Maklaa Tameya), Kishb Area, Saudi Arabia: Geochemical Assessment and Tectonic Implication
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International Journal of Science, Technology & Management www.ijstm.com Volume No.04, Issue No. 02, February 2015 ISSN (online): 2394-1537 ON CENOZOIC VOLCANIC LAVA OF AL WAABAH CRATER (MAKLAA TAMEYA), KISHB AREA, SAUDI ARABIA: GEOCHEMICAL ASSESSMENT AND TECTONIC IMPLICATION Antar A. Abdel Wahab1,2, Mohamed F. Ghoneim3, Finlay M. Stuart4, Aziz M. Kafafy1,3 1 Professor, Earth Science Research Unit, P.O. Box 888, Taif University, Taif 21974, KSA 2 Professor, Department of Geology, Faculty of Science, Kafrelsheikh University, Egypt Professor, 3Geology Department, Faculty of Science, Tanta University, Egypt Professor, 4Isotope Geosciences Unit, Scottish Universities Environmental Research Centre, Scottish Enterprise Technology Park, East Kilbride G75 0QF, UK ABSTRACT The objective is to clarify the geochemical characteristics of Al Waabah Crater; compare the volcanic assemblage with other nearby lavas, and to get better understanding of magma types and tectonic evolution. Rock sequence includes: basaltic scoria; olivine basalt and alkali olivine basalt together with subordinate andesine and scare dacite. Geochemical study using major elements, trace elements and REE's are carried out for 30 samples. Geochemical variation diagrams exhibit generally, linear to gently curved trends of chemical data. However, plots of Al2O3, K2O, Na2O and P2O5 show erratic variations.TiO2 plots form two cluster areas. Alteration effect prove that there is precludes variation in the nature of the lava and /or changes in the source plum. Andesitic rocks have generally high Ba content indicating accumulative K-feldspar. Using HFS elements on the spider diagram, shows general enrichments of Pb, Nb, Ta and depletion of Cr, Li and Y. The acidic varieties are mostly enriched in LILE (Cs, Ba & Rb). The rocks are, generally, comparable with that of OIB normalized pattern (than the other patterns). In TAS diagram they composed mostly, of basalts, hawaiite and mugearites together with more acidic varieties including andesites and subordinate dacites. The volcanic assemblage is compared with Harrat-Al Madinah using both TAS diagram and SiO2 vs K2O diagrams. It is evident that the rock plots overlap field plots of Harrat-Al Madina lavas. The volcanic exhibits wide range of magma types including alkaline, subalkaline and low – k subalkaline indicating transition magma affinity. REE's data are normalized to both chondritic normalization and ocean crust. They show parallel and moderate patterns related to both chondrite and ocean crust patterns. However, they exhibit partial depletion for both Dy and Yb. Relative enrichment is recorded for Tb and Tm. Basic varieties shows split normalized pattern practically regarding LREE. The more acidic varieties perform more or less harmonic REE pattern. Lack of Eu depletion indicates absences of subduction signature. Keywords: Al-Waabah, KSA; Geochemistry; REE's; Subduction; Tectonic Implication 57 | P a g e International Journal of Science, Technology & Management www.ijstm.com Volume No.04, Issue No. 02, February 2015 ISSN (online): 2394-1537 I. INTRODUCTION Saudi Arabia, and Yemen forming one of the largest intraplate volcanic provinces on Earth (the actual area 2 covered by volcanic rocks =180,000 km , [1]. Magmatism in this region (30 Ma – Present,) preceded, was concurrent with, and continued after the main extension that formed the Red Sea Rift. In the last decades, these rocks have been extensively studied (e.g. [2]; [3]; [4]; [5]; [6,7]; [8]; [9]; [10]; [11]. Although volcanism in southwestern Arabia has been associated with the activity of the Afar mantle plume [12]; [13, 14]; [15], the origin of the lava fields in northern Arabia is less clear and many models have been suggested to explain their origin. Several major volcanic fields (termed harrats) occur throughout the western part of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), [16];[17] (Fig. 1). A series of seminal studies of these lava fields was undertaken in the late 1980s and early 1990s by the Saudi Arabian Directorate General of Mineral Resources [18, 19, 20]; [21,22]; [23]. The largest volcanic fields form a 600 km-long north south oriented trend that may be related to an underlying rift zone within the Proterozoic basement (Fig. 1). This trend, called the Makkah- Madinah - Nafud (MMN) volcanic line [21], links Harrat Rahat in the south with Harrat Khaybar and Harrat Ithnayn in the north. The MNN line is a rift zone that has been extending at approximately 0.05 mm/ year for the last 10 million years. Harrat Kishb (41 08' 299''E, 22 54' 040''N) volcanic field covers ~5,900 km2 and lies 100 km east of the MMN zone (Roobol and Camp, 1991. It lies approximately 100 km east of the MMN line, and Harrats Kura,Raha, has similar distance to the west. Al Wahbah crater (Maklaa Tameya crater a part of Harrat Kishb. The hole (Al Wahbah crater) is very large, measuring about 3.100m from north to south, 2.460 m from east to west and the depth is between 350-400 m (Fig.2a). The oval-shaped crater north – south radius, is longer than the east - west diameter, and the edges of the hole are semi-vertical, and in the top of this segment palm trees grow. It is located about 6 kilometers north of Kishb Village, and 40 kilometers north of Umm Dom Village of Taif Governorate, (about 240 km NE. of Taif city through the Hijaz – Riyadh Highway), The bottom of the hole has topped layer white saline color resulting from the decomposition of rocks developed by the rainwater, forming a small shallow lake, due to leakage of fluids to the bottom of the clogged pores of the bottom deposits mud over the years, so the remaining water layer evaporates, either due to the hot weather or due to heat from the earth, Fig.2b. The objective of the present study is; to clarify the geochemical characteristics of Harrat Kishb (Al Waabah Crater or MaklaaTameya); compare the volcanic assemblage of the present area with other lavas (particular Harrat –Al Madinah), and to get better understanding of magma types and tectonic evolution of the area . 58 | P a g e International Journal of Science, Technology & Management www.ijstm.com Volume No.04, Issue No. 02, February 2015 ISSN (online): 2394-1537 II. GEOLOGICAL SETTING Harrat Kishb covers about 5900 km2 and its surface is at an altitude of approximately 1000 m above sea level (Fig. 2b). It is the youngest of the harrats associated with the MMN line. The crater is elliptical and orientated 340°. An orange-brown, we a kl y lithified tuff ring composed of poorly sorted material, ranging from sand-sized particles to rock fragments and mafic nodules several tens of centimeters in size, surrounds the crater for a maximum distance of 1.5 km. The laminated and dune-bedded tuff deposits are typical of pyro- clastic base-surge deposits formed by the settling of material from the radially directed blast of gas and suspended solid debris that exploded as a density flow from the crater. The deposits are 10 –15 m thick in the rim of the crater and dip and thin away radially. Numerous small crystals of olivine and augite occur in the base-surge deposits. The olivine crystals are of interest value only, but elsewhere on Harrat Kishb other tuff rings have yielded peridots (gem variety of olivine), ([24]. Harrat Kishb is a basalt 2 plateau of 5900 km located about 270 km northeast of Jeddah. The larger Harrat Rahat lies 30 km to the west. The taif – Riyadh Highway passes immediately south of Harrat Kishb and access to the northern part is from the gold mining town of Mahd ad Dhahab; the ancient pilgrim route of Darb Zubaydah gives access to the western of the Harrat. The lavas of the harrat Kishb has an age range 2 Ma to post-Neolithic. It comprises a strongly undersaturated series extending from alkali – olivine basalt to basanite, tephrite, and phonolite. The central vent zone of the harrat is characterized by abundant ultramafic nodules. Basaltic scoria cones and associated lavas are common and are the most differentiated products (phonotephrites to phonolite) from domes and dome flows. Five basaltic tuff rings are present and one of them has a well – exposed Maar Crater (Al 59 | P a g e International Journal of Science, Technology & Management www.ijstm.com Volume No.04, Issue No. 02, February 2015 ISSN (online): 2394-1537 Wahbah), [25]. Underlying the base-surge deposits are two basanite flows that formed the pre- explosion land surface.. They have a maximum thickness of about 50 m. The olivine crystals in the base- surge deposits were derived from these lavas. The lavas flowed from a cone on the north- western edge of the crater that was cut in half by the explosion to expose the throat of the volcano. Surge deposits are plastered onto the flanks of the cone. The lavas overlie Proterozoic rocks, mainly granite, that form the lower three-quarters of the crater walls. III. PETROGRAPHY Petrographic composition of Harrat Kishb lava is considerably undersaturated and resembles those of Harrat Kura. It includes abundance of peridotite, pyroxenite and xenoliths of mantle nodules up to 60 cm across. Some of these xenoliths are recoded with larger sizes in the bottom of Al- Wahbah maar crater A detailed study of the mineralogy of the encountered ultramfic rocks of Harrat Kishb has been carried out [26]; [27, 28]. Petrographically, the basalts comprise undersaturated series extending from basalt (hawaite to basanite, tephrite and phonolite, together with olivine basalt. The exposed rocks at Al Waabah Crater (from top to bottom) are mainly classified into: (A) basaltic scoria; and (B) basaltic lava flows (olivine basalt, basalt, and alkali olivine basalt). 3.1. Basaltic Scoria The Scoria cones and associated lavas are common and the most differentiated products (phonotephrite to phonolite) from domes and dome flows.