma
nerite:ferberite, h/L rataos) from the selected W-Sn
deposits was also made and it demonstrates that there is
no permissible regional correlation nor trend by which
the h/f ratio can be used as a geothermometer. However,
the regional variation of the h/f ratio in the Burmese
wolframite deposits reflects the variation of MnZ+/Fe 2+
an the ore solutions and/or m the host rocks and
changing fO2 and pH during ore deposition (Khin Zaw
1987b).
Two traditional notions have been held in relation
to granitoid rocks and associated W-Sn mineralization
in Burma that (1) medium- to coarse-grained, biotite-
and/or muscovite-bearing S-type granitoids are found
to be the more favourable hosts than the prophyritic
variety or hornblende-bearing granitoids; and (2)
a regional zoning pattern of W-Sn deposits exists,
Sn increasing from north to south, so conversely
W becomes dominant in the north. The first traditional
view is descriptive but it has also been noted that
the highly differentiated, medium- to coarse-grained,
biotite- and/or muscovite-bearing granitoids which
form small, satellmc intrusions adjacent to the large
plutons are found to be the major hosts for the
most important lode-type deposits (e.g. the Hermyingy]
Mine and the Mawchi Mine) and some minor primary
W-Sn occurrences such as Peinnaichaung Prospect,
Tavoy, described by Khin Zaw (1984). These small,
satellitic intrusions are also believed to be genetically
connected with the nearby main granitoid plutons as
late-stage differentiates, perhaps as tongue-like bodies
(see Fig. 7).
It has also been mentioned that the Sn contents of the
granitoids which occur as host rocks for the major
lode-type W-Sn deposits (Hermyingyi and Mawchl
 Geological, petrological and geochemical characteristics of granitoid rocks, Burma
Mines) are distinctly higher than those of the barren
granitoids or granitoids associated with minor W-Sn
occurrences in the central granitoid belt. The presence of
free cassiterite in the Mawchi and Hermyingyi granitoids
and of disseminated wolframite patches in the granitoid
at the Myinmati Mine, due east of Pyinmana (see also
Goossens 1978) implies that the post-magrnatic, re-
sidual, mineralizing fluid is enriched in Sn and probably
W. Hamaguchi and Kuroda (1970) also indicated that
Sn is preferentially concentrated in the residual liquid
during the fractionation of granitoid magma.
Some workers (e.g. Flinter 1971, Groves 1972)
suggested that Sn is more strongly partitioned into
biotite and muscovite than into the co-existing quartz,
feldspars or hornblende. As the late-stage magmatic
fractionation proceeds, the mineral constituents of the
granitoids become saturated in Sn, and further extreme
fractionation results in the crystallization of free cassiter-
ite and ultimately Sn-rich ore fluids as final products.
Thus, strongly differentiated, biotite- and/or muscovite-
beating granitoids apparently become favourable hosts
for the Sn deposits, but further experimental data are
needed to substantiate the geochemical behaviour of tin
during magmatic differentiation. The origin and geo-
chemical nature of W is much more uncertain than that
of Sn, and even the distribution pattern of W in the
granitoids in Burma alone is yet to be fully established.
In relation to the traditional view of regional zoning
pattern for W-Sn deposits, the density of Sn deposits
evidently increases from north to south (also see Fig. 4
of Mitchell and Garson 1972), but no particular expla-
nation has previously been given with reference to the
primary and/or secondary tin deposits. In addition, this
regional variation is further complicated by the presence
of numerous secondary placer tin deposits in Tenasserim
Division, southern Burma. The abundance of secondary
tin deposits does not necessarily mean that Sn is in-
creased in the south since cassiterite survived during
different weathering and erosion cycles, and W minerals
are mostly destroyed and are not present in appreciable
amount in the secondary alluvial deposits. In terms of
primary vein-type W-Sn mineralization, W deposits with
no apparent Sn are found at the northern part of the
W-Sn belt (e.g. at Nyaunggyat), and W appears to
dominate over Sn in the vein-type deposits of Yamethin
and Pyawbwe areas of south of Nyaunggyat although no
detailed ore grade and production figures have been
obtained. Further southwards, except at the Mawchi
Mine in which the W: Sn metal ratio is 1: 2, W is always
more prominent than Sn and the W/Sn + W ratio in-
creases towards the south in almost all of the bed rock
W-Sn deposits rather than the Sn is increased towards
the south.
At the Hermyingyi Mine, the average grade of
the W: Sn metal ratio is 3:1 and at primary vein-type
Pennaichaung Prospect, Khin Zaw (1984) recently
reported a W: Sn metal ratio of 3 : 1. Further southwards
at Tagu Mine, a primary lode-type deposit in the
Mergui area, a W:Sn metal ratio of 4:1 is noted, and
W is still more dominant than Sn at the vein-type W-Sn
321
deposits of Yadanapon Mine (Namyen Mine), Mergui,
at the southernmost part of W-Sn belt. In 1949-1952,
The Yadanapon bed rock deposits produced 348 tons of
W, 10 tons of Sn, and 17 tons of mixed concentrates.
Thus, the W-Sn belt associated with the central belt
granitoids in Burma is a tungsten province with subordi-
nate Sn mineralization, and a regional variation of
W/Sn + W ratios from north to south is recorded in this
W-Sn belt.
The present geological, petrological and geochemical
evidences combined with fluid inclusion data lend sup-
port to the "classical" magmatic-hydrotbermal model
for the W-Sn mineralization in the central granitoid belt
(Fig. 7). Metal-rich brines exsolved from the cooling,
now crystalline plutons as late-stage, residual fluids
during the extreme magmatic differentiation. Mineraliz-
ing brines together with accumulating volatiles have
been localized and trapped in the apical zones of small,
satellitic granitoid intrusions which form as younger,
late-stage differentiates of probable tongue-like bodies
genetically connected to the nearby very large, major
plutons (Fig. 7A). The mineralizing brines have ascended
and infilled the fissures in the apical zones or along the
granitoid/metasediment contacts as near-vertical and
parallel veins.
The possibilities that the ore solutions were meteoric
waters circulating through the thick pile of largely
argillaceous clastic rocks of Mawchi and Mergui Groups
or similar metasediments and the upper part of the
plutons which acted as a "heat engine" (heat-engine
model) (Fig. 7B) and the derivation of some or all of the
metals, particularly W from the metasediments through
leaching can not be ruled out on the present evidence. At
the Hermyingyi Mine, decreasing of filling temperatures
of W-Sn ore veins towards the roof of the pluton has
been recorded (Khin Zaw 1978), and this progressive
cooling reflects the influx of meteoric waters circulated
deep into the magrnatic-hydrothermal system at later
stages of ore deposition, and mixing of meteoric waters
and juvenile (magmatic) waters would have occurred,
but this evidence is still speculative. Stable isotope
analysis and further detailed geochemical studies of host
rocks (both granitoids and the argillaceous metasedi-
ments) would be required to ascertain the source and
sources of metals and hydrothermal fluids and to deter-
mine the extent to which the mixing of meteoric and
magrnatic fluids have occurred.
The close association of W-Sn ore veins, pegmatites
and the granitoids in the central granitoid belt at least
suggests that all of these are derived from the same
source and hence, as in the case of granitoid rocks, W-Sn
metals have a similar crustal origin. The low trace
contents of tin and tungsten in oceanic crust and in
pelagic sediments also support this crustal source for the
metals. Although tin can be present as an initial, pre-
mineralization, crustal concentration, Mitchell (1977)
argued for such a hypothetical concentration since no
detrital tin has been reported from any of the Lower
Paleozoic clastic sedimentary rocks in the Southeast
Asian region, and suggested that the "average" trace
52, KHIN ZAV~
amount of tin m the crust alone can account for the
source of the metal
In Burma no detrltal tin has been recorded in the
related country rocks of Precambrlan to l,pper Pale-
ozmc sediments in the north or m the mostly Carbonifer-
ous Mawchi and Mergui sediments m the south
K rauskopf (1967a) argued that for the source of Cu (e,g
m porphyry Cu deposits), an orebody of 1,000,000 tons
of metal is equivalent to only 3'0 of that m a 100 km ~
pluton of related andesites and tholentes in which up to
150 ppm Cu is reported (Taylor 1968). The distribution
of tm and tungsten m the metasediments associated w~th
gramtolds m Burma has yet to be studied, but ~t has been
demonstrated that although no detaded figure for the W
content m the central belt gramto~ds wa~ obtained they
nevertheless contain less than the detecnon limit of
200 ppm W and up to 500 ppm Sn Thus, :l,s ,n the case
of Cu. no particular pre-mlnerallzatmn concentration ol
Sn and presumably W ab well m the crustal rocks ~s
needed as a source of these metals
Although volatde transport of tm as tm tetrafluorlde
and/or tetrachloride (Vogt 1926, Smith 1947) and that of
tungsten as simple halogen compounds of tungsten
(WF,,, WC16, WOCI4 and WO2C12) have been favoured.
man~ geochemists (e.g. Krauskopf 1976b) argued for
volatde transport of metals mainly on the thermochem>
cal grounds. Simdarly, thermodynamm calculatmns by
I v a n m a (1966) show that the simple halogen com-
pounds as WF 6, WCIr, WOCI4, and WO:CI, at relevant
P-T conditions (25 300 C and 1- 1000 atm), are unstable
m the presence of several common Na-bearing com-
pounds, silica and excess water relative to HF or HCI
Th~s precludes the role of volat~les as agents of tungsten
transport. Low to moderate filling temperatures of nu-
merous fired inclusmns m the assocmted gangue minerals
of W-Sn deposits m Burma also indicate that the ore
flmds together w~th W-Sn metals would have been
emplaced at one stage or other under aqueous condition
at the deposltional site
Other geochemical transports of tin as sodium or
potassmm hydroxyl stannate (NaaK)2Sn (OH, F or
alkali thiostannate (Smith 1947, see also Taylor 1969,
pp a 7 7 4 8 3 ) in alkaline solution were considered, and
experimental work by Bryzgalin (1958), and Kraynov et
al. (1965) suggested that tungsten could also be trans-
ported m Na-alkahne solution as water soluble alkali
tungstates, but recent studies m relatmn to physlco-
chemical conditions of ore-forming environments (e g
Krauskopf 1967b) revealed that the ore-depositing en-
vironments are neither strongly alkaline nor acidic and
are within the range of above or below neutrality. Hence,
W-Sn ore transport under alkaline conditions is still
controversial. Recent experimental studies also indicate
that H : W O , is a d o m m e n t tungsten species at elevated
temperatures in moderately saline solutions (Foster
1977, Bryzgahn 1976) whereas Wesolowskl et al (1982,
1984) favoured the HWO~ and WO~ as dominant
species
Hlggins (1980), on the basis of fluid inclusion data,
suggested that tungsten ma> form carbonate and
bicarbonate complexes in CO2-rich ore flmds but
Manning and Henderson (1984) demonstrated from
thmr experimental works that (WO,)2CI may be
the dominant species at 800"C and 1 kb and low chloride
concentrations. However, it is not known whether
(WO~hC1 can be a viable transporting agent for
the tungsten in the Burmese W-Sn deposits which
lormed at lower temperature range (a maximum filling
temperature of c 360 C). Although future detaded study
on the composition of gases m the inclusion fluids of
the Burmese W-Sn deposits is needed, the lack of
CO2-hquid rich phases (e.g Nilar Shwe 1980. Khin
Zaw and Khin Myo Thet 1983, Khln Zaw 1984) indi-
cates that concentration of CO2 in the Burmese W-Sn
ore flmds is probably low and hence available fluid
inclusion data do not lend support for the transport of
tungsten as well as tm by carbonate and bicarbonate
complexes during the formation of the Burmese W-Sn
deposits
Presence of fluorine in the ore-forming environment of
the W Sn deposits m the central granitold belt is evident
by the presence of fluorite and fluorine-bearing minerals
such as biotite, muscovite, tourmahne and apatite. This
abundant fluorine would be responsible for the transport
of the W-Sn metals as fluoro-hydroxyl complexes. On
the basis of thermodynamic considerations for the stab-
ihty of different tungsten-bearing complexes in aqueous
soluuons under different physicochemmal conditions.
Ivanova and Khodakovskly (1968, p. 780) concluded
that ff a hydrothermal solution is rich in fluorine, as for
instance, m the process of greisenizatlon, tungsten may
be transported m the form of complex "oxyfluoro-
tungstates'"
Kogarko et al. (1968) have shown experimentally that,
for fels~c silicate melt, separation of fluorine into the gas
phase increases with increase m the acidity (expressed as
SiO~/Na~O) of the melt. It was referred that, in alkali-
rich melts, the bulk of the fluorine is fixed m the magma
as Na--F bonds, but m h~ghly sihcic melts ~t acts as a
depolymerlzer, by forming SI-F bonds, the SiF4 thus
formed partitions preferentmtly into the gas phase. In
the case of wet melt H F would be formed by interactions
such as
S1F4 + 4H:O = SI(OH)4 + 4HF
and would be available for greisenlzatlon
If so, the widespread greisenization and the presence
of fluorite and abundant fluorine-bearing minerals in the
W-Sn deposits suggest that fluorine would have been
~mportant as a complexing agent m the transportation
and deposmon of tungsten. Fluorine is also known to
complex easily with polyvalent cations such as SP +.
A1~+, Fe 3+ , W 6+, as well as Sn 4 + Hence, fluorine-bearing
complexes would also have been responsible for the
hydrothermal transport of Sn. Experimental work, sum-
marxzed by Holland (1972) and later described by
Eugster (1985) has shown that dwalent ions, such as
zinc, lead and manganese, are readily leached from
granites by hot brines, and are effectly transported as
chloride complexes in hydrothermal soluuons
 Geological, petrological and geochemical characteristics of granitoid rocks, Burma
The role of chlorine as a complexing agent for W and
Sn as chloride complexes is not adequately known,
but chlorine may also be important in the hydro-
thermal transport of W as well as Sn metals. Recent
thermodynamic calculations made by Eadington (1982)
demonstrated that the Sn ~v can be transported as
Sn(OH)/- and Sn(OH) 2- complexes under alkaline con-
ditions whereas SnCI and SnF are the dominant
species under acidic conditions. Similarly Jackson and
Helgeson (1985a,b) made a thermodynamic calculation
and favoured chloride complexes as a tin transporting
agent and the presence of topaz precludes significant
transport of tin as fluoride complexes for the Southeast
Asian tin deposits. However, topaz is very rare or absent
in the Burmese W-Sn deposits.
Although chloride complexes may be important as
suggested by most of the thermodynamic and exper-
imental geologists for the W-Sn deposits, the influence
of fluoride complexing cannot be ruled out. This prop-
osition is also suggested by other geologists who made
petrological and geochemical studies on the W-Sn
deposits in the other parts of the Southeast Asian W-Sn
belt (Ishihara et al. 1980 for Thai deposits, Clarke and
Beddoe-Stephens 1987 for Indonesian deposits). Most of
the previous thermodynamic and experimental studies of
the W and Sn metals transport in general emphasized
either wholly tin or wholly tungsten deposits but not as
tin and tungsten deposits. Further experimental works
are needed to consider the transporting medium for both
W-Sn metals in the same hydrothermal fluids and under
similar physicochemical conditions with particular refer-
ence to the CI/F ratio in the deposition of the W-Sn
metals. Thus, although final conclusions should be de-
ferred until we fully understand the solubilities of tung-
sten and tin complexes under the P-T-X conditions of
W-Sn mineralization in Burma, future investigations on
the distribution of halogens (F, C1) in the granitoids and
associated pegmatites and W-Sn deposits in Burma is
worth undertaking for further research.
The possibility that chlorine and fluorine form com-
plexes with W-Sn metals, and thereby have a strong
effect on the mobility and transport of W-Sn during the
post-magmatic stages also suggests that the abundance
of chlorine and fluorine in the granitoids from the central
granitoid belt could be used to distinguish intrusions
that have generated W-Sn deposits from the barren
plutons. In the field of applied geochemistry, fluorine
as an indicator for mineral exploration can be used
successfully to locate fluorite deposits (Friedrich and
Pluger 1971, Lalonde 1976), skarn tungsten deposits
(Cachau-Herreillat and Prouhet 1971), pegmatite
deposits (Yusupov 1973), nickel sulphide deposits
(Robinovich 1973), and mineralized granitoid rocks
(Kesler et al. 1973a). Shinpulin et al. (1973) considered
that locating fluorine dispersion haloes should be an
integral part of all reconnaissance surveys as fluorine is
an excellent indicator of concealed mineral deposits.
Stollery et al. (1971) demonstrated that biotite from
the ore-bearing intrusions is anomalously high in chlor-
ide and similarly Parry (1972) noted the close correlation
SEAES 4/4----E
323
K
//
Na Ca
Fig. 8. System Na-K-Ca for the granitoid rocks from the grantioid
belt, Burma. The solid line indicates field of Sn-minera!izin$granitoids
from New England (Juniper and Kleeman 1979). Symbols indicate
A = Kyatpyin (Mogok) granitoid (only one sample); x = Bodawgyi
gramtoid (average of four samples); = Pyetkaywe-Gutaung grani-
toid (average of twelve samples); C) -- Yinmabin-Payagnazu granitoid
(average of six samples); = Sinmakkwa (Pyawbwe) granitoid (only
one sample); [] = Yezin (Pyinmana)--Takongramtoid (average of four
samples); [] = Mawchi granitoid (only one sample); & = Kyeikhitiyo
(Thaton) granitoid (only one sample); + -- Hermyingyi (Tavoy) gran-
]toid (average of ten samples). Small dots represent all granitoid
samples in this study.
between chlorine contents of biotite from the intrusions
and that of copper content, and suggested that chlorine
content may serve as an effective exploration tool.
However, Kesler et al. (1973b), using the water-
extractable chloride and fluoride to evaluate the ore
potential of granodioritic rocks, found that chloride
abundance does not appear to be simple and useful in
distinguishing mineralized and unmineralized intrusions,
but fluoride values in mineralized intrusions are
higher than those in the barren intrusions. Parry and
Jacobs (1975) also argued that fluorine and chlorine
abundances in biotites provide no significant differences
between mineralized and non-mineralized, individual
plutons.
Thus, although the general efficacy of these two
halogens in the search for economic mineralization
within particular metallogenetic provinces is still dis-
puted, future investigation on the fluorine and chlorine
abundances in the W-Sn related Burmese granitoids
would provide ore potentials for W-Sn as well as other
base and precious metals. As in the case of fluorine and
chlorine, major and trace elements, and ore metal (Sn)
abundances in the central belt granitoids are also
afforded in this study to distinguish mineralized and
non-mineralized intrusions. Major element distribution
indicates that the Na-K-Ca plot of the compositions of
the central granitoids (Fig. 8) which are associated with
either minor W-Sn occurrences or lode-type W-Sn
deposits fall within the field of Sn-mineralizing granites
from New England (Juniper and Klceman 1979) but in
contrast a SiO2-CaO + MgO + FeO--Na20 + A1203 plot
shows that the majority of the central belt granitoids in
q2d
/ Mitchell and Garson 1972, 1976, Goossens 1978, Curray
/
90/~ / ~I0
/
75~ field of Sn--mme~L~ng ~" , .~--"~.
55
50 v ~ v ~
F=g 9 System S102=CaO + MgO + FeO-Na20 + K20 + A1203 for
the gramtoid rocks from the gramtmd belt, Burma The sohd hne
indicates field of Sn-mlnerahzmg gramtolds from New England
(Juniper and Kleeman 1979). The dashed hne re&cares Sn-mlnerahzmg
granitoids defined after Stemprok (1969) Symbols indicate
A = Kyatpym (Mogok) gramtold (only one sample), = Bodawgyl
gramtoid (average of four samples); = Pyetkaywe-Gutaung gram-
toid (average of twelve samples); = Ymmabm-Payagnazu gramtold
(average of six samples), = Smmakkwa (Pyawbwe) gramtold (only
one sample); [] = Yezm (Pyinmana)-Takon granitold (average of four
samples); [] = Mawchi gramtold (only one sample); = Kyelkhtlyo
(Thaton) gramtoid (only one sample), + = Hermymgyl (Tavoy) gran-
ltmd (average of ten samples). Small dots represent all gramto~d
samples m this study
Burma fall outside the field of Sn-mmeralizing gramtes
from New England (Fig. 9).
Trace element abundances of the central belt grani-
toids provide no scheme for distinguish intrusions that
have generated W-Sn deposits from those that have not,
which seem to be the goal of exploration geochemlsts,
but there is a tendency for the granitoid plutons which
bear W-Sn mineralization to be comparatively more
enriched in Be, Bi, Cu, Mo, Pb, Sn, Y and Zn but less
depleted in Ba and Zr than those plutons m which no
W-Sn occurrences are recorded. For Sn, it has been
shown that there is a greater vanabihty and although the
granitoid rocks collected from the W-Sn mine-sltes show
distinct enrichment in Sn (up to 500 ppm), extreme
caution should be borne in mind to use Sn content of the
granitoids alone as an indicator to discriminate W-Sn
bearing (mineralized) intrusions from W-Sn poor (bar-
ren) intrusion tn search for W-Sn deposits m Burma. It
has been mentioned that S-type biotite and/or muscovite
bearing granitoids characteristically host the W-Sn de-
posits in the central granitoid belt and hence future
detailed geochemical charactertzation of the granitoid
units as I-type or S-type within the individual plutons
would provide potentials for the W-Sn-F mineralization
and Cu-Mo, Cu-Au or other base and precious metal
deposits in Burma.
TECTONIC IMPLICATIONS
Plate tectontc interpretations of geological events
within the Burmese region have been made by many
kHIN ZAW
workers in recent years (Mitchell 1973, 1977, 1979, 1981,
~t a/ 1979, 1982, Hla Maung 1980, 1987, Win Swe
1981a.b, Maung Theln 1983, Bender 1983, Khin Zaw
t 986, 1987a, 1989). The emplacement of granitoid rocks
and associated porphyry Cu(Au) related, younger vol-
cantcs m the western granitoid belt, and of granitoids
and associated W-Sn mineralization in the central gran-
25 ito~d belt in Burma was first considered m the light of
new global tectonics by Mitchell and Garson (1972) and
Mttchell (1973), and later on a broader view by Mitchell
(1977, 1979, 1981) gave the tectonic settings of Burmese
granitoids wtthin east and Southeast Asian regions.
Goossens (1978) proposed, though simplified, a plate
45 tectomc model for ore distribution and related intrusive
~ v 50
and volcamc rocks in Burma including the granitoid
rocks In a similar manner, Win Swe (1981a) and Maung
Them (1983) argued that the emplacement of granitoids
m the Burmese region was related to the westwardly
migrating subductlon zone during Mesozoic and Lower
Tertmry
In this paper, the tectonic evolution of granitotd rocks
m Burma will be similarly approached to that made by
Goossens (1978), Wm Swe (1981a) and Maung Thein
(1983), but a more detailed interpretation will be at-
tempted m accordance wtth the presently available data
on mineralogical, petrological and geochemical charac-
tensttcs of the gramtoid rocks. In th~s respect, the
followmg tmportant criteria should be borne m mind for
anyone who would attempt to reconstruct the tectomc
evolutton of granito~d rocks in Burma:
(1) The eastern belt gramtolds are of possibly Lower
Paleozo~c age or as young as Triassic although the age
of intrusion is still uncertain. The central belt granitoids
might have been emplaced as early as Jurassic but the
bulk of the gramtoid intrusions m thin belt have been
emplaced during the Upper Cretaceous and Lower
Eocene and have undergone widespread thermal disturb-
ances during the Tertiary (mostly Miocene). The western
belt gramtoids are of Upper Cretaceous age
(2) The eastern belt granitoids extend southwards and
are geographically continuous with Triassic gramtes of
northern Thailand and Sn-W-bearmg, mesozonal,
Permo-Triass~c granttoids of western Malay Peninsula
further south. The central belt granitoids are predomi-
nantly of calc-alkaline intrusions assocmted with abun-
dant pegmatites and numerous W-Sn ore veins. The
western belt granitoids are high-level intrusions associ-
ated with porphyry Cu(Au) related volcamcs.
(3) The eastern belt gramtoids intrude the turbi&tic
Chaung Magyl Group of Upper Precambrian age
whereas the central belt granitmds were emplaced m
regionally metamorphosed, highly deformed country
rocks ranging in age from Precambrian to Lower Creta-
ceous and forming a N-S trending, narrow, linear zone
The western belt granitoids intrude older basement
rocks.
(4) Although the eastern belt granitoxds can not be
confirmed yet in terms of I-type or S-type charactertstics,
the central granitoid belt ~s considered to obtain both
 Geological, petrological and geochemical characteristics of granitoid rocks, Burma
I-type and S-type granitoids, mostly I-type as older
intrusive phases and S-type as younger intrusive phases,
and the western belt granitoids have I-type character-
istics.
(5) The central belt granitoid plutons are largely
trending N-S or NNW-SSE, mostly elongated and have
either concordant or discordant boundaries and like the
metamorphosed country rocks, the granitoid plutons
form a narrow linear belt. The central belt granitoids are
commonly transformed into granitoid gneisses.
(6) This narrow deformed zone of central belt grani-
toids and the country rocks is located immediately
east of the tectonically distinct Sagaing (transform)
Fault which has a post-Lower Miocene northward
dextral movement of up to 460 km (Curray et al. 1979,
1982) along the western margin of the central granitoid
belt.
(7) Denudation of a thick succession of metamorphic
country rocks along the central granitoid belt occurred
after the emplacement of the granitoids, and hence the
granitoid plutons are also extensively uncovered and
presently elevated up to 3950ft (l.2km) (e.g. at
Pyetkaywe Taung).
Burma can be sub-divided into 6 N-S tending major
tectonic domains from west to east: (1) Arakan
(Rakhine) Coastal Strip as an ensimatic foredeep; (2)
Indo--Burman Ranges as an outer arc or fore arc; (3)
Western Inner-Burman Tertiary Basin as an inter-arc
basin; (4) Central Volcanic Belt (Central Volcanic Line)
as an inner magmatic-volcanic arc; (5) Eastern Inner-
Burman Tertiary Basin as back-arc basin; and (6) Shan-
Tenasserim Massif as ensialic, Sino-Burman Ranges.
The Sagaing Fault forms as a tectonically significant
boundary between the Eastern Burman Basin (back-arc
basin) and continental, ensialic Sino--Burman Ranges
(see Fig. 10) (Khin Zaw 1989 after Bender 1983).
The Arakan Coastal Strip represents an ensimatic
foredeep made up of Miocene molassic sediments which
continue northwards in the Assam Basin of the north-
eastern Indian Ocean. The Indo--Burman Ranges of
Bender (1983) are also known as the Western Ranges
(Win Swe 1981a, Maung Thein 1983); they can be
demonstrated to be an outer arc or fore arc and are
underlain by Triassic flysch sediments and obducted
ophiolites succession in the east and a tightly folded
flysch-type sediments of Cretaceous to Lower Eocene
age to the west, mostly dipping east and striking parallel
to the N-S length of the Ranges. The central Lowlands
or Central Basin which contains up to 15 km of domi-
nantly Tertiary marine and fluviatile sediments is separ-
ated into the Western Inner-Burman Basin (inter-arc
trough) and the Eastern Inner-Burman Basin (back-arc
trough) by the inner magmatic-volcanic arc in which the
western granitoid plutons and associated porphyry
Cu(Au) related, younger volcanics have emplaced.
The Shan-Tenasserim Massif is also regarded as the
Eastern Highlands (Maung Thein 1983) and
Sino--Burman Ranges (Bender 1983). These Eastern
Ranges are underlain by Upper Precambrian to Pale-
ozoic sediments and locally by Mesozoic clastics. The
325
Upper Precambrian sediments are slightly metamor-
phosed, turbiditic, clastic sediments of the Chaung
Magyi Group, and the Lower Paleozoic rocks are both
clastic and calcareous sediments with minor volcanics
whereas the Upper Paleozoic rocks are predominantly
calcareous (Maung Thein 1973). The eastern granitoid
belt occurs in the eastern part of the Sino-Burman
Ranges and the central granitoid belt occupies the
western part of the Sino--Burman Ranges immediatedly
along the E of the Sagaing Fault.
During the Lower Precambrian, NE Burma was prob-
ably a part of the Eurasian or China (Cathaysian) plate,
and at the beginning of the Upper Precambrian, a
subduction zone existed at the depositional site of the
Chaung Magyi Beds (Maung Thein 1983), but the nature
and position of this subduction zone is still uncertain. At
the end of the Upper Precambrian, the region was
uplifted. During the Lower Paleozoic (Cambrian) a
subduction zone can be reasonably intepreted to exist in
NE Burma. Myint Lwin Thein and co-workers (1990, in
preparation) recently mapped the extensively folded,
westwardly overturned, slightly metamorphosed, pink to
purple, micaceous sandstones and quartzites with minor
slates and subordinate amounts of volcaniclastic sedi-
ments at Bawdwin Mine area in Northern Shan State,
NE Burma, and renamed them as the Pangyun Group
(Mid Cambrian) according to modern lithostratigraphic
nomenclatures of Hedberg (1976).
Thus, flysch-like, miogeosynclinal sequence and over-
lying felsic volcanics and Lower Paleozoic rocks in NE
Burma are similar to the Cenozoic outer arc or fore arc
and magmatic-volcanic arc succession; this similarity is
being further supported at the Bawdwin Mine, a vol-
canogenic massive sulfide Pb-Zn-Cu-Ag-Ba deposit
analogous to the Kuroko deposits of Japan (Khin Zaw
1990). The Paleozoic subduction zone probably extends
southward for similar Cambrian and Lower Paleozoic
rocks are noted at Yadanatheingi, Ngwetaung (E of
Mandalay), Yeywa, and further south at Pindaya Range,
Southern Shan State, micaceous sandstones and quartz-
ites with minor rhyolitic volcanics of Molohein Group
having Late Cambrian saukiid trilobites (Myint Lwin
Thein 1973) can be correlated with the Pangyun Group
of Northern Shan State.
Maung Thein (1983) suggested a possible Paleozoic
trench along the western marginal zone of Shan State
and Tenasserim, and this subduction zone seems to be
continuous southwards to the Malay Peninsula since the
Upper Cambrian Machinchang Formation with rhyo-
lites of the Langkawi Islands, W of Peninsular Malaysia
and the Papulut Quartzites of mainland Malaysia
(Mitchell 1981) and the Upper Cambrian to Ordovician
Grik tufts and volcanics of western Malay Peninsula
(Hutchison 1973) are similar in lithology to the
Cambrian Pangyun Group in Burma. This Paleozoic
subduction zone is considered westward in Malaysia
(Hutchison 1973) but eastward in NE Burma by Mitchell
(1977, 1981) who argued that Cambrian volcanics and
underlying flysch in NE Burma lie at least 300 km from
any postulated subduction zone to the E. Eastward
32f~ ICs.HIN Z A W
, =
'96*t olG,
.... ~*"~ / S o u t h m ~ Tethys suture

H IMAI. AYAS ~e>.~-"-. ,RX.,..., ~nch=subductu~zone)

i " Ou~ mc (lndo-BurmanRsnscs)
I
I
f
"
/
/'J~ Inter-Arc Basra
I i
/ / innervIczuc'n~4pn=c
/J - - (CentralVolcanicLine)

/ 7/ B',ck Arc Basm

/j~,sMajor fault zones

/

~. ag.'all] g (transeurren0faultzone
edit
,a~ .,~
ol ~nltlenill
,,o"~'" n'zl'l~ l i ~ h e ##
6

AI-.-
=
~ ~
thrustcomplexes
~uuc ~r~chngn ~
~a~ c~4
@ o~mh=s
flyschaccumulations
0 100 500kin
I , I

/
/
/
I /C~u\4/e>'7
~ -~
\
1
' ~ li;,conlla~ I rl BANGKOK

0 M,
Island~ %0

~ S~a 0
#

W -'
~tlslands

71t \ , x

L I - "~ ~ "~.SINGAPORE

l//
Fig. 10 Map showing six major tectomc domains of Burma from west to east (1) Arakan Coastal Strip as enslmatic
\ , J
foredeep; (2) Indo-Burman Ranges as outer arc or fore arc; (3) Western Inner-BurmanTernary Basin as rater-arc basin,
(4) Central Volcanic belt (Central Volcamc Line) as tuner magmatie-volcamc arc; (5) Eastern Inner-BurmanTertiary Basin
as back-arc basra, (6) Shan-TennasserimMassif as ensialic, Sino-Burman Ranges (after Bender 1983, Khin Zaw 1989).

subduction o f ocean floor during the Paleozoic in the granitoid magmatism in eastern Burma has not
Burma region is further supported by the overturned yet been conclusively documented, but K/Ar age o f
folds with easterly axial planes and westward-directed Cambro-Ordovician (Brook and Snelling 1976) and a
thrusting of flysch-like, Mid Cambrian Pangyun sedi- doubtful Rb/Sr age o f Carboniferous (Mitchell et al.
ments in N E Burma (Myint Lwin Thein and co-workers 1977, Bender 1983) for the Tawngpeng granitoid in the
1990). eastern granitoid belt might represent a Paleozoic intru-
Granitoid emplacement in the eastern granitold belt in sive event. The Permian to Lower Triassic volcanic and
Burma may be attributed to this paleozoic eastward plutonic rocks o f eastern peninsular Malaysia and the
subduction o f ocean floor (Fig. l lA) The Paleozoic volcanic rocks in central northern Thailand were con-
 Geological, petrological and geochemical characteristics of granitoid rocks, Burma 327

i
A W-S. related P Permo-Triassic, epizonal granitoid plutons in eastern
F gramtold belt peninsular Malaysia were emplaced in a continental
-O-- ~ Trench
crust above an east-dipping subduction zone and the
granitoid plutons in the western Malay peninsula and
northern Thailand were emplaced during continental
OyllOn Plot, collision related to the Upper Triassic "Indosinian
-2OO Km ~ ".~Cont,nent Orogeny".
W Early Poleozoic EJ
The Triassic magmatic event has not yet been
B Magmohc-Volcanic Arc W-Sn related recorded in Burma although the granitoid rocks in the

0 Tre~h
Porphyry
Cu ?-hosted volcomc|
.~...:~. '
I
F gromtoId belt eastern granitoid belt of Burma geographically lie
strictly north of mostly Triassic granitoid rocks in the
. _ ~ _ ~ . / ~ v ~ v ~ ~ northern Thailand and the Sn-W bearing, mesozonal,
Trou ' A Permo-Triassic granitoids in western Malaysia. Future
detailed geological and geochemical investigation to-
gether with radiometric dating may indicate the existence
.TKm (or) Continent
of the Triassic igneous event and collision-related grani-
,W "~ ~'~ Late TrlalllC toids in eastern Burma but the presently available geo-
W-Sn related ?
C Riling Plato-Outer Arc Mogmohc-Volcanlc Arc logical information is still uncertain to confirm this
with obduct~ ophiohtee Porphyry E gramtmd belt
proposition, and alternatively, the author suggests that
the eastern belt granitoids in Burma were generated as
a subduction-related magma in a continental margin
above an east-dipping Benioff zone during the Lower
Paleozoic.
The emplacement and evolution of the granitoid rocks
W ~ ~,~ ~rouic E in the central and western granitoid belt can be explained
O ForeArc (or)
Mogmahc-Volcomc Arc W-SIt related W-Sn related ?
Central grQnlto|d
by a westward migrating, east-dipping subduction zone
Outer Arc W gromtold belt --~ F gromtOld belt which lay west of the present day three granitoid belts
belt Porphy~ j
in Burma, and the most probable position of this zone
was at the present Indo-Burman Ranges which formed
as an outer arc or fore arc. As was first favoured by
"~.~ \ c' ~ Co,~oye,~la~ Goossens (1978) and Win Swe (1981a), Maung Thegn
.~o~. ~ " ~ < ' ~ . ' ~ (or,co.,,..., (1983) recently postulated that the locus of this east-dip-
ping subduction zone had shifted to the west throughout
~ ~ \ \Late Cret~ceoul.~ocenl E
_ _ I:~)rphyry Cu- W-Sn mloted~ W-Sn rllateU '~ the Mesozoic and Cenozoic, and it was evidenced by the
E Inao-Burma i~angil related, Ceflt~ol ioniteid E gronito~d belt progressive younging of flysch units westward from
( Outer Arc ) W gronltoid P I ~
Triassic in the east through Cretaceous to Eocene in the
west, but this westward migration and plate convergence
does not necessarily rule out the possibility that the
inclination or the angle of dip of the Paleo-Benioff zone
" ~ - ~ i n g (tromlform) Fault has changed from shallow-dipping to steeply dipping as
was suggested by Mitchell and Garson (1972) and
w \ \ ~o,t. e~r~ M~c,.,- ~=,~. E
- Mitchell (1973).
Fig. l I. Schematic presentation of tectonic evolution of western (W), At the beginning of Mesozoic (Triassic), a fore-arc
central, and eastern (E) granitoid belts in Burma. basin or foredeep (trench) was formed along the eastern
part of the present Indo-Burman Ranges due to the
sidered to have been emplaced in a magmatic arc above eastward subduction of the Indian plate below the
eastward subducting ocean floor (Mitchell 1977, overriding Eurasian or China (Cathaysian) plate, and
Hutchison 1978) and collided with the continental fore- flysch-type Triassic sediments were laid down as trench
land to the W in the Upper Triassic. Beckinsale et al. deposits. At the end of the Triassic, a postulated calc-
(1979) also suggested a volcanic arc setting for the alkaline magmatic-volcanic arc complex was initially
Permian and Triassic volcanic rocks in central northern developed at the site of the present day Central Volcanic
Thailand. Line. This inferred magmatic-volcanic arc was probably
In Malaysia, Hutchison (1977) demonstrated on the made up of dioritic and granodioritic plutons with I-type
basis of radiomeric dating that the Sn-W bearing, characteristics at deeper level and porphyry Cu(Au)
mesozonal Main Range granitoids in western Malaysia hosted? volcanics at the upper part and represented a
and the epizonal, Boundary Range granitoids in the microplate since the Phanerozoic history of the SE Asian
eastern Malay Peninsula are predominantly of Permian region was characterized by the involvement of micro-
to Triassic, whereas the Sn related, granitoid rocks in the continents (Burton 1984). The inferred magmatic-
northern Thailand are mostly Triassic (e.g. Teggin 1975, volcanic arc was separated by a local back-arc basin
Besang et al. 1975). Mitchell (1977) maintained that the from the continental margin to the E (see Fig. 1I B).
{2,~ KHIN ZAV
Turbldmc sediments (e.g Ma-U-Bln Formation) were
deposited m the local back-arc trough.
Jurassic sediments are presently recorded at Sedawgyl,
north of Mandalay at the western margin of Shan
Plateau (Maung Thein personal communication 1985)
and hence these Sedawgyl sediments also suggest the
existence ol the back-arc basm between the inferred
magmatlc ~olcanlc arc and the continental foreland
during the Jurassic Neither Jurassic flysch-type sedi-
ments nor melanges have so far been recorded along the
Indo-Burman Ranges, but continued plate convergence
during Jurassic was responsible for the obduction of
down-going oceanic crust as ophlolites which lie uncon-
formably on the Trlaslc flysch sediments A Jurassic age
for the emplacement of the ophlolltes (ultramafic rocks)
is also suggested by a K/Ar age of 158 _+ 20 Ma for a
hornblende pegmatlte intruding the ophlohtlc sequence
(Mitchell 1981 ).
At the end of the Jurassic, the postulated magmatlc-
volcamc arc with presumed porphyry Cu(Au) mineraliz-
ation and the underlying I-type granltoids collided with
the continental foreland to the east, this collision was
probably related to the waning stage of the Upper
Triassic Jurassic Indoslnlan Orogeny of Workman
(1975) During this collision of the continental foreland
with the older magmanc-volcanlc arc, the continental
crust thickened and was followed by the underthrustlng
of the continental margin under the overriding postu-
lated older arc and a zone of remeltlng occurred along
the upper part of the continental, slalic basement (Fig
1IC) A talc-alkaline, anatectlc S-type gramtold magma
was mmally generated by the above remeltmg of the
older, regionally metamorphosed supracrustal rocks of
the thick continental foreland. The most likely remelted
crustal rocks are medium- to high-grade, strongly meta-
morphosed, largely gnelsslc, locally mlgmatitlc Upper
Precambrlan to Upper Paleozolc country rocks.
Although emplacement of S-type granitoid magma
along the central gramtold belt would have been in-
itiated during the Upper Jurasslc~ Lower Cretaceous, the
majority of the S-type granitold plutons were emplaced
in the central gramtold belt during the Upper Creta-
ceous Lower Eocene interval. This S-type granitold
intrusion was probably coincident with the late stage of
continent or mlcrocontlnent-arc collision It was thought
to have been enriched in W-Sn metals which were
incorporated during the partial melting of the crustal
and supracrustal rocks Alternatively, W(Sn) metals
could have been derived through leaching of the mostly
argillaceous, pehtlc metasedlmentary country rocks by
later hydrothermal fluids and transported as chloride
and fluoride complexes during the post-magmatlc stage,
and ultimately emplaced as near-vertmal and parallel
veins at the apical zone of the plutons
During the Cretaceous-Eocene interval, the subduc-
non zone at the eastern part of the present Indo--Burman
Range was shifted to the west From the end of the
Jurassic, the Indo-Burman Range was a proto-outer arc
with Triassic flysch sediment and overlying accreted
ultramafic rocks The flysch-type sedimentation contm-
ued in the westward migrating trench to the west of the
rising proto-outer arc The flysch sediments were not
only scraped off but also dragged down locally as
lnterbedded units with obducted oceanic crust as ophio-
lites (ultramafic rocks) due to the downward movement
of the lithospheric plate against the proto-outer arc.
They have undergone a high pressure/low temperature
metamorphism (e.g. Kanpetlet Schists) as postulated by
Win Swe (1981a) forming a paired metamorphic belt
together with the inner high temperature/low pressure
metamorphism (e.g. at Mogok) associated with the
central belt gramto~ds at the western margin of the Shan
Plateau to the east. In the jade mining areas at the west
of Myltkylna Township, northern Burma, jadeite-albite
dykes and glaucophane schists (Soe Win 1968) would
also represent a blue schist locahty of high pressure/low
temperature metamorphism
Due to the westward mlgranon of the east-dipping
plate convergence along the Indo-Burman Range, the
magmatlc front m the east at the margin of the Shan
Plateau was also shifted to the west with the formation
of a new magmatlc-volcanlc arc at the site of the present
Central Volcanic Line extending from Mt Popa through
Monywa, Salingyl, and Wuntho to Taungthonlon. This
renewed magmatlc-volcanic arc as characterized by
older, Upper Cretaceous, eplzonal I-type gramtold plu-
tons of the western granitoid belt in the north (e.g.
Wuntho) and younger, Mio-Pliocene to sub-recent,
largely andesitic, porphyry Cu(Au) related volcanlcs
(e g Monywa and Mt Popa) in the south
a,t the beginning of the Oligocene, the entire
lndo-Burman Range was uplifted, probably related to
the first phase of the Himalayan Orogeny. The subduct-
lng ocean floor to the west of the upheaved Indo--
Burman Range progressively migrated to the west
During the Miocene, molasse type sediments were de-
posited along the Arakan Coastal Strip, and the east-
dipping subduction zone to the west of the present
Indo-Burman Range continued to migrate westwards
and is presently submerged under the thick Bengal Fan
(or Ganges Cone) which formed as an ensimatic fore-
deep. This postulated trench has recently been named as
the Burma-Andaman-Nlcobar trench (Mitchell 1981)
and it extends southwards west of the Andaman and the
Nlcobar Islands to Indonesia where the ocean floor ~s
presently suhductlng along the Java trench. Active sub-
ductlon is still going on under the thick Bengal Fan west
of the Indo-Burman Range as evidenced by the Phocene
to Quarternary volcanism along the Central Volcanic
Line, and currently reported deep seismic fool deepening
eastwards to a maximum of 200 km in northern Burma
along the Himalaya-Burma Orogen and major earth-
quakes indicative of both normal and thrust faulting
(Barazangl and Dorman 1969, Molnar et al. 1973,
Verma et al. 1976).
During the Upper Cretaceous to sub-Recent nines,
the Mt Popa-Monywa-Salingyl-Wuntho-Taungthonlon
Central Volcanic Line was represented as an Inner
magmatic-volcanic arc probably as a chain of islands
separating the Central Lowlands into two troughs VlZ.
 Geological, petrological and geochemical characteristics of granitoid rocks, Burma
inter-arc basin to the west and back-arc basin to the
east (Fig. liD). The Upper Cretaceous to Eocene
flysch with Albian limestones comparable to those of
coeval flysch of the Indo-Burman Ranges were de-
posited in the Chindwin Basin (inter-arc basin) at the
margin of Indo-Burman Ranges, but no strictly
time equivalent flysch sediments were noted in the
back-arc basin to the east although the Panlaung For-
mation (Mid Jurassic to Lower Cretaceous) could be
coeval turbiditic sediments.
During the Oligo-Miocene, the molassic sediments
(Pegu Group) which overlie the older flysch and are
coeval with the molasse deposits of the Arakan Coastal
Strip were laid down in two separate basins in the
Central Lowlands divided by the Central Volcanic Line.
A distinct facies change has been reported in the molas-
sic sediments of the two different basins of the Central
Lowlands, being mainly fluvial and deltaic in the north
and mainly fluvial and marine in the south (Maung
Thein 1973, 1983). During the Pliocene, fluvial sediments
(Irrawaddy Group) were deposited in the Central
Basin. The prolonged east-dipping plate convergence
to the west of the already uplifted Indo-Burman
Ranges during the Cenozoic is evidenced by the predom-
inantly andesitic volcanics along the Central Volcanic
Line (e.g. at Mts Popa and Monywa). At Monywa,
the largely andesitic volcanics are intercalated with
the Miocene Peguan and Pliocene Irrawaddian sedi-
ments. The Pliocene volcanics at Monywa also notably
host the presently mined porphyry Cu(Au) deposits
which are emplaced in an ancient island arc environ-
ment. At Mt Popa, the volcanic rocks are found to be
interbedded with Quaternary sediments also reflecting
the continued present subduction of the Indian Ocean
floor.
At the end of the Eocene, the emplacement of the three
granitoid belts in the Burmese region was completed,
and the post-Eocene tectonic history of these granitoid
belts is profoundly related to the Sagaing Fault System,
particularly since Mid Miocene, the time of the first
northward dextral strike slip movement of the Sagaing
Fault as suggested by Curray et al. (1979, 1982) on the
basis of geological and geophysical investigations in the
Andaman Sea. The tectonically distinct Sagaing Fault
has wide implications for the development of the present
configuration of the granitoid plutons in the central and
western granitoid belts of Burma. Mitchell (1977, 1981)
pointed out that before the northward dextral movement
along the Sagaing Fault, western Burma lay south of its
present position, and thus, the Andaman Basin was
presumed to be occupied by the present Pegu Yoma.
Hence, the porphyry Cu(Au) related, western granitoid
belt also lay south of its present location. The restoration
of the western granitoid belt before the northward
dextral displacement position is here attempted.
In this instance, the nature and previous investigations
of this Sagaing Fault should be discussed. Although the
existence of a major fault zone separating the Central
Lowlands from the Shan Plateau all the way from the
north to the south through the Burma region was
329
unequivocally accepted, the nature, attitude, and the
precise location of this fault zone was uncertain and the
problems were further aggravated by workers using
different terminologies such as Boundary Fault or Shan
Scarp Fault (La Touche 1913, Chhibber 1934, Aung
Khin et al. 1970), Hninzee Fault (Dey 1968), Sagaing
Fault (Win Swe 1972, 1981b), Sagaing-Namyim (trans-
form) Fault (Mitchell 1981), and Shan Boundary Fault
(Bender 1983). This fault zone is a normal fault system
located in the alluvial plains a considerable distance
away from the western margin of the Shan Scarp, as
reported on the basis of aerial photo interpretation (Dey
1968) and by gravity data (Aung Khin et al. 1970).
More recent geological investigation along this
Sagaing Fault (Win Swe 1972, 1981b) agrees with its
location in the plains west of the foot of the Shan Scarp,
but by contrast Win Swe (1972) convincingly reported
that this fault zone is undoubtedly a strike-slip fault with
a significant lateral displacement and with no apparent
dip-slip in the Cenozoic and there are indications that
it is still active. Mitchell (1981) and many other workers
at present consider this fault to be a transform fault.
Although later workers believe that there was distinctive
northward dextral movement along the Sagaing Fault,
the magnitude of the movement along this fault is
disputed.
Curray et al. (1979, 1982) demonstrated on the basis
of Andaman Sea magnetic anomalies that the displace-
ment along the Sagaing Fault is 460 km whereas Hla
Maung (1980) suggested 426 km. In a regional geological
study in the Upper Irrawaddy Valley, Myint Thein et al.
(1981) considered a possible displacement of 203 km, but
Win Swe (1981b)'s investigation along the Sagaing Fault
indicates a minimum of 3 km to more than 112 km. On
this basis, the author made a restoration of the granitoid
belts in Burma as a pre-displacement position (Fig. 12)
assuming an optimum value of 250 km northward dex-
tral movement along the Sagaing Fault since post-Lower
Miocene. Thus, the western belt granitoids at Salingyi
and Wuntho (see Fig. 1) would lie west of the present
Mogok granitoid rocks (see Fig. 12). The Sagaing Fault
was not only responsible for the northerly displacement
of the western Burma together with the western grani-
toid belt but also it has a profound influence on the
uplifting, uncovering, and significant thermal disturb-
ances of the granitoid plutons in Burma. It is conceivable
that the Sagaing Fault was probably active as early as
the Mesozoic and/or Lower Tertiary with a significant
vertical movement and was reactivated in Upper Ter-
tiary (Mid Miocene) to relatively recent times with
distinctive strike-slip components.
Many workers (e.g. Stamp 1922, Chhibber 1934,
Tainsh 1950) and also Maung Thein (1973, 1983) be-
lieved that the Central Lowlands was a subsiding graben
bounded by major fault zones on both sides suggesting
the presence of a N-S trending, normal fault at the
boundary of the Central Lowlands and the western
margin of the Shan Plateau (Sino-Burman Ranges or
Eastern Highlands). This Boundary Fault, being located
strictly at the foot of the Shan Scarp, is topographically
330 KHIN ZAV~

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Porphyry Cu- related,

Western belt granltoids.
W- Sn related, Central
belt gronltolds. GULF OF SIAM
W-Sn related ~,Eoetern I I
b.lt granltold.. I~:~ ~--
/ Possibleboundary between
J gronltold belts, i
F j Fault., /~ aung (Victoria point)

Peek of Mountain., /
"~ Major W-Sn Minis
(~) Major gronltold bod~s in Centr~lbelt.
/ _

20O 3O0 m~lQs

Fig. 12. Map showmg the restorauon of the three gramtold belts of Burma viz. western, central and eastern gramtmd belts
before northward dextral (nght lateral) movement along the Sagaing (transform) Fault at pre-Lower Miocene. Note that
Rangoon is just west of Thaton, and the Salingyi granitoid lies immediately west of Taungoo-Mawchl gramtold pluton
and similarly Wutho granitoid body at the west of the Pyetkaywe pluton
 Geological, petrological and geochemical characteristics of granitoid rocks, Burma
very distinct and is spatially related with the Sagaing
Fault to the west which is located mostly in the alluvial
plains. Although their temporal relations are still uncer-
tain, these two tectonically significant, N-S trending,
faults (Boundary and Sagaing Faults) presumably be-
long to one and the same system and have a tremendous
impact particularly on the uplifting of the granitoid
plutons and the associated country rocks along the
central granitoid belt which lay at the western margin of
the Sino-Burman Ranges immediately east of the
Boundary Fault; and the Sino-Burman Ranges are
located at the upthrown side while the Central Lowlands
was being down-faulted.
Since this uplifting was concurrently accompanied by
extensive erosion and denudation, the thick cover of the
metasedimentary country rocks and the associated high-
level volcanics were rapidly eroded, and the underlying
granitoid plutons were uncovered, and ultimately elev-
ated to the height of up to 1.2km (e.g. Pyetkaywe
Taung) and resulted in the present configuration. It has
been postulated that the Upper Triassic-Jurassic in-
ferred magmatic-volcanic arc with the porphyry Cu-
hosted? high-level volcanics and the underlying I-type
granitoids (granodioritic) intrusions collided with the
continental foreland and W-Sn bearing, S-type grani-
toids were generated by anatexis during this later conti-
nent-arc collision. Hence, due to the above concomitant
uplifting and denudation along the Boundary and
Sagaing Faults, the collision-related, W-Sn bearing S-
type granitoids were also uncovered and exposed. Thus,
this later uplifting and erosion can account for the
absence of porphyry Cu deposits, the scarcity of comag-
matic, high-level volcanics along the central granitoid
belt, and also probably explains the presence of horn-
blende-bearing I-type granitoids as older intrusive
phases adjacent to the younger, W-Sn beanng S-type
granitoids. The minor copper occurrences (e.g. Kanse,
Myittha township, 21 12'; 96 21') in dacitic tuffaceous
volcanics and other localities in the country rocks adja-
cent to the granitoid plutons (see Goossens 1978) along
the western margin of the Shan Plateau would also
represent eroded remnants of the older porphyry Cu
deposits but this is just a speculation.
SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS
The granitoid rocks in Burma extended from Putao,
Kachin State in the north through Mogok, Mandalay
Division to Tavoy and Mergui areas, Tenasserim Div-
ision in the south over a distance of 1450 km. The
Burmese granitoids can be subdivided into three main
N-S trending belts viz. western belt, central belt and
eastern belt, but presently available information does
not allow a detailed comparative study of these three
belts since petrologic and tectonic data are still incom-
plete and limited for the western and eastern belts. The
western granitoid belt has been emplaced as a mag-
matic-volcanic arc (inner magmatic-volcanic arc) above
331
a westwardly migrating, east-dipping subduction zone
during Upper Mesozoic and Cenozoic, and the western
belt granitoids are of high-level (epizonal) plutons
associated with porphyry Cu(Au) related, younger
volcanics. Available geological and petrological data for
the Salingyi granites along the western granitoid belt
gave characteristics of I-type granitoids.
A tectonically distinct Sagaing Fault separates the
porphyry Cu(Au) related western granitoid belt and the
central granitoid belt. A major review was made in this
study for the granitoid rocks and the related W-Sn
deposits in the central granitoid belt of Burma. Geologi-
cal investigation indicates that the country rocks in the
central belt are medium- to high-grade metasedimentary
rock ranging in age from Upper Precambrian through
Lower Paleozoic to Jurassic and Lower Cretaceous. The
granitoid rocks are commonly transformed into grani-
toid gncisses with gradational contacts. The central belt
granitoids are largely granodiorites and granites with
minor diorites. Gabbro is virtually absent. Prior to
granitoid intrusions, the country rocks were regionally
metamorphosed up to the amphibolite facies and struc-
turally deformed in a narrow zone.
Present mineralogical, petrological and geochemical
evidences demonstrate that the central belt granitoid
plutons contain both I-type and S-type. The almost
absence of cogenetic volcanic rocks and abundance of
pegmatites, aplites and related quartzo-feldspathic vein
materials suggest a relatively deeper environment of
emplacement. The potash-rich nature of the granitoids
combined with high initial ratios of SrSr/Sr87
(0.717 + 0.002) and Rb/Sr ratios of (0.40-33.07) with an
average value of 6.70 suggest the derivation of the
central belt granitoid magma from well-established con-
tinental, sialic materials perhaps by remelting of
medium- to high-grade, regionally metamorphosed
country rocks.
The I-type granitoids are found as older plutonic
phases and possibly would have been cmplaced at the
late stage during the development of the inferred Upper
Triassic-Jurassic magmatic-volcanic arc east of the
westwardly migrating, east-dipping subduction zone. At
the end of the Jurassic, this older magmatic-volcanic arc
collided with the continental foreland to the east and
the younger W-Sn bearing, S-type granitoids were exten-
sively emplaced during this continent-arc collision
largely at the time of Upper Cretaceous and Eocene.
W-Sn mineralization in the central granitoid belt occurs
dominantly as near-vertical and parallel, greisen-
bordered, quartz vein-type deposits at the cusps of small,
satellitic granitoid plutons or along the granitoid-
metasedimentary rocks contact or exclusively in the
adjacent metasedimentary country rocks. Related peg-
matite veins and dykes locally may contain W-Sn min-
erals as disseminations and segregations in economic
concentrations. Tin as scattered cassiterite grains and
tungsten as disseminated wolframite patches are very
locally noted in the granitoids, but not in workable
amounts. Fluid inclusion studies indicate that granitoid
intrusion, pegmatite emplacement, and deposition of
 ,2
Sn ore veins is a long a n d c o n t i n u o u s process from
m a g m a t i c to p o s t - m a g m a t l c stage.
A l t h o u g h W - S n m i n e r a l i z a t i o n in the central g r a m -
trod belt can be explained by the "'classical'" m a g -
m a t i c - - h y d r o t h e r m a l model, the posslblh D that the ore
s o l u t m n s were m fact meteoric waters circulating
t h r o u g h thick piles o f mostly argillaceous metaclastlc
c o u n t r y rocks a n d the u p p e r part o f the p l u t o n s which
acted as " h e a t engine" (heat-engine model) can not be
ruled out on the present evidence F u t u r e stable i s o t o p e
analyses a n d detailed geochemical studies would deter-
mine the sources o f metals a n d h y d r o t h e r m a l fluids a n d
the extent to which the m m n g o f meteoric a n d m a g m a t i c
fluids had occurred A l t h o u g h chloride complexes can be
a w a b l e t r a n s p o r t i n g agent for the W - S n metals, the
a b u n d a n c e o f fluorite and fluorine-bearing minerals such
as biotite, m u s c o w t e , t o u r m a h n e , a n d a p a t i t e in the
central belt g r a m t o i d s and the related W Sn ore veins
suggest the t r a n s p o r t o f the W Sn metals a~ fluoro-
h y d r o x y l complexes can not be ruled out The close
association o f W - S n d e p o s i t , and the g r a m t o i d rocks
also lmphes that the metals have a similar crustal origin
as g r a m t o i d s . The low trace contents o f tm a n d tungsten
m the oceanic crust and in the pelagic sediments also
s u p p o r t this crustal source for the metals
Thc central belt g r a m t o i d s o f U p p e r M e s o z o i c - L o w e r
Eocene are o b v i o u s l y different from those o f the mainly
Triassm g r a m t o l d s from n o r t h e r n T h a i l a n d a n d the
P e r m o Triassic granites o f the M a l a y Peninsula and
thus the central belt g r a n i t o l d s were e m p l a c e d in a
uniquely distract geologic a n d tectonic setting m the SE
Asian region. M a j o r element d i s t r i b u t i o n indicates that
N a - K C a plot o f c o m p o s i t i o n s o f the central belt
g r a m t o l d s which are associated wtth either m i n o r W - S n
occurrences o r lode type W Sn deposits fall within the
field o f S n - m m e r a h z m g granites from New England.
A u s t r a h a ( J u n i p e r and K l e e m a n 1979) but c o n t r a r i l y
SiO, C a O + M g O + F e O - N a z O + K 2 0 + Al:Ox
shows that the m a j o r i t y o f the central belt g r a n l t o l d s in
B u r m a fall outstde the field o f S n - m i n e r a h z i n g granites
from New E n g l a n d Trace element a b u n d a n c e s o f the
central g r a m t o i d rocks suggest that the Sn c o n t e n t o f the
g r a m t o i d s should be used with c a u t t o n to d i s c r i m i n a t e
tin-bearing ( m m e r a h z e d ) g r a m t o i d p l u t o n s f r o m tin-
p o o r / b a r r e n ) p l u t o n s in the search for W - S n deposits in
Burma, but reveal the tenden<y that the g r a n t t o i d plu-
tons which b e a r W - S n m m e r a h z a t i o n are c o m p a r a t i v e l y
m o r e enriched in Be, Bl, Cu, Mo, Pb, Sn. Y a n d Z n b u t
less depleted m Ba and Z r than those p l u t o n s in which
no W S n occurrences were r e c o r d e d
The eastern belt g r a m t o l d s are the most p o o r l y k n o w n
g r a n i t o i d s in B u r m a a n d these g r a n i t o i d s are likely to be
the equtvalent o f the Triassic g r a m t o i d s in n o r t h e r n
T h a i l a n d a n d p r o b a b l y occur as a n o r t h e r n c o n t i n u a t i o n
o f the better known, tin-bearing, mesozonal, Permo--
Triassic g r a m t o l d s from the W e s t e r n ( M a i n ) R a n g e belt
o f the M a l a y Peninsula. Present limited g e o c h r o n o l o g i c
a n d s t r a t i g r a p h i c evidences suggest an U p p e r Paleozoic
age or possibly C a m b r o - O r d o v i c i a n for the T a w n g p e n g
granite m the eastern g r a n l t o l d belt F u r t h e r geological
Ktux Zaw
w o r k a n d e x p l o r a t i o n for W - S n a n d o t h e r base a n d
precious metal deposits m the eastern g r a n i t o i d belt is
highly w a r r a n t e d , a n d detailed p e t r o c h e m i c a l studies on
these g r a n i t o i d s should be d o n e to characterize them as
I-type or S-type granitoids. Mitchell (1977) considered
that the g r a m t o i d s in the western part o f the M a l a y
Peninsula continue n o r t h w a r d , including n o r t h e r n
T h a i l a n d , a n d possibly also the eastern g r a n i t o i d belt o f
B u r m a has been e m p l a c e d d u r i n g c o n t i n e n t a l collision,
but m o r e geologic a n d tectonic i n f o r m a t l o n s are needed
tbr eastern Burma. Alternatively, none o f the present
evidences argue the possibility that the eastern belt
g r a n i t o i d s have been e m p l a c e d in a c o n t i n e n t a l m a r g i n
a b o v e an e a s t - d i p p i n g s u b d u c t i o n zone d u r i n g the L o w e r
Paleozom
Acknowledgements--I express my sincere gratttude to the late Dr
Myint Lwm Them, Director, Applied Geology Department, Rangoon
Umversity, Rangoon, Burma for his encouragement and logistic
support throughout this study Thanks are extended to Dr Maung
Them, Professor, Geology Department, Mandalay University, Man-
dalay, Burma, who provided gramtmd samples from Kyatpym,
Ymmabm, Payangazu and Yezm (Pymmana)-Takon areas, and also
to U Them Win for the Bodawgyi, Daw Kyu Kyu Wm for the Gu
Taung and Daw Khm Win Kyl for the Smmakhwa areas The author
is indebted to many people for their constructive discussions, partmu-
larly ~lth U C Thacpaw, U Nyan Thin, Drs Mymt Lwm Thein,
Maung Them, Win Htem, Ym Ym Nwe and U Aung Pwa, U Tin
Kya~ Than, U Tin Aung Khamg, Daw Khm Myo Thet, DaN D
,Xhad, Daw Slke Lynn, U Soe Them and U Htay Hone, all of Rangoon
University and U Win Tin of the Mine Corporation and U Tin Maung
Lay and U Khin Maung Htwe of the Directorate of Geologmal Survey
and Exploration (DGSE) The author is very grateful to U Than Htay
of the Technical Service Corporation for the fruitful &scussion on
W -Sn mmerahzatmn and the writer has also benefited from discussion
~lth Dr Win Swe of DGSE on tectonic interpretation of the gramtmd
belts in Burma U Shwe Gaung Lay of DGSE assisted m spectro-
graphic analysis The author is very much obliged to Dr A H G
Mitchell of England and Dr P J Goossens of Belgium for provldmg
the necessary published information while the author was m Burma
Dr S Ishihara of the Geological Survey of Japan made a comment on
the manuscnpt, and critical reading by Dr Erwm Reed of the
Australian National University and two anonymous reviewers greatly
improved the manuscript The author is indebted to Dr Ross R Large,
plot Director, Centre for Ore Depom and Exploration Studies, Umvermy
of Tasmania, for prowdmg facilities to prepare this paper and to Prof
D H Green, Drs R R Large, C Burrett, A J Crawford, R Varnes,
R Berry and the late Dr Ramsay Ford, all of the Umversity of
Tasmania, for their moral support, but the interpretation and imph-
cations given in th~s paper are the sole responsibility of the author
Special thanks are due to Prof C S Hutchlson of the Umverslty of
Malaya, who helped in the calculation for the normative composmons
of the gramtotd samples by his computer programs, and to Dr S F
J Cobblng and N. J Snelhng of the British Geological Survey for
allo~mg me to use unpublished Burmese granite age data They wilt
be too numerous to name individually, but many of the author'~
colleagues and former students from Burma have contributed refor-
mation, data or discussions, and their collective support has been
greatly appreciated Finally thanks to m~ wife, Nllar Hlamg, for typing
the manuscript, without her warm and helpful assistance this
manuscript would not have been completed
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Aung Khm, Aung Tm U, Aung Soe and Khm Han 1970. A study on
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Tech 3, 91-113
 Geological, petrological and geochemical characteristics of granitoid rocks, Burma
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