Hadi Shafaii Moghadam

Tuyeh-Darvar granitoid, which outcrop ca 45 km Sw of Damghan city, in the Eastern Alborz zone, comprise mainly the pluton emplaced into the Barut Formation of Lower Cambrian ages. Zircon U-Pb ages show Carboniferous ages (325 ± 3 Ma) for the formation of this granitoid. The granitoid is mostly metaluminous, ferroan and alkalic monzonite to monzodiorite. “These rocks have high values of FeOT/MgO and Ga/Al, high concentrations of K2O+Na2O, low abundances of MgO and transitional elements. Plots normalized to chondrite and primitive mantle compositions show strong enrichments of LREE relative to HREE and of LILE relative to HFSE, accompannied by negative anomalies of Nb and Sr.”They contain Fe-rich hydrous mafic minerals and magnetite. These features are typical of A-type granites. Sr-Nd isotopic geochemistry, with initial ɛNd values from −1.1 to −1.5 and initial 87Sr/86Sr ratios between 0.70562 and 0.70678, are consistent with magmatic differentiation from mafic melts produced from an enriched mantle source. However, other models such as melting of mafic crust or mixing of components from depleted mantle and continental crust cannot be discarded. On the basis of the U-Pb zircon age (325 ± 3 Ma) and the known magmatic tectonic regime in Iran during the Paleozoic, it is suggested that the pluton, formed in a rift environment related to extensional structures of the Alborz block in Early Carboniferous time. © 2018 Elsevier B.V.

The Chohar Gonbad-Gugher-Baft ophiolite mélange, located along the major Baft and Shahr-e-Babak fault zones, southeast Iran, represents remnants of Neo-Tethyan oceanic lithosphere. This mélange contains blocks of harzburgite, dunite, lherzolite, basalt, and other ophiolite-related lithologies tectonically mixed with and embedded in a serpentinite matrix. Field, petrographic, and geochemical data show that peridotites in this mélange belong to the upper mantle. They seem to have undergone up to ~20 % partial melting in a supra-subduction zone setting, based on their spinel Cr# values (0.21–0.53). Chemical compositions and textures in the serpentinites indicate that they were partially hydrated during emplacement and further mobilized diapirically to the surface. The different deformation stages occurred in an accretionary wedge environment. Petrographic evidence shows that the first serpentinization event produced mesh-textured serpentinites formed under static conditions in an ocean floor environment (Nain-Baft ocean crust), where the initial lizardite, bastite, and chrysotile veins formed. Plastic deformation occurred due to the subduction of Nain-Baft oceanic lithospheric beneath the central Iranian microcontinent, with antigorite-bearing flare-textured serpentinites produced. During progressive exhumation of the Nain-Baft ophiolite mélange, the serpentinites were affected by ductile, ductile–brittle, and brittle deformation, respectively. Accretion and resultant diapirism are the most important processes in the emplacement of serpentinite, which is a consequence of hydration of the ocean crust. In this example, late-stage emplacement via thrusting occurred along the northern extent of the southern Sanandaj–Sirjan zone (S–SZ). © 2015, Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.

Podiform chromitites are common within the mantle section of the Late Cretaceous Sabzevar ophiolite in NE Iran. We studied chromitite pods and related ultramafic rocks from three Sabzevar massifs: Baghjar-Kuh Siah, Gaft Chromitite Mine and Forumad peridotite-chromitite. These represent an upper mantle sequence just below the Sabzevar Moho. The Baghjar-Kuh Siah mantle sequence contains plagioclase lherzolites, enriched in bulk REEs, with low Cr# spinels and MORB-like clinopyroxenes. These lherzolites formed due to the impregnation of MORB-like melts. The Gaft and Forumad harzburgites are depleted in trace and rare earth elements and thus are residues after high degree of partial melting (more than exhaustion of Cpx). The Gaft Chromitite Mine includes two types of podiform chromitites, high Cr# and low Cr#. The melt precipitating high Cr# spinel was boninitic whereas the melt forming the low Cr# chromitites was tholeiitic. Most Forumad massif chromitites have high Cr# spinels, although those rich in silicate inclusions are aluminous. Trace and REE element patterns of Forumad harzburgite clinopyroxene are similar to those in supra-subduction zone (SSZ) peridotites while those of Baghjar-Kuh Siah lherzolites are similar to MOR peridotite clinopyroxenes. These mineral data are also consistent with bulk rock trace and rare earth elements composition of their host peridotites. Field observations indicate that early tholeiitic magmas were followed by late boninites, as revealed in chromitite compositions as well as mantle rocks and dikes. We suggest a time-integrated model for the evolution of the Sabzevar mantle sequence during an early stage of subduction initiation associated with formation of an incipient arc. In this scenario, MORB-like melts (forearc basalts) formed first, causing low Cr# chromitites and plagioclase-clinopyroxene impregnations. Subsequent arc-like or boninitic melts with increasing contribution of slab-derived fluids were responsible for the formation of replacive dunites and high Cr# chromitites. © 2013 International Association for Gondwana Research.

The ChahJam-Biarjmand complex (CJBC), flanked by the Alborz Mountains in the north and the Lut-Tabas block to the south, is part of Central Iranian block, where the oldest continental crust of Iran is found. This complex contains granitic to tonalitic orthogneissic rocks (old plutons) and associated metasediments, amphibolites and paragneisses. Metamorphosed granitic and granodioritic dikes intrude orthogneisses as well as metasediments and are abundant close to the plutons (orthogneissic rocks). Based on the results of bulk rock trace and rare earth elements, the orthogneissic rocks are inferred to have crystallized from subduction-related melts. Amphibolites also have subduction-related signatures and are inferred to have formed both as metamorphosed volcanoclastic sediments and as attenuated basic dikes. The presence of para-amphibolites associated with paragneisses and metasediments (mica schists) could represent a sedimentary basin filled with magmatic arc erosional products. U-Pb zircon dating of the ChahJam-Biarjmand rocks yielded 238U/206Pb crystallization ages of ca. 550 to 530Ma (Ediacaran-early Cambrian). Sr-Nd isotope systematics on whole rocks (εNd(t)=-2.2 to -5.5) and zircon Hf isotope results indicate that CJBC Cadomian granitic rocks contain older, possible Mesoproterozoic, continental crust in their source. The ChahJam-Biarjmand granitic-tonalitic gneissic rocks are coeval with other similar-aged metagranites and gneisses within Iranian basement exposed in Central Iran, the Sanandaj-Sirjan Zone and the Alborz Mountains, as well as in the Tauride-Anatolide platform in western Anatolia and in NW Turkey. All these dispersed Cadomian basement rocks are interpreted to show fragments of Neoproterozoic-early Cambrian continental arcs bordering the northern active margin of Gondwana. © 2013 International Association for Gondwana Research.

Kashmar granitoids outcrop for ~100km along the south flank of the Sabzevar ophiolite (NE Iran) and consist of granodiorite and monzogranite along with subordinate quartz monzonite, syenogranite and aplitic dikes. These granitoids intruded Early to Middle Eocene high-K volcanic rocks and can spatially be grouped into eastern and western granitoids. Five samples of granite have identical zircon U-Pb ages of ca. 40-41Ma. The granitoids have quite high K2O (~1.3-5.3wt.%) and Na2O (~1.1-4.6wt.%) with SiO2 ranging between ~62 and 77wt.%. They are metaluminous to peraluminous, calc-alkaline and I-type in composition. Their chondrite-normalized REE patterns are characterized by LREE enrichment and show slight negative Eu anomalies. Kashmar granitoids have low whole rock εNd (-0.43 to -2.3), zircon εHf values (-1.9 to +7.2), and somewhat elevated δ18O (+6.1 to +8.7‰) in the range of I-type granites. The Kashmar granitoids show Early Neoproterozoic zircon second-stage Hf and bulk rock Nd model ages at ca. 500-1000Ma (associated with ca. 640Ma old inherited zircons). Bulk rock Nd-Sr isotopic modeling suggests that 10-20% assimilation of Cadomian lower crust by juvenile mantle melts and then fractional crystallization (AFC process) can explain the Sr-Nd isotopic compositions of Kashmar granitoids. Kashmar granitoids are products of crustal assimilation by mantle melts associated with extension above the subducting Neotethyan Ocean slab beneath SW Eurasia. Similar subduction-related extension was responsible for the flare-up of Eocene-Oligocene magmatism across Iran, associated with core complex formation in central Iran. © 2014 Elsevier B.V..

Iran is a mosaic of Ediacaran-Cambrian (Cadomian; 520-600. Ma) blocks, stitched together by Paleozoic and Mesozoic ophiolites. In this paper we summarize the Paleozoic ophiolites of Iran for the international geoscientific audience including field, chemical and geochronological data from the literature and our own unpublished data. We focus on the five best known examples of Middle to Late Paleozoic ophiolites which are remnants of Paleotethys, aligned in two main zones in northern Iran: Aghdarband, Mashhad and Rasht in the north and Jandagh-Anarak and Takab ophiolites to the south. Paleozoic ophiolites were emplaced when N-directed subduction resulted in collision of Gondwana fragment "Cimmeria" with Eurasia in Permo-Triassic time. Paleozoic ophiolites show both SSZ- and MORB-type mineralogical and geochemical signatures, perhaps reflecting formation in a marginal basin. Paleozoic ophiolites of Iran suggest a progression from oceanic crust formation above a subduction zone in Devonian time to accretionary convergence in Permian time. The Iranian Paleozoic ophiolites along with those of the Caucausus and Turkey in the west and Afghanistan, Turkmenistan and Tibet to the east, define a series of diachronous subduction-related marginal basins active from at least Early Devonian to Late Permian time. © 2014 Elsevier Ltd.

The Haji-Abad ophiolite in SW Iran (Outer Zagros Ophiolite Belt) is a remnant of the Late Cretaceous supra-subduction zone ophiolites along the Bitlis-Zagros suture zone of southern Tethys. These ophiolites are coeval in age with the Late Cretaceous peri-Arabian ophiolite belt including the Troodos (Cyprus), Kizildag (Turkey), Baer-Bassit (Syria) and Semail (Oman) in the eastern Mediterranean region, as well as other Late Cretaceous Zagros ophiolites. Mantle tectonites constitute the main lithology of the Haji-Abad ophiolite and are mostly lherzolites, depleted harzburgite with widespread residual and foliated/discordant dunite lenses. Podiform chromitites are common and are typically enveloped by thin dunitic haloes. Harzburgitic spinels are geochemically characterized by low and/or high Cr number, showing tendency to plot both in depleted abyssal and fore-arc peridotites fields. Lherzolites are less refractory with slightly higher bulk REE contents and characterized by 7-12% partial melting of a spinel lherzolitic source whereas depleted harzburgites have very low abundances of REE and represented by more than 17% partial melting. The Haji-Abad ophiolite crustal sequences are characterized by ultramafic cumulates and volcanic rocks. The volcanic rocks comprise pillow lavas and massive lava flows with basaltic to more-evolved dacitic composition. The geochemistry and petrology of the Haji-Abad volcanic rocks show a magmatic progression from early-erupted E-MORB-type pillow lavas to late-stages boninitic lavas. The E-MORB-type lavas have LREE-enriched patterns without (or with slight) depletion in Nb-Ta. Boninitic lavas are highly depleted in bulk REEs and are represented by strong LREE-depleted patterns and Nb-Ta negative anomalies. Tonalitic and plagiogranitic intrusions of small size, with calc-alkaline signature, are common in the ophiolite complex. The Late Cretaceous Tethyan ophiolites like those at the Troodos, eastern Mediterranean, Oman and Zagros show similar ages and geochemical signatures, suggesting widespread supra-subduction zone magmatism in all Neotethyan ophiolites during the Late Cretaceous. The geochemical patterns of the Haji-Abad ophiolites as well as those of other Late Cretaceous Tethyan ophiolites, reflect a fore-arc tectonic setting for the generation of the magmatic rocks in the southern branch of Neotethys during the Late Cretaceous. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The Nain ophiolitic complex is situated at the north west of the Central Iran Micro-continent (CIM) block. The basaltic rocks of this complex consist of both mantle and crustal suites and include pegmatitic and isotropic gabbros, gabbroic-dibasic dykes, dyke swarm complex and pillow lavas. The chondrite-normalized rare earth element (REE) patterns of most of these rocks show LREE depletion and the primary mantle-normalized incompatible elements indicate depletion in HFSEs (Nb, Ta) and enrichment in LILEs. The rocks show characters of island arc tholeiite/mid-ocean ridge basalt magma types. Whole rock chemistry of the rocks shows that they are originated in an oceanic back arc basin, and subsequently have been enriched by slab-derived fluids. Abundances of HFSE and HREE in most of the basaltic samples, suggest a slow subduction rate. Opening of Nain-Baft Ocean, which was probably a marginal basin, occurred during Lower Jurassic. After generation of an inter-oceanic island arc in the Nain-Baft Ocean during the Late Jurassic, a second rifting phase started within the inter-ocean island arc during Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian-Senonian). The inter-ocean island arc was developed and formed an oceanic back arc basin, the site of generation of most of the Nain ophiolitic rocks. The Nain-Baft Ocean finally closed in Maastrichtian. According to the new tectono-magmatic evolution model proposed here, the arc volcanic-like magmas were produced at the early stage (producing gabbros, gabbroic-diabasic dykes and dyke swarm complex) and then MORB-like basalts (producing pillow lavas) were generated at the later stage of evolution of the Nain ophiolitic complex. © 2011 Elsevier B.V.

The Zagros fold-and-thrust belt of SW Iran is a young continental convergence zone, extending NW-SE from eastern Turkey through northern Iraq and the length of Iran to the Strait of Hormuz and into northern Oman. This belt reflects the shortening and off-scraping of thick sediments from the northern margin of the Arabian platform, essentially behaving as the accretionary prism for the Iranian convergent margin. Distribution of Upper Cretaceous ophiolites in the Zagros orogenic belt defines the northern limit of the evolving suture between Arabia and Eurasia and comprises two parallel belts: (1) Outer Zagros Ophiolitic Belt (OB) and (2) Inner Zagros Ophiolitic Belt (IB). These belts contain complete (if disrupted) ophiolites with well-preserved mantle and crustal sequences. Mantle sequences include tectonized harzburgite and rare ultramafic-mafic cumulates as well as isotropic gabbro lenses and isolated dykes within the harzburgite. Crustal sequences include rare gabbros (mostly in IB ophiolites), sheeted dyke complexes, pillowed lavas and felsic rocks. All Zagros ophiolites are overlain by Upper Cretaceous pelagic limestone. Limited radiometric dating indicates that the OB and IB formed at the same time during Late Cretaceous time. IB and OB components show strong suprasubduction zone affinities, from mantle harzburgite to lavas. This is shown by low whole-rock Al2O3 and CaO contents and spinel and orthopyroxene compositions of mantle peridotites as well as by the abundance of felsic rocks and the trace element characteristics of the lavas. Similarly ages, suprasubduction zone affinities and fore-arc setting suggest that the IB and OB once defined a single tract of fore-arc lithosphere that was disrupted by exhumation of subducted Sanandaj-Sirjan Zone metamorphic rocks. Our data for the OB and IB along with better-studied ophiolites in Cyprus, Turkey and Oman compel the conclusion that a broad and continuous tract of fore-arc lithosphere was created during Late Cretaceous time as the magmatic expression of a newly formed subduction zone developed along the SW margin of Eurasia. © 2011 Cambridge University Press.

The Khoy Ophiolitic Complex as a part of the Tethyan ophiolites is exposed in the northwestern part of the Iranian-Azerbaijan province, extending to the Anatolian ophiolites in southeastern Turkey. Petrography, geochemistry and microstructural studies of the residual mantle sequence in the Khoy Ophiolitic Complex provide important information about the degree of partial melting and deformation in the oceanic mantle lithosphere. Ultramafic tectonites dominantly composed of lherzolite and clinopyroxene-bearing harzburgite (TiO2 = 0.012-0.024 wt.%; Al2O3 = 1.36-1.81 wt.%). Chondrite-normalized rare-earth-element patterns are characteristically U-shaped. These peridotites can be divided into two types: (1) type 1 peridotites with Al-rich spinels (Cr number of 0.16-0.26, and Mg number of 0.64-0.76), resembling the fertile abyssal peridotites, supposed to have originated as the residue from <15% partial melting and mid-ocean ridge (MORB) magma extraction; (2) type 2 peridotites, representing characteristics of the depleted abyssal or supra-subduction-zone peridotites, with Cr-rich spinels (Cr number of 0.31-0.60 and Mg number of 0.51-0.72). This type of peridotite has undergone >20% partial melting, followed by segregation of basaltic magmas. Microstructural fabrics of olivine grains in peridotites highlight a sequence of dislocation creep on the (0 1 0) [1 0 0] slip system, plus subsidiary slip along the (0 0 1) [1 0 0] slip system. These systems, as well as coarse and fine-grained porphyroclastic textures, indicate deformation at high temperatures of ∼1000-1250 °C. The observed subsidiary (0 0 1) [1 0 0] slip system is considered to have been triggered by elevated H2O activity, and that deformation phases took place in a wet subduction-related environment. The geochemical and microstructural data suggest that the mantle sequence of the Khoy Ophiolitic Complex is consistent with a supra-subduction-zone environment in relation to a slow-spreading back-arc basin. © 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Forumad ophiolite in the northwestern part of the Sabzevar region has embraced the large depleted harzburgites and dunitic bodies associated with podiform chromitites. In some deposits, chromite grains have segregated as nodules. The stretched shape along with high Cr2O3 and TiO2 contents are the characteristics of the nodules. Compared to the other Tethyan nodular chromites, the Forumad nodular chromites show high Cr content. The nodules formation seems to be the result of turbulent picritic magma flows accompanied by the water rich fluids. © Shiraz University.