Sodic alteration in the Siriz intrusive body, Kashmar–Kerman block, central Iran: insights from petrography, geochemistry, and application of QEMSCAN

Mahbouby Niyeh, Masoumeh; Alirezaei, Saeid; Rasa, Iraj

doi:10.22071/gsj.2026.596126.2264

Sodic alteration in the Siriz intrusive body, Kashmar–Kerman block, central Iran: insights from petrography, geochemistry, and application of QEMSCAN

Articles in Press

Document Type : Original Research Paper

Authors

Masoumeh Mahbouby Niyeh

Saeid Alirezaei

Iraj Rasa

Department of Geology, Faculty of Science, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran

10.22071/gsj.2026.596126.2264

Abstract

The Siriz intrusive body in the south-central section of the Kashmar–Kerman block, Central Iran structural zone, consists of alkaline and metaluminous syenite, monzonite, and quartz monzonite. The rocks consist of plagioclase, orthoclase, microcline, and lesser quartz, biotite, and hornblende. A distinct petrographic feature is the occurrence of chess-board albite replacing preferentially K-feldspars. Major element geochemistry reveals significant enrichment in Na₂O relative to K₂O. To further document and quantify the abundances of various minerals and textural relationships, we employed QEMSCAN analysis of selected samples that provides mineralogical and elemental maps, as well as BSE images. The results revealed the occurrence of abundant albite, partly as replacement of other feldspars. Findings from this study demonstrate that QEMSCAN is an efficient and complementary technique to characterize and quantify the distribution of minerals and textural relationships, and alteration features in rocks. The fluid involved in the albitic alteration could be of magmatic origin, or heated basinal brines, interacting with evaporitic beds in the country rocks.

Keywords

Siriz intrusive body

Kashmar–Kerman Block

albitic alteration

QEMSCAN

Subjects