High-Cr chromium spinels in Golashkard ultramafic unit, Faryab complex, southeast of Sanandaj-Sirjan, Iran

The Haji-Abad-Esfandagheh-Faryab ophiolitic belt is one of the most famous chromite-bearing occurrences in the south of Iran that has received considerable attention. Golashkard ultramafic unit includes dunite, highly serpentinized harzburgites, chromitite and wehrlite layers in the Faryab ophiolitic complex located in the southeast of Sanandaj-Sirjan as one of the chromite-bearing areas of the Haji-Abad-Esfandagheh-Faryab ophiolitic belt. Ultramafic rocks and chromitites of Golashkard area consist of 20 to more than 50% of chromite. The studied chromites have variable massive, banded and scattered textures. The geochemistry of Golashkard ultramafic rocks shows that the average Cr# enrichment of chromite in serpentinite rocks (probably dunite and harzburgite) and wehrlite is to Cr/ (Cr + Al) ×100= 70-80 and in chromitite is relatively higher (Cr/ (Cr + Al) ×100= 81). Based on the lithological and mineral chemistry characteristics, Golashkard ultramafic rocks are part of mantle related to ophiolite, which was produced by a homogeneous boninitic melt in the suprasubduction zone and formed high chromium chromitites and related peridotites.