Northern Sanandaj-Sirjan Zone Research Articles

Petrography, U–Pb geochronology and geochemistry of Varcheh intrusions: Insight into younging trend of mid‐Cretaceous subduction in the northern Sanandaj–Sirjan Zone, western Iran

The Neotethyan Sanandaj–Sirjan Zone of western Iran has recorded major magmatic activities due to its continental arc tectonic setting during the Mesozoic. The Varcheh mafic intrusions were less‐studied plutons in the northern Sanandaj–Sirjan Zone (SSZ). Field evidence, petrography, geochemistry and U–Pb geochronological data were used to determine petrographic composition, geochemical nature, crystallization age and also to suggest a conceptual tectonomagmatic model for their emplacement. Small plutonic bodies are dominantly composed of monzogabbro that have intruded into the Cretaceous sedimentary rocks. Based on U–Pb zircon datings, these rocks have crystallized at 125–118 Ma in late Early Cretaceous (Barremian–Aptian), and are older than the supposed ages reported on geological maps. Varcheh rocks are not just typical calc‐alkaline rocks and some show alkaline affinity. Negative anomalies in Nb–Ta–Ti and enrichments in some large‐ion lithophile elements on spider diagrams are consistent with a subduction‐zone setting. Potential deep source for magma generation is partial melting of subcontinental lithospheric mantle wedge above a subducting slab of oceanic lithosphere. The spaces for the Varcheh mafic intrusions are accommodated by dominant dextral strike‐slip movement in a continental arc experiencing extension during late Early Cretaceous subduction. According to the zircon U–Pb geochronology results in this paper and previous U–Pb ages in the northern part of the SSZ, the mid‐Cretaceous magmatism reveals a significant NW‐ward younging trend and migration of the magmatic arc from the Barremian–Aptian in south‐east to the Albian–Cenomanian in the north‐west.

A unique period of bimodal volcanism at 130–110 Ma in the northern Sanandaj-Sirjan Zone: Evidence for an extensional setting

The Sanandaj-Sirjan metamorphic-magmatic Zone (SaSZ) represents the Mesozoic active continental margin of the Neotethys Ocean between the Arabian plate and the Iranian plateau. The zone evolved at the margin of ancient Ediacaran basement, as documented in this paper with an age of 557 Ma for a trondhjemite. The Mesozoic activity of the SaSZ was most intense with sedimentation and magmatism in the Jurassic between 170 and 150 Ma, but this period was then followed by a 20 million years gap with almost no magmatic activity, which has been attributed to flat slab tectonics. The present paper is concentrated on the geochemistry, and zircon CA-ID-TIMS geochronology, of a bimodal, but mainly basaltic, volcanic and subordinate plutonic succession that represents the resumption of magmatism in a deep and gradually shallowing basin in the northern SaSZ between 130 and 110 Ma. The mafic to intermediate volcanic rocks are predominantly calc-alkaline and have εNd values of +0.3 to +3.9. The felsic volcanic rocks are dominantly high-K calc-alkaline with εNd values of −0.5 to +1.9. A suite of Cretaceous trondhjemites yields εNd values of −4.6 to −4.9. Together, the geochemical, lithological and geochronological indications suggest that the thick Barremian-Aptian bimodal magmatic suite represents magmatism in a continental arc to back-arc setting, controlled by extension and probably related to foundering of the flat slab and slab roll-back. These events initiated melting of the mantle in the northern SaSZ, heralding a period of extension and the subsequent development of ophiolites all along the Neothetyan suture.

Tectonic significance of the late Eocene (Bartonian) calc-alkaline granitoid body in the Marivan area, Zagros suture zone, northwest Iran

ABSTRACT The Marivan granitoid body of the northern Sanandaj–Sirjan Zone (N-SaSZ) of northwest Iran was emplaced into Cretaceous sediments, and is associated with minor amounts of iron skarn-type mineralization along the contact between the intrusion and surrounding country rocks. The granitoids within the intrusion include (hornblende-rich) diorite, granodiorite, and granite phases, and zircon U–Pb dating of four samples from this intrusion indicate they were emplaced during the late Eocene (Bartonian; 37.7 ± 1.0 Ma). These plutonic rocks can be classified into two main types, granitic and dioritic rocks, according to petrography and whole-rock major element geochemistry. Both the granitic and dioritic rocks are high-K, and some of the granitic rocks have an I-type affinity and peraluminous to metaluminous compositions. Both the granitic and dioritic rocks have εNd(t) values that cluster around zero (–3.3 to +3.0) and low 87Sr/86Sr(i) values (0.7040–0.7076), suggesting derivation from a mafic juvenile crustal or depleted mantle source, which was possibly mafic calc-alkaline rocks or amphibolites within the lower crust. The new zircon U–Pb ages and petrological and geochemical data presented in this study suggest that the Palaeocene–early Eocene collision of the Arabian and Iranian plates caused the ascent and emplacement of hot mafic magma through a slab window into the crust. This increased the geothermal gradient within the root zone of the developing magmatic system at the base of the continental crust, causing the partial melting of lower crust in this region. This generated mafic to intermediate magmas that were either directly emplaced into the upper crust or mixed with varying amounts of upper crustal material prior to emplacement, which formed the diorite to leucogranite range of compositions within the Marivan granitoid intrusion.

Zircon U-Pb ages, geochemistry, and Sr-Nd isotope ratios for early cretaceous magmatic rocks, southern Saqqez, northwestern Iran

Sanandaj-Sirjan Zone (SaSZ) is one of the most dynamic structural zones of Iran, which is divided into three main parts: Northern, Central and Southern. The northern SaSZ has been affected by deformation due to fault activities near the Zagros suture zone, and mylonitic structures have overprinted these rocks and was affected by three episodes of magma injection during the Permian-Carboniferous, Early Cretaceous and Cenozoic. In this study, the rock units investigated that have been considered Precambrian-Paleozoic basement on geological maps. This paper considers zircon U-Pb dating, whole-rock chemistry and Sr-Nd isotope ratios of Cretaceous magmatic rocks in the N-SaSZ to develop a new geodynamic model for the evolution of these magmatic rocks. The new zircon U-Pb ages obtained in this study show that the magmatic rocks crystallized at 115–107 Ma in the Early Cretaceous (Aptian-Albian) and are much younger than the supposed ages presented on geological maps. This complex classified into two main groups of basic-intermediate and acidic rocks based on SiO2 contents. The whole-rock chemistry of the basaltic and andesitic rocks, which are interbedded with marine shallow-water sedimentary deposits, shows their typical calc-alkaline affinity and subordinate tholeiitic series on an active margin. The positive εNd(t) of approximately +4 for some undifferentiated basalts with negative Ti and Nb anomalies shows the relation of these rocks to calc-alkaline magmatism and was generated by the partial melting of subcontinental lithospheric mantle (SCLM). Granitoid rocks with some affinity to the peraluminous group with a negative εNd(t) value (-3.2) mainly and negative Ti and Nb anomalies plot in an active margin tectonic setting. Simultaneous mafic calc-alkaline volcanism and the generation of granitic intrusions in the Early Cretaceous could have occurred on an active margin. Due to the absence of Jurassic arc related magmatic rocks in northern SaSZ and presence of Cretaceous calc alkaline magmatic activity, which are not observed in the central SaSZ, support the idea that the subduction of the Neotethys beneath the northern SaSZ started in the Early Cretaceous.

Petrogenesis of the Carboniferous Ghaleh-Dezh metagranite, Sanandaj–Sirjan zone, Iran: constraints from new zircon U–Pb and40Ar/39Ar ages and Sr–Nd isotopes

AbstractThe Ghaleh-Dezh metagranites in the northern Sanandaj–Sirjan Zone (SaSZ) in western Iran are found in a 0.5 km long by 0.3 km wide unit emplaced within the older Precambrian basement. New zircon U–Pb ages confirm that crystallization and emplacement of the protolith of the metagranites occurred at 312 ± 10 Ma and 298 ± 17 Ma in the Upper Carboniferous (Pennsylvanian) – Early Permian, which is consistent with the ages of recently discovered Palaeozoic granites in the northern SaSZ. The studied metagranitic body has been metamorphosed at lower greenschist facies and deformed in ductile–brittle regime due to subsequent reheating events during the Mesozoic. The rocks are metaluminous to slightly peraluminous granites with an A2-type affinity. Initial87Sr/86Sr ratios andεNd(t) contents vary from 0.7037 to 0.7130 and −0.70 to 0.34, respectively.143Nd/144Nd(i)values for the granitic rocks are fairly uniform at ∼0.5123. The geochemical and isotopic evidence indicates that these rocks were generated from a mantle magma with crustal contamination and fractional crystallization. Rb–Sr isochron and40Ar/39Ar K-feldspar ages are 274 Ma and 60–70 Ma, respectively. The older event,c.270 Ma, was likely related to the opening of Neotethys, whereas the younger ages likely relate to collisional events in the region during the closure of Neotethys.

Investigation of rare earth elements (REEs) as exploration potential in Intrusive bodies in the northern Sanandaj-Sirjan zone (Kurdistan area), western Iran

Investigation of rare earth elements (REEs) as exploration potential in Intrusive bodies in the northern Sanandaj-Sirjan zone (Kurdistan area), western Iran

Petrogenesis and geodynamic implications of an Ediacaran (550 Ma) granite complex (metagranites), southwestern Saqqez, northwest Iran

The late Neoproterozoic (Ediacaran) igneous and metamorphic complex that constitutes the main part of the Precambrian basement in Iran is exposed in southwestern Saqqez in the northern Sanandaj-Sirjan zone (SaSZ), which is called the Ediacaran complex in this study. New zircon U–Pb dating from five samples shows that the crystallization of the main granitic bodies happened 559 to 547 Ma in the late Neoproterozoic (Ediacaran). The Ediacaran complex in southwest Saqqez includes: (a) metarhyolite-sedimentary sequences; (b) metagranite; and (c) metadiorite-monzonitic bodies with some late stage dikes. Whole-rock compositions of the granites show high contents of SiO2 (62.9–80.5 wt.%), K2O (0.1–4.0 wt.%), and Al2O3 (9.7–19.1 wt.%) with low contents of MgO (0.2–2.4 wt.%), Fe2O3 (0.7–6.9 wt.%), and TiO2 (0.1–1.0 wt.%). Negative εNd(t) (−5.2 to −3.0) and high initial ratios of 87Sr/86Sr (0.7101 to 0.7328) indicate the main role of crustal components in the sources of the granitic bodies. The metadiorite-monzonitic rocks have high contents of Fe2O3 (6.4–10.7 wt.%), MgO (6.6–8.1 wt.%), CaO (5.7–9.7 wt.%), and TiO2 (0.4–1.2 wt.%) with positive εNd(t) (+2.9 to +4.4) values. Whole rocks compositions and 87Sr/86Sr–143Nd/144Nd isotope ratios show different sources for the metagranite and metadiorite-monzonite groups, which are consistent with continental crust and subcontinental lithospheric mantle released melts, respectively. The high contents of Th with low contents of the transitional elements such as Nb-Ta with calc-alkaline affinity of the both intermediate and acidic rocks infer the relation of these rocks to an active continental margin over the subduction zone in the late Neoproterozoic which is associated with Proto-Tethys subduction beneath northern Gondwana in that time.

The Jurassic tourmaline–garnet–beryl semi-gemstone province in the Sanandaj–Sirjan Zone, western Iran

ABSTRACT Deposits of semi-gemstones tourmaline, beryl, and garnet associated with Jurassic granites are found in the northern Sanandaj–Sirjan Zone (SaSZ) of western Iran, defining a belt that can be traced for about 400 km. Granitic magmas strongly interacted with or were derived from melts of continental crust and/or sediments. Based on morphologies, size, mineral assemblage, and contact relationships with host granite and associated metamorphic aureoles, these deposits are categorized into six types: (1) garnet in skarns, (2) tourmaline, beryl, and garnet in pegmatite and aplitic dikes, (3) disseminations and patches of tourmaline in leucogranites, (4) quartz-tourmaline veins in granite, (5) tourmaline and garnet in metamorphic aureoles, and (6) tourmaline orbicules in aplite. Tourmalines are mostly schorl and dravite, and garnets are mostly almandine, spessartine, and grossular. Tourmaline, beryl, and garnet from pegmatites in the contact aureole of Jurassic granites reflect segregations of Be, B, Mn, and Al bearing melts from the Jurassic peraluminous granites. Quartz-tourmaline veins and hydrothermal garnets in skarns reflect fluids exsolved from the surrounding metasediment and pegmatite melt. In contrast, tourmaline patches and orbicules developed from boron-rich aqueous fluids exsolved from cooling granitic magma. Distribution of semi-gemstones in the SaSZ shows that these are mostly related to pegmatites associated with Jurassic granitic intrusions. Mineral equilibrium considerations indicate that SaSZ semi-gemstones crystallized at P = 3.5–7.5 kbar (11.5–25 km deep) and temperatures of 550–650°C. SaSZ pegmatites fall in the muscovite (MS) and MS-rare element classes. They are Lithium Cesium Tantalum (LCT)-type pegmatites. Fluids responsible for gem mineralization were exsolved from cooling granite bodies and released by metamorphosed sediments. Further studies are needed to better understand the northern Sanandaj–Sirjan tourmaline–garnet–beryl semi-gemstone Province.

New evidence for Jurassic continental rifting in the northern Sanandaj Sirjan Zone, western Iran: the Ghalaylan seamount, southwest Ghorveh

ABSTRACT We address the growing controversy about the tectonic setting in which Jurassic magmatism of Iran occurred: arc or continental rift. In the Ghorveh area of the northern Sanandaj Sirjan zone (SaSZ), the Ghalayan metabasites are interlayered with marble and schist and locally cut by acidic dikes. Zircon U-Pb dating of the metabasitic rocks shows that these crystallized at ca. 145–144 Ma ago in the Late Jurassic (Tithonian). This complex was metamorphosed in the lower greenschist facies, however, some protolithic structures such as pillow lava and primary minerals are preserved. The metabasites are tholeiites with low SiO2 (45.6–50.5 wt.%), moderate Al2O3 (11.3–17.0 wt.%), and high TiO2 (0.7–2.9 wt.%) and Fe2O3 (9.4–14.1 wt.%). The Ghalayan metabasites are enriched in Light rare earth elements (LREEs) without significant Nb, Ta, Pb, Sr and Ba anomalies, similar to modern continental intra-plate tholeiitic basalts such as Afar and East African rifts. The Ghalaylan metabasites show wide ranges for 87Sr/86Sr(i) (0.7039–0.7077) and positive εNd(t) values (+0.1 to +4.6). These isotopic compositions are similar to those expected for slightly depleted subcontinental lithospheric mantle sources. Independently built discrimination diagrams indicate an intra-continental rifting regime for the source of Jurassic metabasites in the northern SaSZ. Geochemical and tectonic evidence suggests that rifting or a mantle plume was responsible for volcanic activity in the Upper Jurassic SaSZ. Considering the variation of ages of basaltic volcanism along the SaSZ, we suggest that Ghalayan basaltic magmatism reflected a submarine volcano that formed as part of the late stage continental rift, similar to Afar in the East African Rift system. Our results indicate that an extensional tectonic regime dominated SaSZ tectonics in the Middle to Late Jurassic.

Petrogenesis of the Darvazeh mafic-intermediate intrusive bodies, Qorveh, Sanandaj-Sirjanzone, Iran

The Darvazeh intrusion in the northern Sanandaj-Sirjan zone in the Alpine-Himalayan orogenic belt is composed of olivine gabbro, gabbroic diorite and granitoid units that intruded Jurassic metamorphic rocks. Field relations, textures, and whole rock geochemistry indicate that most of the mafic to intermediate composition rocks are not cumulates and instead represent liquid compositions. The tholeiitic (or ferroan) gabbros and magnesian gabbroic diorites evolved along liquid lines of descent and have different parental magmas. This conclusion is based on separate trends, often with overlapping MgO contents, for Si, Fe, Ti, Ni, Cr, Zn, Cu and Sr. The mineralogy (late versus early magnetite and contrasting proportions of magmatic amphibole) of the two suites are also slightly different as is the trace element patterns (for example Th, U, Ti and Sr). The Mg# of mafic-intermediate rocks ranges from 46 to 73, implying that the ultimate source for the most mafic rocks was in the mantle, not the crust. Flat HREE patterns, Sm/Yb ratios (<2) show that melting occurred in the shallow mantle, above the stability field of garnet. Small negative Nb-Ta-Ti anomalies and enrichments of Cs, Rb, Pb, Pb, and Sr on mantle-normalized trace element diagrams are consistent with a subduction zone source for both the tholeiitic gabbros and the magnesian gabbroic diorites. Hence, we conclude that the parental mafic magmas were generated by partial melting of spinel peridotite in the mantle wedge above a subducting slab of oceanic lithosphere. However, the composition of plagioclase-olivine pairs suggest the gabbroic magmas were not water-rich, and their high Fe/Mg and Ti/V ratios show they were relatively reduced compared to typical arc magmas. For the gabbros, melting may have been initiated by decompression in an intra-arc extensional environment caused by slab roll back or oblique subduction that partially separated the Sanandaj-Sirjan zone from the Central Iran block. Components from the subduction fluid are smaller than in the subsequent gabbroic diorites which have more typical arc compositions. These mafic magmas rose and fractionated on different paths controlled by water content and fO2, with the gabbros following reduced Fe-enrichment trends and the magnesian gabbroic diorites following more oxidized trends. The country rocks, plate reconstructions, and trace element systematics (including high Th/La ratios) show that the arc was underlain by continental crust that was assimilated into the mafic and intermediate magmas. Thus, the Darvazeh pluton reveals the complex nature of mafic intrusive rocks, which formed in a continental arc experiencing extension as the Neo-Tethys oceanic lithosphere subducted beneath the Central Iranian plate.

The Late Jurassic Panjeh submarine volcano in the northern Sanandaj-Sirjan Zone, northwest Iran: Mantle plume or active margin?

The tectonic setting in which Jurassic igneous rocks of the Sanandaj-Sirjan Zone (SaSZ) of Iran formed is controversial. SaSZ igneous rocks are mainly intrusive granodiorite to gabbroic bodies, which intrude Early to Middle Jurassic metamorphic basement; Jurassic volcanic rocks are rare. Here, we report the age and petrology of volcanic rocks from the Panjeh basaltic-andesitic rocks complex in the northern SaSZ, southwest of Ghorveh city. The Panjeh magmatic complex consists of pillowed and massive basalts, andesites and microdioritic dykes and is associated with intrusive gabbros; the overall sequence and relations with surrounding sediments indicate that this is an unusually well preserved submarine volcanic complex. Igneous rocks belong to a metaluminous sub-alkaline, medium-K to high-K calc-alkaline mafic suite characterized by moderate Al2O3 (13.7–17.6wt%) and variable Fe2O3 (6.0–12.6wt%) and MgO (0.9–11.1wt%) contents. Zircon U-Pb ages (145–149Ma) define a Late Jurassic (Tithonian) age for magma crystallization and emplacement. Whole rock compositions are enriched in Th, U and light rare earth elements (LREEs) and are slightly depleted in Nb, Ta and Ti. The initial ratios of 87Sr/86Sr (0.7039–0.7076) and εNd(t) values (−1.8 to +4.3) lie along the mantle array in the field of ocean island basalts and subcontinental metasomatized mantle. Immobile trace element (Ti, V, Zr, Y, Nb, Yb, Th and Co) behavior suggests that the mantle source was enriched by fluids released from a subducting slab (i.e. deep-crustal recycling) with some contribution from continental crust for andesitic rocks. Based the chemical composition of Panjeh mafic and intermediate rocks in combination with data for other gabbroic to dioritic bodies in the Ghorveh area we offer two interpretations for these (and other Jurassic igneous rocks of the SaSZ) as reflecting melts from a) subduction-modified OIB-type source above a Neo-Tethys subduction zone or b) plume or rift tectonics involving upwelling metasomatized mantle (mostly reflecting the ~550Ma Cadomian crust-forming event).

Petrogenesis and geochronology of Mishao peraluminous I-type granites, Shalair valley area, NE Iraq

The Shalair area, which is located in northeastern Iraq, is considered to be part of the northern Sanandaj-Sirjan Zone (SaSZ) and contains several granitoid bodies. One of these bodies, the Mishao porphyritic-granite (MG), was crystallized at 111.6 ± 2.4 Ma, based on its zircon U-Pb age. Its geochemical characteristics suggest that the MG rocks are calc-alkaline, peraluminous, I-type granites with microgranular mafic enclaves. They are enriched in SiO2, Na2O, Al2O3 and Zr and depleted in MgO, Fe2O3, Nb and Ti; in contrast, the enclave sample records lower SiO2 content and higher contents of MgO and Fe2O3. These rocks show an enrichment of LREE relative to HREE, and pronounced negative Eu anomalies implying feldspar fractionation. The isotopic and geochemical characteristics of the MG samples suggest that these rocks are evolved through fractional crystallization. In the La/Nb-Nb diagram and Sm/Nd ratios, the MG rocks and the enclave samples exhibit strong evidence for crustal contamination. The MG rocks record high initial 87Sr/86Sr (0.70625–0.70740) and low 143Nd/144Nd(i) (0.51235–0.51274) ratios. These Sr-Nd isotopic data, combined with the presence of high Th/U and Rb/Sr ratios and significant depletions of Nb, Ta and Ti, show a relation of these bodies to an active continental margin regime. Based on the age and geochemical data of the MG, this study presents new information about the occurrence of Middle Cretaceous magmatic activities, which are related to the active continental margins in the SaSZ that run parallel to the Zagros Fold-Thrust Belt.

Mesozoic–Cenozoic mafic magmatism in Sanandaj–Sirjan Zone, Zagros Orogen (Western Iran): Geochemical and isotopic inferences from Middle Jurassic and Late Eocene gabbros

One of the consequences of Neo-Tethys ocean subduction beneath the Central Iranian Micro-continent (CIMC) is the development of rare gabbroic intrusions in the Malayer–Boroujerd Plutonic Complex (MBPC) located in the Sanandaj–Sirjan Zone (SaSZ) of the Zagros Orogenic belt. The MBPC is a suite of extensive felsic and lesser mafic magmatic products in the northern SaSZ with geochemical signatures of arc-like magmatism during the Middle Jurassic (Ghorveh–Aligudarz arc) and intraplate type in the Late Eocene. Middle Jurassic gabbros (non-cumulate and cumulate) have low-Ti concentrations (<1wt.%) and quite uniform isotopic compositions (initial 87Sr/86Sr: 0.7035–0.70593 and εNd(t): −6.18 to −0.7), enriched LILE relative to HFSE, variable fractionation between the LREE and HREE ((La/Yb)cn: 2.27–7.45) and both negative to positive Eu anomalies. These distinctive features of arc-type magmatism are consistent with a subduction-modified mantle source for these rocks. Trace element and REE models indicate ~15% melting of a metasomatized amphibole-bearing garnet-spinel lherzolite (garnet:spinel ~7:3) in the sub-arc mantle wedge. The cumulate gabbros and non-cumulates belong to common liquid line of descent, with complementary trace element patterns. Much of the variation between samples can be modeled by fractional crystallization (FC) of a common parent; only one cumulate gabbro from this suite exhibits isotopic evidence of contamination, probably by Rb-depleted crustal materials. The Late Eocene gabbros have relatively high-Ti (>1wt.%) and display isotopically depleted Sr–Nd values (initial 87Sr/86Sr: 0.7044–0.7087, εNd(t): 1.9 –+3.2, barring one crustally-contaminated sample). OIB-like trace element characteristics such as enriched HFSE, and only minor enrichment of LILE and LREE, reflect a within-plate character and asthenospheric source. Trace element modeling indicates small degree melting (fmelting: 0.05) of upper mantle lherzolite (garnet:spinel ~3:1) followed by higher degree melting (fmelting: 0.15) at shallower depths (garnet:spinel ~4.5:2). The Eocene parental magma underwent FC of olivine and clinopyroxene. We propose that Eocene asthenospheric upwelling was triggered by slab tearing in response to slab-rollback, which is elsewhere reported to have triggered a ‘flare-up’ of extension-related magmatism across Iran. Three stages of tectono-magmatic evolution in the Ghorveh–Aligudarz arc segment of the N-SaSZ are represented by: 1) arc-like magmatism during active subduction of the Neo-Tethys seaway at Middle Jurassic, 2) magmatic quiescence during an interval of shallow-angle or highly oblique subduction during the Cretaceous–Paleocene, and 3) asthenosphere melting during slab tearing shortly before the onset of the Arabia–Eurasia collision.

Strongly peraluminous leucogranite (Ebrahim-Attar granite) as evidence for extensional tectonic regime in the Cretaceous, Sanandaj Sirjan zone, northwest Iran

The Ebrahim-Attar (EBAT) leucogranite body is intruded within the Jurassic metamorphic complex of the Ghorveh area, located in the northern part of the Sanandaj Sirjan zone (SaSZ) of northwest Iran. The granite comprises alkali feldspar, quartz, Na-rich plagioclase and to a lesser extent, muscovite and biotite. Garnet and beryl are also observed as accessory minerals. Additionally, high SiO2 (71.4–81.0wt%) and Rb (145–440ppm) content; low MgO (<0.12wt%), Fe2O3 (<0.68wt.%), Sr (mainly<20ppm), Ba (<57ppm), Zr (10–53ppm) and rare earth elements (REEs) low content (3.88–94.9ppm with an average=21.2ppm); and flat REE patterns with a negative Eu anomaly characterize these rocks. The chemical composition and mineral paragenesis indicate that the rocks were formed by the partial melting of siliciclastic to pelitic rocks and can be classified as per-aluminous leucogranite or strongly per-aluminous (SP) granite. The Rb-Sr whole rock and mineral isochrons confirm that crystallization of the body occurred at 102.5±6.1 Ma in Albian. The 87Sr/86Sr(i) and 143Nd/144Nd(i) ratios are 0.7081±0.009 and 0.51220±0.00005, respectively, and εNd(t) values range from −5.8 to −1.6. These values verify that the source of this body is continental crust. The Nd model ages (TDM2) vary between 1.0 and 1.3 Ga and are more consistent with the juvenile basement of Pan African crust. Based on these results, we suggest that the upwelling of the hot asthenospheric mantle in the SaSZ (likely during the Neo-Tethys rollback activity) occurred after the late Cimmerian orogeny. Consequently, we suggest that this process was responsible for a thinning and heating of the continental crust, from which the SP granite was produced by the partial melting of muscovite rich in pelitic or felsic-metapelitic rocks in the northern SaSZ.

Chemical zoning of Ca-amphiboles in amphibolites, from the Hamedan area, West Iran

Amphibolite layers of the Hamedan area (Sanandaj-Sirjan zone, west Iran) contain amphibole crystals with strong optical zoning. These amphibolites occur as interlayers in middle Jurassic, Buchan-type andalusite-garnet-staurolite and sillimanite-garnet-andalusite schist of the area that were intruded by late Jurassic magmatic bodies of the Alvand plutonic complex. Electron microprobe analyses results show that the zoned amphiboles have ferrohornblende cores that change to ferroedenite toward the rims. The core-to rim increase of Al, Fe, Na, and K and decrease of Si and Mg along with edenitic substitution in amphiboles is consistent with increase in metamorphic grade. Thermobarometry calculations based on amphibole composition and hornblende-plagioclase thermometry provided 492 to 508 o C and 4.3 to 4.9 kbar for the inner cores, 495 to 514 o C and 4.5 to 5.1 kbar for the outer cores, 538 to 564 o C and 5.3 to 5.8 kbar for the inner rims and 552 to 573 o C and 5.5 to 5.9 kbar for the outer rims, respectively. These results point to a nearly isobaric prograde P-T path for the Hamedan area amphibolites, compatible with a metamorphic evolution dominated by the thermal perturbation associated with the late Jurassic magmatism of the northern Sanandaj-Sirjan zone.

U–Pb zircon ages and geochemistry of Kangareh and Taghiabad mafic bodies in northern Sanandaj–Sirjan Zone, Iran: Evidence for intra-oceanic arc and back-arc tectonic regime in Late Jurassic

The northern Sanandaj–Sirjan Zone (SaSZ) in northwestern Iran contains several granitoid and gabbroic bodies that are parallel to the Zagros Suture zone in a northwest–southeast direction. The fine-grained Taghiabad gabbro and coarse-grained Kangareh gabbroic bodies southwest of the Ghorveh in the northern SaSZ were crystallized at 158.0±10.0Ma and 148.3±3.6Ma, respectively, based on U–Pb zircon dating. The SiO2 contents of the Kangareh and Taghiabad rocks are similar and range from 45.5 to 51.5wt.%, and the Al2O3 contents vary from 14 to 24wt.%, with high Mg number (Mg#=61–72% and 46–63%, respectively). The Taghiabad body has higher contents of TiO2, Fe2O3, and P2O5 than the Kangareh rocks. The Fe2O3 contents of the Taghiabad rocks vary from 6 to 15wt.%, whereas those of the Kangareh rocks range from 5 to 9wt.%. The TiO2 concentrations of the Taghiabad samples are high (1–3wt.%), and these rocks can be classified as high Ti and Fe rocks. The chemical compositions of the two bodies show some clear differences. Positive εNd(t) values (+3 to +8) and low initial 87Sr/86Sr ratios (0.7034 to 0.7054) indicate a depleted mantle source for both bodies. The variation and distribution of trace elements, REEs patterns, and initial 87Sr/86Sr–143Nd/144Nd ratios show that the Kangareh and Taghiabad bodies have high affinities to tholeiitic and alkaline magmatic series. These results suggest an arc and back-arc system regime in an intra-oceanic system than the Andean magmatic type regime for the origin of these bodies in the Middle to Late Jurassic period. These complexes merged with the northern SaSZ during accretion-type continental growth in the Late Jurassic.

The spatial and compositional evolution of the Late Jurassic Ghorveh-Dehgolan plutons of the Zagros Orogen, Iran: SHRIMP zircon U-Pb and Sr and Nd isotope evidence

The Ghorveh-Dehgolan plutons of the northern Sanandaj-Sirjan Zone, Zagros Orogen, comprise seven composite intrusive bodies that were generated during northeastward subduction of Neotethys beneath the Iranian sector of the Eurasian plate. Zircon U-Pb SHRIMP dating reveals that the magmatic activity spanned from ~160 to ~140Ma. It started with intrusion of arc-related calc-alkaline mafic to intermediate rocks closely followed by felsic I-type granitoids. This magmatism was post-dated by felsic alkaline A-type granites. In addition to compositional changes over time, the plutons forming the arc young towards the southwest: the north Ghorveh batholith (161±4Ma) and Shanevareh (160±2Ma); Qalaylan (159±3Ma); then central Ghorveh, Galali and Saranjianeh (151±0.2Ma to 148±1Ma); and, lastly, the south Ghorveh batholith (147±3Ma) and Bolbanabad-Havarpan (144±1Ma). Whatever the process driving the changes, be it arc- or ridge-collision with the subducting system, slab roll-back, slab breakoff, subduction initiation transference, etc., the progression from I-type to A-type magmatism appears to mark a significant change from a collisional to an extensional setting in the region in the Late Jurassic. Geochemical and isotopic characteristics of the Ghorveh-Dehgolan plutons indicate that Arabian-Nubian-like crust was an important component of the magmatic sources.

The significance of mafic microgranular enclaves in the petrogenesis of the Qorveh Granitoid Complex, northern Sanandaj-Sirjan Zone, Iran

The significance of mafic microgranular enclaves in the petrogenesis of the Qorveh Granitoid Complex, northern Sanandaj-Sirjan Zone, Iran

Zircon U–Pb ages and petrogenesis of a tonalite–trondhjemite–granodiorite (TTG) complex in the northern Sanandaj–Sirjan zone, northwest Iran: Evidence for Late Jurassic arc–continent collision

The Ghalaylan Igneous Complex is located in the northern part of the Sanandaj–Sirjan zone (SSZ) in northwest Iran. At the surface, the complex is ellipsoidal or ring-shaped. The igneous rocks, which are medium- to fine-grained, were intruded into a Jurassic metamorphic complex and are cut by younger dikes. Zircon U–Pb ages indicate that the crystallization of the main body occurred from 157.9 ± 1.6 to 155.6 ± 5.6 Ma. The igneous complex includes granodiorite, tonalite, and quartz monzonite, as well as subvolcanic to volcanic rocks such as dacite and rhyolite. The rocks have high concentrations of Al2O3 (15–19 wt.%), SiO2 (65–70 wt.%), and Sr (700–1100 ppm), high (La/Yb)N ratios (15–40), and very low concentrations of MgO (< 0.83 wt.%), Ni (< 7 ppm), and Cr (usually < 50 ppm). There is a lack of negative Eu anomalies. These geochemical features show that the rocks are similar to high-silica adakites and Archaean tonalite–trondhjemite–granodiorite (TTG) rocks. The initial ratios of 87Sr/86Sr and 143Nd/144Nd vary from 0.70430 to 0.70476 and from 0.51240 to 0.51261, respectively, values that are similar to those of primitive mantle and the bulk Earth. The chemical compositions of the igneous rocks of the complex, and their isotope ratios, differ from those of neighboring granitic bodies in the northern SSZ. Based on our results, we suggest a new geodynamic model for the development of this complex, as follows. During the generation of the Songhor–Ghorveh island arc in the Neotethys Ocean, an extensional basin, such as a back-arc, developed between the island arc and the Sanandaj–Sirjan zone (SSZ). As a consequence, basaltic magma was injected from the asthenosphere without the development of a mature oceanic crust. During arc–continent collision in the Late Jurassic, hot basaltic rocks were present beneath the SSZ at depths of 30–50 km, and the partial melting of these rocks led to the development of TTG-type magmas, forming the source of the Ghalaylan Igneous Complex.

Gondwanan Eoarchean–Neoproterozoic ancient crustal material in Iran and Turkey: zircon U–Pb–Hf isotopic evidence

The Sanandaj–Sirjan Zone is a basement culmination northeast of the Neo-Tethys suture in Iran. In this zone near Azna, granite has a magmatic zircon U–Pb age of 568 ± 11 Ma, with 900–800, ca. 2400, and ca. 3600 Ma inherited cores. The ca. 3600 Ma inherited zircon is the oldest crustal component yet detected in Iran. Near Chadegan, orthogneiss has a magmatic zircon U–Pb age of 637 ± 15 Ma, and carries ca. 1000 and 2000 Ma inherited zircons. Inherited 900–1000 Ma zircons have juvenile initial εHfvalues of ca. +8 to +9, whereas the younger 630 and 568 Ma magmatic zircons show lower initial εHfvalues; however, the 3600 Ma core has initial εHf= 0.0. A Neoproterozoic rim on the inherited 3600 Ma core has the most extreme initial εHfvalue of −18. The Hf isotopic data indicates generation of the magmatic protoliths from a mixture of juvenile Neoproterozoic and Archean sources. Previous studies showed that in Turkey the Central Anatolian Crystalline Complex is underlain by Neo-Eoarchean rocks, the Menderes Massif contains Neoproterozoic granitoids, and that central Iran’s basement and the northern Sanandaj–Sirjan Zone contain Neoproterozoic granitic rocks. This basement terrane is from Gondwana, and was transferred across Paleo-Tethys to dock against Eurasia’s southern margin. Occurrence in Iran and Turkey of Eoarchean crust raises the possibility of sinistral migration of this terrane in the closure of Tethys because the nearest known early Archean crust occurs in northeast India.