Semail Ophiolite

Figure 1: Arabian Plate map with Semail Ophiolite location on the eastern corner of the Arabian Peninsula

The Semail Ophiolite of the Hajar Mountains of Oman and the United Arab Emirates is a large slab of oceanic crust that is made of volcanic rocks and ultramafic rocks from the Earth's upper mantle that was overthrust onto continental crust as an ophiolite.[1] It is located on the eastern corner of the Arabian Peninsula[2] and covers an area of approximately 100,000 km2.[1] Based on uranium-lead dating techniques, the Semail Ophiolite formed in the Late Cretaceous.[3] It is primarily made of silicate rocks with (SiO2) content ranging from 45-77 wt%.[4] The Semail Ophiolite is important because it is rich in copper and chromite ore bodies also provides valuable information about the ocean floor and the upper mantle on land.[1] Geologists have studied the area attempting to find the best model explaining the formation of the Semail Ophiolite.

Geologic formations

The Arabian continental margin formed in early Paleozoic and possibly late Proterozoic. After that the thrust sheets are from low to high structurally: The autochthonous units and the allochthonous units. The allochthonous unite from low to high structurally: The Sumeini group, the Hawasina complex, the Haybi complex, the Ophiolite, and the Batinah complex.[5] From the Sumeini group to the Haybi Complex make up the continental slope with an age range from Middle Triassic to Late Cretaceous.[5] The ophiolite formed in the Late Cretaceous and consists of a basal metamorphic sole (150–200 m), peridotite tectonic (8–12 km), igneous peridotite and gabbro (0.5-6.5 km), sheeted dikes (1-1.5 km), lavas (0.5-2.0 km).[5] The Batinah complex containing continental margin sediments came from beneath the ophiolite during late-stage extensional faulting and then slid into the ophiolite late in the emplacement history.[5]

Tectonic models

There are three different models that may explain how the Semail Ophiolite could form and overthrust a continental margin:

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference Ophiolites_a_natural_wonder was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference Flake_Tectonics_and_Continental_Collision was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference Deformation was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Jan Schreurs; John Millson. "Ophiolites a natural wonder" (PDF). Retrieved 10 October 2013.
  2. Ágoston Sasvári, Tamás Pocsai, László Csontos, Gizella B. Árgyelán (2008). "Significance of the evaporite occurrences in the Hawasina Window, Oman Mountains" (PDF). MOL Scientific magazine: 87–92.
  3. Wilson, H. Hugh (July 2000). "The Age Of The Hawasina And Other Problems Of Oman Mountain Geology". Journal of Petroleum Geology 23 (3): 345–362. doi:10.1111/j.1747-5457.2000.tb01023.x.
  4. Rodney V. Metcalf, John W. Shervais (2008). "Suprasubduction-zone ophiolites: Is there really an ophiolite conundrum?". The Geological Society of America. Special Paper 438: 191–222.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Hacker, Bradley R. (April 1991). "The Role Of Deformation In The Formation Of Metamorphic Gradients: Ridge Subduction Beneath The Oman Ophiolite". Tectonics 10 (2): 455–473. Bibcode:1991Tecto..10..455H. doi:10.1029/90TC02779.
  6. "Reinhardt BM 1974 Geology of the Oman mountains". Verhandelingen Koninklijk Nederlands geologisch mijnbouwkundidg Genootschap 31: 423.
  7. Oxburgh, E. R. (1972). "Flake Tectonics and Continental Collision". Nature 239 (5369): 202–204. Bibcode:1972Natur.239..202O. doi:10.1038/239202a0.
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