Geochemical constraints on Eocene–Miocene geodynamic and magmatic evolution of the Varan-Naragh area, Urumieh-Dokhtar Magmatic Arc, Iran

Abstract

Two different types of igneous rock formed during separate Cenozoic magmatic phases in the Varan-Naragh area in the central part of the Urumieh-Dokhtar Magmatic Arc (UDMA) of Iran as a part of the Alpine-Himalayan system. The first phase comprises late Eocene – early Oligocene Naragh gabbroic rocks (Ns), and the second phase is characterized by the emplacement of both volcanic and plutonic rocks of the early Miocene. Both phases display moderate enrichment of large rare earth elements and depletion of high field strength elements coupled with negative Nb, Ti, and P anomalies, indicative of subduction-related magmatic events within an active continental margin. Initial values of 87Sr/86Sr and εNdT are 0.70684 and +0.15 and 0.70560–0.70654 and +2.55 to +3.49 for Ns and early Miocene intrusive and volcanic rocks, respectively. Comparisons of rare earth element patterns and mantle-like isotopic ratios suggest that Ns mafic and early Miocene magmatic rocks were derived from partial melting of a common subcontinental lithospheric mantle. Geochemical and isotopic ratios of Ns gabbroic rocks, in combination with the data related to other coeval and proximal mafic-intermediate intrusions (such as Nashalj), suggest enrichment of the lithospheric mantle by slab-derived fluids with a minor subducted sediment melt. The low εNdT of Ns gabbroic rocks can reflect involvement of slab-derived components. The geochemical similarity and the close spatial and temporal association of Varan intrusive and volcanic rocks suggest a common petrogenetic relationship. Geochemical, isotopic, and geochronological evidence from the region indicate three major phases of igneous activity in the Kashan magmatic segment of the central UDMA during late Eocene to Miocene, resulting in complex tectonic regime transition from compressional subduction to extensional post-collisional settings. Integrated with published studies, the new results support a model suggesting that subduction-related magmatic activity was still influencing the central UDMA in the early Miocene time and are also consistent with the notion of oblique and diachronous collision along the northeast margin of the Arabia plate.