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Architecture of the Oman–UAE ophiolite: evidence for a multi-phase magmatic history

في أفيوليت عمان - الإمارات : دلائل وجود تاريخ ماجماتى متعدد الاطوار

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Abstract

The Oman–United Arab Emirates ophiolite is the world’s largest ophiolite. It is divided into 12 separate fault-bounded blocks, of which the northern three lie wholly or partly in the United Arab Emirates. Extensive mapping has shown that the United Arab Emirates blocks contain mantle and crustal sections which correspond to the classic ‘Penrose conference’ ophiolite definition but which are cut by a voluminous later magmatic sequence including ultramafic, mafic and felsic components. Samples from the later magmatic sequence are dated at 96.4 ± 0.3, 95.74 ± 0.3 and 95.2 ± 0.3 Ma; the early crustal section, which has not been dated directly, is thus constrained to be older than c. 96.4 Ma. Petrological evidence shows that the early crustal section formed at a spreading ridge, but the later magmatic sequence was formed from hydrous magmas that produced different mineral crystallisation sequences to normal mid-ocean ridge basalt (MORB). Mineral and whole-rock geochemical analyses show that the early crustal rocks are chemically similar to MORB, but the later magmatic sequence has chemical features typically found in supra-subduction zone (SSZ) settings. The ophiolite in the United Arab Emirates thus preserves clear evidence for two stages of magmatism, an early episode formed at a spreading centre and a later episode associated with the onset of subduction. Similar two-stage magmatism has been recognised in the Oman sector, but the United Arab Emirates contains the most voluminous SSZ magmatism yet described from this ophiolite.

Abstract

أفيوليت عمان – الامارات هو أكبر أفيوليت في العالم وهو مقسم إلى 12 كتلة صدع محدد منفصلة حيث تقع الثلاث الشمالية منها كاملة او جزئيا في دولة الامارات . أوضحت الدراسات الواسعة أن كتل الامارات تحتوي على قطاعات الوشاح والقشرة والتي تناظر تعريف الافيوليت التقليدي "مؤتمر Penrose" ولكن يقطعها التتابع المجمي البركاني المتاخر(voluminous later magmatic sequence) والذي يشمل مركبات ultramafic, mafic and felsic . تم تأريخ عينات التتابع الصهارة (المجمي) كالتالي 96.4 ± 0.3 Ma, 95.74 ± 0.3 Ma, and 95.2 ± 0.3 Ma ، أما قطاع القشرة المبكر، الذي لم يتم تأريخة مباشرة ، فقد تحدد أنه أقدم من 96.4 Ma . دلت شواهد جيولوجية البترول أن قطاع القشرة المبكر تكون من أنتشار ال ridge ولكن التتابع المجمي التالي تكون من الصهارة (مجما) المائية التي نتجت من تتابعات تبلور معادن مختلفة إلى MORB العادية . تحاليل المعادن والكيميائية الأرضية لكتل الصخور أوضحت أن صخور القشرة المبكرة تشابه كميائيا ال MORB ولكن تتابعات الصهارة التالية لها خواص كيميائية مطابقة للموجودة في منطقة ال supra-subduction (SSZ). وبالتالي الأفيوليت بدولة الامارات يدل بوضوح على مرحلتين من الصهارة وهما العصر المبكر الذي شكل في مركز الانتشار والعصر المتأخر المصاحب لبداية ال subduction. لوحظ مرحلتين مشابهتين في قطاع عمان ولكن الامارات تحتوي على أكثر صهارة SSZ الموصوفة من هذا الأفيوليت حتى الان .

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Acknowledgements

This work was funded by the Ministry of Energy in the United Arab Emirates, and their help and support is gratefully acknowledged. This paper is published by permission of the Executive Director of the British Geological Survey. Graham Leslie, Hugh Rollinson and an anonymous referee provided constructive comments on an earlier version of this paper, which were much appreciated by the authors.

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Author notes

  1. Q. C. Crowley

    Present address: School of Natural Sciences, Department of Geology, Trinity College, Dublin 2, Ireland

  2. R. M. Lilly

    Present address: Xstrata Copper, Mount Isa, Queensland, 4825, Australia

Authors and Affiliations

  1. British Geological Survey, West Mains Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3LA, UK

    K. M. Goodenough & D. Stephenson

  2. British Geological Survey, Keyworth, Nottingham, NG12 5GG, UK

    M. T. Styles, D. Schofield, R. J. Thomas, J. McKervey & J. N. Carney

  3. NERC Isotope Geoscience Laboratories, Keyworth, Nottingham, NG12 5GG, UK

    Q. C. Crowley

  4. School of Earth and Ocean Sciences, Cardiff University, Main Building, Park Place, Cardiff, CF10 3YE, UK

    R. M. Lilly

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Tables 2 and 3 are included in the Supplementary Material.

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Table 2

Summary mineral chemistry data (XLS 54 kb)

Table 3

Whole-rock major, trace element and REE data (XLS 159 kb)

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Goodenough, K.M., Styles, M.T., Schofield, D. et al. Architecture of the Oman–UAE ophiolite: evidence for a multi-phase magmatic history. Arab J Geosci 3, 439–458 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-010-0177-3

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