Petrology
Ashraf Torkian; Jamal Abdolahpour; Nafiseh Salehi
Abstract
Pyroclastic rocks in the Badam area (E-Mahabad, west Azarbaijan Province), are located at the most extreme northern part of the Sanandaj-Sirjan zone. Petrographic studies revealed that they are basanitic in composition and have porphyric and microlithic porphyric textures. Olivine and clinopyroxne occur ...
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Pyroclastic rocks in the Badam area (E-Mahabad, west Azarbaijan Province), are located at the most extreme northern part of the Sanandaj-Sirjan zone. Petrographic studies revealed that they are basanitic in composition and have porphyric and microlithic porphyric textures. Olivine and clinopyroxne occur as phenocrysts and clinopyroxene and nepheline as microliths. Opaque minerals and glass have occupied the space between different minerals. In classification diagram, they have basanitic composition. Geochemical features such as enrichment in LILE, high LREE concentrations and negative anomalies in Nb, Ta and Y, with positives anomalies in Ba, Pb and Th and enrichment in Th/Yb, all suggest that these rocks have mantle source that are enriched by melt/fluids from the metasomatized subducted oceanic slab. These features are inherited from mantle source and they are not caused by crustal contamination. Regarding MREE and HREE ratios, these basanites originated from 1 % partial melting of a garnet lherzolite source in the garnet stability field (85 Km). Melting trigger in this area is not clear, but old theories such as lithosphere delamination or slab break up are not applicable any more. There is three suggestions about melting in these are: 1) break up of hydrated phases by depth increase, 2) changing and turbulence in convection follows, 3) subduction and dehydration of Arabic passive margin.
