Abstract
It is essential to identify marbles' petrographic and geochemical characteristics to determine the palaeo-environmental settings where their carbonate protoliths formed. The petrogenesis of massive Gimo marbles in the Gole area, Kurdistan Region of northeast Iraq, was investigated in this study through a combination of field mapping, petrographic, and geochemical techniques. Petrographic examination of these marbles reveals that mineral compositions are similar in all samples, with both homeoblastic and mosaic textures occurring, in addition to opaque grains that provide evidence of mineralization. Geochemical analyses show that the average calcium carbonate content of the marble is 94.96%; hence, the marble is lithologically characterized as a pure calcite marble. In most samples, the silica content was below 2 wt.%, with high values related to quartz veinlets. A range of geochemical indices and Post-Archean Australian Shale (PAAS–normalized rare earth element (REE) patterns) suggest that the limestone protolith was deposited in a shallow, near-shore marine environment on a continental margin, with very low input of detrital material. The negative Ce anomalies indicate that the protoliths of the Gimo marbles were carbonate rocks of a sedimentary origin.
Highlights
The Iraqi marbles of Mawat and Penjween (Gimo group) are located in the extreme northeast of Iraq, near the border with Iran (Figs. 1 and 2)
This study aims to investigate the mineralogical, geochemical characteristics of Gimo marble and determining the origin of their protolith and to provide insight into the palaeo-depositional environment of the formation and as well as provide a better understanding of the origin and geotectonic setting of this part of the Iraqi Zagros Suture Zone (IZSZ)
Fused-glass discs were prepared for major element analysis by X-ray fluorescence (XRF) at the Laboratory of Electron Microscopy and Microanalysis of the Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Patras, Greece, with a relative standard deviation percentage (RSD %) of less than 5% for all analyzed elements
Summary
The Iraqi marbles of Mawat and Penjween (Gimo group) are located in the extreme northeast of Iraq, near the border with Iran (Figs. 1 and 2). The Gimo group comprises an alternation and interfingering of greywhite marble and dark grey calc-schist, with thin sheets of metabasalts in some places. This group shows a remarkable lithological resemblance to the Qandil Series from the Eocene. Various studies have been carried out on the metamorphic rocks of the Penjween area, including those by Bolton (1958), Samirnov and Neldov (1962), DeVilliers (1975), Jassim et al (1982), Buday and Jassim (1987), Awadh (1991), Karim (2004), Awadh and Kettanah (2008). The metamorphic sequences in the area have not been studied in detail, and their relevance to the general geological framework remains unknown
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
