Petrology and geochemistry of mafic and ultramafic cumulate rocks from the eastern part of the Sabzevar ophiolite(NE Iran): Implications for their petrogenesis and tectonic setting

The Late Cretaceous Sabzevar ophiolite represents one of the largest and most complete fragments of Tethyan oceanic lithosphere in the NE Iran.It is mainly composed of serpentinized mantle peridotites slices;nonetheless,minor tectonic slices of all crustal sequence constituents are observed in this ophiolite.The crustal sequence contains a well-developed ultramafic and mafic cumulates section,comprising plagioclase-bearing wehrlite,olivine clinopyroxenite,olivine gabbronorite,gabbronorite,amphibole gabbronorite and quartz gabbronorite with adcumulate,mesocumulate,heteradcumulate and orthocumulate textures.The crystallization order for these rocks is olivine±chromian spinel→clinopyroxene→plagioclase→orthopyroxene→amphibole.The presence of primary magmatic amphiboles in the cumulate rocks shows that the parent magma evolved under hydrous conditions.Geochemically,the studied rock units are characterized by low TiO2(0.18-0.57 wt.%),P2 O5(<0.05 wt.%),K2 O(0.01-0.51 wt.%)and total alkali contents(0.12-3.04 wt.%).They indicate fractionated trends in the chondrite-normalized rare earth element(REE)plots and multi-element diagrams(spider diagrams).The general trend of the spider diagrams exhibit slight enrichment in large ion lithophile elements(LILEs)relative to high field strength elements(HFSEs)and positive anomalies in Sr,Pb and Eu and negative anomalies in Zr and Nb relative to the adjacent elements.The REE plots of these rocks display increasing trend from La to Sm,positive Eu anomaly(Eu/Eu*=1.06-1.54)and an almost flat pattern from medium REE(MREE)to heavy REE(HREE)region[(Gd/Yb)N=1-1.17].Moreover,clinopyroxenes from the cumulate rocks have low REE contents and show marked depletion in light REE(LREE)compared to MREE and HREE[(La/Sm)N=0.10-0.27 and(La/Yb)N=0.08-0.22].The composition of calculated melts in equilibrium with the clinopyroxenes from less evolved cumulate samples are closely similar to island arc tholeiitic(IAT)magmas.Modal mineralogy,geochemical features and REE modeling indicate that Sabzevar cumulate rocks were formed by crystal accumulation from a hydrous depleted basaltic melt with IAT affinity.This melt has been produced by moderate to high degree(~15%)of partial melting a depleted mantle source,which partially underwent metasomatic enrichment from subducted slab components in an intra-oceanic arc setting.

Genesis and Tectonic Implications of the Kabr El-Bonaya Ultramafic Rocks,Sinai Peninsula,Egypt:Constraints from Mineralogical and Geochemical Characteristics

The Kabr El-Bonaya mafic–ultramafic intrusion is exposed along the southeastern border of the Sinai Peninsula and the northernmost segment of the Arabian-Nubian Shield(ANS).It occurs as an elliptical intrusive body that is located along the major NE–SW trending fracture zones that prevail in the Kid metamorphic complex.The ultramafic rocks in the complex comprise ultramafic cumulates of peridotites(dunite,harzburgite and wehrlite)and pyroxenite.These rocks are generally unmetamorphosed and have intrusive contacts with the country rock.Mineral chemistry and whole-rock chemical compositions of these ultramafic rocks are mostly consistent with those of residual mantle peridotites from refractory suprasubduction tectonic settings.Based on the variations of the major elements,the studied ultramafic rocks are consistent with those of a supra-subduction zone mantle,as it seems to have melted at 1–2 GPa and 1300–1450℃.Linear variations of Al2O3,Ca O,V and Ni with Mg O,coupled with incompatible and rare-earth-element depletion and mineral compositions,suggest prior events of partial melting in both wehrlites and harzburgites.The LREE enrichment in the harzburgite,as well as the development of Cr-rich spinel,is consistent with a history of melt–peridotite interaction.The calculated(Sm/Yb)N variations for the studied peridotites indicate a general increase in the addition of fluids with an increasing degree of melting from the wehrlite(~13–15 wt%of fluid)in the source,after initial spinel peridotite melting to the harzburgite(~20–25 wt%of fluid)in the same source,which is contrary to normal abyssal peridotites.The estimated equilibration temperature ranges from 1214 to 1321℃for the studied wehrlites and from 1297 to 1374℃for harzburgites.The Mg-rich nature of the analysed olivines from the studied ultramafic rocks(Fo=81.41 to 91.77)reflect their primary composition and are similar to olivines in Alaskan-type ultramafic rocks.The Fo content of the analyzed olivines decrease slightly from the dunite to the harzburgite to the wehrlite and to pyroxenite,reflecting a fractional crystallization trend.The high Cr#and very low TiO_(2)contents(0.03–0.12 wt%)of the Cr-spinels from the studied peridotites are mostly consistent with modern highly refractory fore-arc peridotites,indicating that these peridotites developed in a supra-subduction zone environment.