Geology and Plate Tectonics Interpretation of the Sediments of the Mesozoic Radiolarite-Ophiolite Complex in the Neyriz Region, Southern Iran
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Geology and plate tectonics interpretation of the sediments of the Mesozoic radiolarite-ophiolite complex in the Neyriz region, southern Iran A. HALLAM Department of Geology and Mineralogy, University of Oxford, Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3 PR, England ABSTRACT rocks either intrusive (Wells, 1969) or em- tween this controversy and that over the placed by high-angle reverse faulting very similar complex in the Oman, with one New investigations in the Neyriz region (Haynes and McQuillan, 1974). Alternative group of workers favoring a nappe in- of Iran provide support for the hypothesis plate tectonics models have been put for- terpretation (Allemann and Peters, 1972; that Mesozoic radiolarite and ophiolite ward either accepting (Takin, 1972) or re- Glennie and others, 1973) and the other have been thrust southwestward as nappe jecting (Haynes and McQuillan, 1974) the group rejecting it (Morton, 1959; Wilson, complexes over the autochthonous Cre- nappe interpretation. There is general 1969, 1973; Moody, 1974). taceous carbonate platform deposits di- agreement that the whole complex of rocks On the basis of field observations at rectly south of the Zagros Crush Zone. A is overlain unconformably by late Maas- selected key localities in the Neyriz region Late Cretaceous wildflysch sequence is ex- trichtian and younger deposits, hence pro- and laboratory examination of samples, cluded from the nappe complex and put in viding an upper age limit for the tectonic new stratigraphic and sedimentological the autochthonous unit. Different types of movements. A striking parallel exists be- data are here presented and a revised in- radiolarite are distinguished, and a variety of limestone olistoliths are recognized within these rocks. The structural and stratigraphic sequence in the Neyriz region closely resembles that of the Oman Moun- tains. A model is proposed in which a rifted and subsequently aseismic continental mar- gin of Arabia persisted through much of the Mesozoic Era. In Late Cretaceous time the pattern of plate motion changed, and Arabia was driven toward central Iran, with the consequent progressive destruction of the intervening ocean and emplacement of nappes from the northeast. Key words: Iran, plate tectonics, stratigraphy, radiolarite-ophiolite complex. INTRODUCTION In recent years the region immediately west of Neyriz, about 100 to 150 km east of Shiraz (Fig. 1), has been recognized as a source of information of critical importance to the interpretation of the geologic evolu- tion of southern Iran. A well-exposed series of Cretaceous limestone, radiolarite and turbidite beds, and ultramafic rocks, all of ^-frNeyriz? unknown or disputed age, hold the key to understanding major structural events over a much larger region embracing the Zagros 15 30 km. suture zone. I The structural relationships of the "Col- oured Series" (or "Coloured Mélange"), as Jurassic-Cretaceous Tertiary the radiolarite complex has been termed, limestones of Bangestan and the ultramafic rocks with each other and Khami groups and with the Cretaceous limestone have „ SHIRAZ Coloured Series Cretaceous Hmestorws provoked sharp controversy. Gray (1950) of Crush Zone and Ricou (1968a, 1968b, 1971) argued for .Neyriz the presence of nappes; other geologists 0 300km Ultramafics Precambrian metamarphics of Stable Block firmly deny their existence and favor a normal autochthonous sequence of lime- Figure 1. Geological sketch map of the Neyriz region, based on the map of Gray (1950) and the Oil stone and radiolarite, with the ultramafic Consortium 1:1,000,000 map of southwest Iran (Tehran, 1969). Geological Society of America Bulletin, v. 87, p. 47-52, 3 figs., January 1976, Doc. no. 60106. 47 Downloaded from http://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/gsa/gsabulletin/article-pdf/87/1/47/3444145/i0016-7606-87-1-47.pdf by guest on 27 September 2021 48 A. HALLAM terpretation given of the structural evolu- suggests a sudden change to a deeper water two blocks yielded the alga Permocalculus tion. facies. The identification of Globotruncana and the foraminiferan Choffatella, which Southwest of the Zagros Crush Zone, paraventricosa by F. C. Dilley (1973, per- indicated a late Early Cretaceous age. Thus which is composed of severely deformed sonal commun.) clearly established a mid- early Mesozoic macrofossils found in the Cretaceous limestone belonging geologi- Turonian to early Senonian age for these obviously exotic blocks of limestone cannot cally to central Iran (Stocklin, 1968), three younger rocks. be used to date the time of deposition of the northwest-trending zones are distinguished Gray's geologic map indicates that the matrix rock. (Fig. 1). Farthest to the southwest is a series Sarvak is overlain by what he termed the Samples of matrix rock collected for this of shallow-water limestone beds of the au- "Radiolarite-Ophiolite Nappe." The lowest investigation have yielded abundant oligos- tochthonous Zagros fold belt. The Col- division of this higher unit can be readily teginids that indicate an Albian through oured Series lies northeast of the limestone seen in the Rafiabad-Arsinjan region, but Senonian age; Ricou (1970) recorded the zone, and the ultramafic rocks occur next to stratigraphic concordance with the Servak, presence of Globotruncana, thus restricting the crush zone. Apparent irregularities in although confirmed elsewhere by Ricou the range effectively to Senonian. Quite this zonation are due partly to Tertiary (1970), is not evident here because of local probably the bulk of the olistoliths are also high-angle faults and partly to a continua- high-angle faults. Cretaceous in age. The breccia beds, there- tion of the Tertiary Zagros folds into the A regular bedded sequence cannot be dis- fore, appear to succeed the Sarvak strati- Coloured Series, so that domes of mid- cerned. Instead there is a chaotic jumble of graphically, and the local presence of high- Cretaceous limestone, such as the mountain irregularly oriented gray and brownish angle fault contacts is a consequence of late known as Kuh-e-Dalnashin (Fig. 1), struc- limestone blocks, which range in size from Tertiary tectonism. Gray's (1950) interpre- turally underlie the radiolarite complex. pebbles or small boulders to masses tens of tation of an overthrust contact must be re- Because he found Triassic and Jurassic fos- metres across, that are set in a soft- jected as not in accord with the evidence, sils in the radiolarite complex, Gray (1950) weathering matrix of fine-grained marly and the breccia beds should be specifically interpreted Kuh-e-Dalnashin and related and siliceous limestone varying in color excluded from the radiolarite proper. structures as tectonic windows where the from pale gray to green and purple, that is, nappe cover of the radiolarite complex had a wildflysch facies. Although the matrix Southeastern Region been stripped off by erosion. rocks may contain radiolaria, they are de- Wells (1969) claimed that the pre- decidedly not typical radiolarian chert. This Another critical locality for the nappe in- Cretaceous fossils came from exotic lime- zone of rocks extends southeastward to terpretation is in the Pichakun Mountains, stone blocks within radiolarite and that Pichakun, but in the absence of regular where Ricou (1968a) described an easterly more reliable evidence of microfauna in situ bedding, reliable estimates of thickness are dipping sequence of radiolarite and other indicated a Senonian age for the radiolarite hard to obtain; Ricou (1970) estimated a rocks that he claimed ranges in age from near the Zagros Crush Zone throughout thickness of 250 m in the southeast. Cretaceous down to Triassic; this sequence southern and western Iran; hence there The limestone blocks are clearly exotic is structurally but not stratigraphically un- was, in fact, a normal stratigraphic succes- and can accurately be described as olis- derlain by Upper Cretaceous limestone be- sion near Neyriz. Ricou (1968a, 1968b, toliths. Some, including the largest blocks, longing to the autochthon. Ricou's "Bar 1971) accepted Gray's (1950) interpreta- are pale gray and fine grained or sparry Er" section (loc. C, Fig. 1) is as follows: tion in part and brought forward in support with pellet and ooid allochems but virtually 4. Conglomeratic limestone (Aptian) 100 m more paleontological evidence from the no recognizable macrofossils. The smaller 3. Varicolored radiolarite Pichakun Mountains in the southeast. blocks include limestone turbidites with (U. Jurassic to L. Cretaceous) 230 m Haynes and McQuillan (1974), while re- graded and convolute bedding; the coarser 2. Siliceous limestone (M. Jurassic) 120 m jecting the nappe interpretation, accepted particles consist of ooids and pellets of simi- 1. Black marl (U. Triassic) 100 m the fact that some of the radiolarite might lar size. Unit 1 is dated by corals, brachiopods, be pre-Cretaceous in age. At locality B (Fig. 1) between Kuh-e- and the bivalve Megalodon; unit 2 by the Investigation was concentrated in one Dalnashin and Lake Tashk, Gray (1950) foraminifera Trocholina and Proto- area west and south of Kuh-e-Dalnashin found limestone containing undoubted peneroplis; and unit 4 by a number of and in another area in and around the Triassic and Liassic macrofossils, and much foraminifera. Pichakun Mountains. of his nappe interpretation depends upon H. C. Jenkyns and I examined units 1, 2, these data. Accordingly, a close examina- and 3, and we differ from Ricou as follows: Northwestern Region tion was made at this locality. All the units compose a bedded chert se- Gray's illustrated section (1950, Fig. 2) quence. The colors are predominantly pur- Directly east of the village of Rafiabad, shows a regular bedded sequence of plish and gray green, and the chert occurs which lies several kilometres south of Arsin- radiolarite and limestone disturbed by as beds ranging in thickness from 2 to 20 jan (loc. A, Fig. 1), limestone of the Sarvak faulting. There is no evidence of a regular cm, with partings of less siliceous, shaly Formation (the top formation of the Dages- sequence. The general aspect of the geology material.