Submagmatic flow to solid-state ductile deformation of the Karakoram Batholith, India: insights into syn-tectonic cooling and exhumation

Granitic magmatism is considered an essential mechanism for crustal recycling in the rapidly accreted crust. Mode of emplacement and ascent of granitic magma, together with the exhumation of granites, especially along plate margins, hold a vital clue to the Earth’s thermomechanical workings. The present study investigates the role of ductile deformation in the exhumation of the granitic rocks of the Karakoram batholith (KB), north of the Shyok Suture Zone (SSZ), NW Trans-Himalaya. Textural and thermobarometric studies suggest that crystallization of the KB initiated at ~ 700–800 °C and ~ 4.2–7.5 kb. Microstructures of feldspar and quartz pertaining to temperatures > 700 °C together with the late crystallization of muscovite evince submagmatic flow. Muscovite-rich domains typically exhibit microstructures indicating temperatures