Tectonics
Mojtaba Ershadinia; Farzin Ghaemi; Massoud Homam
Abstract
The Fariman complex is located in the northeast of Iran and southeast of Mashhad, contains a variety of rocks from the Permian to the present era that have undergone several stages of deformation. In this paper, the structural geometry of faults and folds of the region is analyzed and based on it, the ...
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The Fariman complex is located in the northeast of Iran and southeast of Mashhad, contains a variety of rocks from the Permian to the present era that have undergone several stages of deformation. In this paper, the structural geometry of faults and folds of the region is analyzed and based on it, the deformation stages of Fariman complex are identified, which indicates its evolution during 3 stages of deformation. In the first stage of deformation, tectonic forces along with the thermal stage have caused the transformation of sediments and the formation of first generation foliation and folds in the region. First-generation thrusts also formed during this phase, thrusting Palaeotethys remnants. The second stage of deformation has led to the formation of the second generation of thrusts and folds in the region. Kinematic analysis of second generation thrusts indicates two reverse motion phases with leftlateral strike-slip component and right–lateral strike–slip with reverse component.Its reverse motions, which result in the formation of misplaced massive carbonate associated with the second stage of deformation, and its dextral motion, which cut and displace previous structures and affect all rock units in the region, the third stage of deformation is analyzed.
Petrology
Mohsen Moayyed; Farzaneh ValinasabZarnagh; Ahmad Jahangiri; Hosein Azizi
Abstract
there are Discontinuous outcrops of volcanic rocks in the northern regions of Maku. The volcanic rocks were metamorphosed in the green schist facies. These volcanic complex were bimodal and compose of acidic and basic lava and pyroclastic rocks. The lava of this unit covers the Cambrian and equivalent ...
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there are Discontinuous outcrops of volcanic rocks in the northern regions of Maku. The volcanic rocks were metamorphosed in the green schist facies. These volcanic complex were bimodal and compose of acidic and basic lava and pyroclastic rocks. The lava of this unit covers the Cambrian and equivalent of Lashkarak rock units and is progressively covered by Devonian dolomitic units. The geochemical data of metabasic and metarhyolite rocks signify transitional to alkaline nature of the primary magma and they have a negative gradient of REE and LREE / HREE ratio of those rocks are high and enriched inHFS elements. Metarhyolite rocks are similar to the rift setting rhyolites (A1-Type). Geochemical data indicate that the studied rocks are due to fractional crystallization of basic magma with crustal contamination, and in particular, the studied rocks have a genetic relationship and originate from a commen magma. The magma of the studied rocks generated by 3-10 percent partial melting of an enriched garnet peridotitic mantle source in an intra-continental extensional rift setting. This tectonic setting is concordant with the known extensional rift setting governed on other parts of Iran during the early Paleozoic, primary stages of generation and development of the Paleotethys.
M. Asadpour; S. Heuss
Abstract
The Ghalghachi leucogranite intrussion with approximately 2 Km2 is located in west Urmia Lake and 70 Km north of Urmia city. This intrussion in form of small stock has intruded into Precambrian metamorphic rocks including gneiss, schist and amphibolite. This area is part of the Sanandaj-Sirjan zone in ...
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The Ghalghachi leucogranite intrussion with approximately 2 Km2 is located in west Urmia Lake and 70 Km north of Urmia city. This intrussion in form of small stock has intruded into Precambrian metamorphic rocks including gneiss, schist and amphibolite. This area is part of the Sanandaj-Sirjan zone in northwestern of Iran. This is the first time that age of leucogranite was determined by LA-ICP-MS zircon grains 558.6 ± 3.8 Ma that indicates acidic magmatic activity and the presence of Pan-African basement similar to the central Iran. The presence of older cores in some of zircon grains with age between 900 to 2500 Ma suggest the presence of older rocks in the study area. The rock show negative initial eNd (t) values of -4.3 with TDM 1.61 that are consistent with partial melting of a primary crust (with Paleoprotrozoic age) that was formed during the Neoproterozoic the same as Arabian Shield. The 87Sr/86Sr and εNd of whole rock and Th/U values in zircons show the involvement of more crustal and less mantle components, during the opening of Paleotethys Ocean.
Z Azimzadeh; A Jahangiri; E Saccani; Y Dilek
Abstract
The Misho gabbroic massif with an east- west trend, 30 Km length and 7 Km wıdth is penetrated in the Infra-Cambrian Kahar formation. The micro-gabbroic dykes have cut this intrusive massif. Gabbros have homogenous compositions and major phases are plagioclase and pyroxene and minor minerals are ...
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The Misho gabbroic massif with an east- west trend, 30 Km length and 7 Km wıdth is penetrated in the Infra-Cambrian Kahar formation. The micro-gabbroic dykes have cut this intrusive massif. Gabbros have homogenous compositions and major phases are plagioclase and pyroxene and minor minerals are olivine, amphibole, biotite, K-feldespar and opaque minerals. Their texture is granular. The results of EMP analysis of clinopyroxenes show that they have diopside to augite compositions. In different diagrams, gabbros mostly show tholiitic composition with MORB affinities in tectonic setting. Pyroxenes generally have high SiO2 (50.02-52.69 wt %), high Mg number [Mg/ (Mg+Fe2+)] (78.59-82.42wt %), variable Al2O3 (1.8–5.09 wt %), low TiO2 (0.53-1.33 wt %), low Na2O (0.21-0.47 wt %) contents and low Al [6]/Al [4] ratios (0-0.39), suggesting relatively low pressure crystallization conditions of the magma. The temperature calculated for the clinopyroxenes in gabbros is 1027-1306oC and pressure is less than 8 Kbars. The investigations of variation trends of clinopyroxene compositions don’t show any zoning in clinopyroxenes and clinopyroxenes are in chemical equilibrium with other minerals in the rocks. The obtained textural and mineral chemical data, suggest that the clinopyroxenes may have crystallized from a tholiitic magma derived from a depleted lithospheric mantle. This is confirmed by the whole-rock chemistry. The gabbroic massif intrusion in a tectonic setting of extensional rifting followed by the opening of Paleotethyan oceanic crust in early Carboniferous in NW Iran.
M Derakhshi; H Ghasemi; T Sahami
Abstract
The Soltan Maydan Basaltic Complex indicates the most important, thickest, and most voluminous early Paleozoic magmatic activity in Iran outcropping in the eastern Alborz structural zone, in the north-northeast of Shahrud. This complex overlies the late Ordovician Ghelli Formation and is overlain by ...
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The Soltan Maydan Basaltic Complex indicates the most important, thickest, and most voluminous early Paleozoic magmatic activity in Iran outcropping in the eastern Alborz structural zone, in the north-northeast of Shahrud. This complex overlies the late Ordovician Ghelli Formation and is overlain by the early Devonian Padeha Formation. The field evidences show more than 50 lava flows erupting frequently in the sub-aerial and submarine environments. This complex comprises of a continuous fractional spectrum including basalt, basaltic andesite, trachybasalt and basaltic trachyandesite that has undergone medium to high degrees of alteration. The geochemical data and diagrams signify transitional to alkaline nature of the primary magma, genetic relationship among all rocks of this complex due to fractional crystallization, none or weak role of magmatic contamination in magma evolution, and generation of primary magma by 15-17 percent partial melting of an enriched garnet peridotitic mantle source in an intra-continental extensional rift setting. This tectonic setting is concordant with the known extensional rift setting governed on the Alborz and Central Iran zones during the early Paleozoic, especially late Ordovician-Silurian, primary stages of generation and development of the Paleotethys.
H. Nazari; J-F. Ritz; S. Oghbaee
Abstract
Development and evolution of Tethys basins during geological history from the Precambrian to Paleogene has been considered by many geoscientists. The first sign of various basins propagation of Tethys which resulted in separation of supercontinents, ancient lands (such as Eurasia, Gondwana) and ...
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Development and evolution of Tethys basins during geological history from the Precambrian to Paleogene has been considered by many geoscientists. The first sign of various basins propagation of Tethys which resulted in separation of supercontinents, ancient lands (such as Eurasia, Gondwana) and blocks or microplates among them, are found in the Precambrian. One of these old basins in the north of Iran has been called Ortho-Tethys, its evidence can be found in the primary structures of Alborz and its Precambrian units.
Some other researchers believe that the Ordovician and Silurain volcanic series of Iranian Plateau and Alborz were formed after genesis of Early Tethys basin or Paleotethys due to extension-shear system along the Paleo-Tethys between Turan plate and Alborz-Kopet-Dagh belts. By increasing the rate of subsidence in the Permain basin, the dominating marks of extension system between Iranian microcontinents and Arabian plate were recorded, however, the related alkaline volcanic rocks of the Neotethys rifting found in Triassic succesion. In addition, the most important tectonic changes of the Caspian and Black seas occurred in the Triassic time.
Structural upheaval of Tethys basins among blocks and plates, such as Turan in the north Kopet-e-Dagh, Caucasus, Alborz, Sabzevar, Central Iranian micro-continents and Arabian plate in the south is traceable periodically.
The succession of extension and compression tectonic events resulting from opening and closing of such basins during Assynitic–Pan african and Alpine orogenies which sometimes correspond to metamorphic facies from Caldonian and Hercynian orogenies, resulted in tectonic evolution of sedimentary basins in the areas impressed by various orogenies.
Alborz as an extended block in active tectonic zone and impressed by most distinguished geological events in both supercontinents of Eurasia and Gondwana is evolved between two ancient continents. The total of thinning and thickening of Alborz basement during ancient events in comparison to other parts of Iran indicate approximately constant rate and little negative gradients due to thickness decrease of crystalline crust and lower crust towards Caspian basin.
Detachment folding system with uplift of ancient facies in hanging wall of basic fault in north Alborz is one of the apparent features of central part of this structural block that occurred in flower structure. More folding and movement in western part of this fault comparing to eastern part, is another structural feature in the area.
North Alborz , Mosha and Taleghan faults as principal faults appearing in internal part of Central Alborz,wheresomepropagationfaults like the North Tehran and Khazar can be derived from them to the south and north side of Central Alborz.
M. R. Poursoltani; R. Moussavi Harami; Y. Lasemi
Abstract
The KopetDaghBasin of northeast Iran formed in the NeotethysOcean after the closure of Paleotethys in the south of Turan plate. A thick sequence of Jurassic to Miocene sediments has been deposited in this basin without any major break. The siliciclastic Kashafrud Formation ...
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The KopetDaghBasin of northeast Iran formed in the NeotethysOcean after the closure of Paleotethys in the south of Turan plate. A thick sequence of Jurassic to Miocene sediments has been deposited in this basin without any major break. The siliciclastic Kashafrud Formation (Middle Jurassic), overlying unconformably on Triassic rocks and ultrabasic rocks comprises nearly 2 km of turbidite and fluvio-deltaic facies, consists of sandstone, shale and conglomerate. Trace-fossil assemblages are presented in some units with different environments. The most important ichnofossils in this formation are Skolithos, Palaeophycus tabularizes,Belerhaphe, Thalassinoides suevicus, Psilonichnus , Planololites beverleyensis, Rhizocoralium jenese, Scolicia, Conichnus, Lophactenium, Palaeophycus striatus,Taenidium. It is interpreted, based on identified ichnofossils, the Kashafrud Formation may have been deposited in fluvio-deltaic and deep water (turbidity conditions) environment. We hope that these data can help in a better understanding of palaeogeography and tectonic setting of the region during Middle Jurassic.