Geochemical and petrological characteristics of meta-conglomerate and wacke of the Jaban Formation, Champaner Group, western India: Provenance, origin and evolution

The Jaban meta-conglomerate with wacke (JMW) of the Champaner Group represents a polymictic clastic unit important for understanding sediment provenance, basin evolution and post-depositional processes within Proterozoic supracrustal sequences. This study integrates field observations, petrography, bulk rock major and trace element geochemistry, and in situ mineral chemical analyses to constrain provenance characteristics, depositional conditions and post-depositional element redistribution within this unit. The heterogeneous clast assemblage, including quartzite, granite, calc-silicate and phyllite, indicates derivation from multiple felsic-dominated crustal sources, including older Champaner Group lithologies, pre-Champaner granitic gneiss and granitoid bodies of the Godhra region. Petrographic observations indicate a mineral assemblage dominated by quartz, feldspar and micas with accessory heavy minerals including zircon, monazite and hematite. Geochemical signatures, including mixed tectonic discrimination indicators, elevated Th/Sc and Zr/Sc ratios reflecting significant sediment recycling from felsic upper crustal sources, marked negative Eu anomalies, and depletion in Heavy Rare Earth Elements (HREEs), together with immature textures and poor preservation of primary sedimentary structures, suggest deposition within a tectonically influenced continental margin basin setting, followed by deformation, sediment reworking and tectono-magmatic overprinting. In-situ mineral oxide data confirms the presence of uranium and thorium within heavy minerals and selected silicate phases. X-ray elemental mapping reveals localised enrichment of U and Th, particularly along structurally controlled zones towards the northern part of the JMW belt. These results indicate post-depositional redistribution of radioactive elements associated with hydrothermal fluid–rock interaction, likely linked to prolonged granitoid magmatism. Overall, the JMW succession records sediment recycling, tectonic reworking and fluid-mediated geochemical modification, providing insight into crustal recycling processes within Proterozoic Champaner Basin.