New carbonatite occurrences along the Hatta transform fault zone (northern Oman Mountains, United Arab Emirates)

Abstract

New large occurrences of extrusive carbonatite have been found within metasedimentary rocks below the Semail Ophiolite Complex of the Hatta transform fault zone, United Arab Emirates. Geochemically they can be classified as ferrocarbonatites. Their chemistry is different from the carbonatites occurring in the Dibba transtensional fault zone about 60 km to the north, however, they have a similar stratigraphical position. The textures of the carbonatites indicate that they are of extrusive origin. They are either related to Triassic rifting during the early phases of the formation of the Neo-Tethyan Sea or to Late Cretaceous, intra-plate alkaline magmatism. These carbonatite occurrences highlight the possibility of further carbonatite discoveries in tectonic environments, such as transform and transtensional fault systems.