Petrology and tectono-magmatic environment of the volcanic rocks of West Torud – Iran

Middle-Upper Eocene volcanic and volcano-sedimentary rocks of the Torud region have been formed by the sequences of basic-intermediate lavas, pyroclastic rocks, and sedimentary layers (e.g., siltstone, sandstone, and nummulite-bearing limestone) within a shallow marine basin. According to microscopic studies, the volcanic rocks of the region include basalt, basaltic andesite, trachyandesite, andesite, and dacite. These rocks have originated from the differential crystallization processes and occasionally calc-alkaline contamination geochemical properties. Generally, they contain olivine, clinopyroxene, and plagioclase ± amphibole minerals. Porphyritic to megaporphyritic textures with microlithic and flow matrixes are observed in these rocks. Studying the main and rare elements of these rocks indicates that reducing MgO content is accompanied by an increase in Al2O3, K2O, Na2O, and SiO2 and a decrease in Fe2O3 and CaO concentrations. These rocks are mainly enriched in LIL and LREE elements but depleted of HFS elements. The prominent features of these rocks are the presence of positive anomalies in the K, Sr, Rb, and Ba elements, the depletion of some samples of Nb and Ta, and their depletion of Ti and P. This result reveals the crustal contamination of the mantle mafic magma constructing these rocks. According to the geochemical data, magmatic pollution has not been an effective process in the formation of these rocks. In addition, the relatively higher levels of Cr, Ni, and MgO in the alkali basalts of the region indicate that these rocks are originated from partial melting (5 to 10%) of a spinel-garnet peridotite. Overall, they have no subduction-dependent rock characteristics and mainly represent characteristics of alkali basaltic magmas of the preliminary back-arc basin (BAB). These features, attributed to their calc-alkaline nature, represent the formation of these rocks in a tectonic back-arc setting in the Middle-Upper Eocene.