Geochemistry and petrogenesis of basaltic prisms from South of Germi city (Ardabil province)

Abstract

The basaltic prisms assemblages of Poshtsar are located in the south-eastern of Germi city and include of mafic volcanic rocks such as olivine basalt. They are outcropped with about 1000 meters thickness in the eastern part to 10 meters thicknes in the western part of Moghan. The main minerals of these rocks are olivine phenocrysts, clinopyroxene (augite) and plagioclase. The dominant textures of the rocks studied are microlitic and microlitic porphyritic. According to geochemical diagrams, the study rocks were originated from an alkaline magma. Spider diagrams show that the parent magma has been enriched in LREE/HREE ratio and LILE to primordial mantle which indicates enrichment of mantle source of the parent magma The magma of the studied rocks were generated from garnet lherzolite in depth of around 100 Km. It seems these basalts have been formed in Back-arc basin due to subduction of the eastern Black Sea (northern branch of Neo-Tethys) beneath the Armenian microcontinent.

Keywords

• Basalt
• Garnet-Lehrzolite
• Back-arc-basin
• Germi city
• Iran