The Khan-Taishir ophiolitic complex of Western Mongolia, its petrology, origin and comparison with other ophiolitic complexes

Abstract

The Khan-Taishir ophiolitic complex is situated within Early Caledonian structures of Western Mongolia. It consists (from below upward) of strongly differentiated ultramafics (dunites and harzburgites), pyroxenites and gabbro, sheeted dikes, pillow lavas and sediments, including in their uppermost part archaeocyatic limestones of Lower Cambrian age. Geological, petrochemical and geochemical data indicate that the ultramafics are turn off from the overlying ophiolitic sequence. Igneous rocks of the ophiolitic complex, except the ultramafics, were formed by two-stage differentiation of mantle magma of quartz-tholeiitic composition exhausted in potassium and titanium. Pyroxenites and gabbro with an anorthositic trend of differentiation were generated during the first stage, and sheeted dikes and pillow lavas with a quartz trend of differentiation were formed during the second one. Ophiolites of the Khan-Taishir complex petrochemically and geochemically differ strongly from mafic and ultramafic rocks of midoceanic ridges. Together with ophiolites of the Troodos complex (Cyprus) and Macquarie Island (eastern Indian Ocean) they constitute the special type of ophiolite peculiar rather to slip boundaries of lithosphere plates. The other type of ophiolite, including complexes like the Dzolen complex of south Mongolia, contains poorly differentiated ultramafics and does not contain sheeted dikes; while the igneous rocks are very similar to mafic and ultramafic rocks dredged from midoceanic and formed probably in midoceanic ridge environments as well.