نشریه علوم زمین
پیاپی 128 (تابستان 1402)

The studied area is located in N-Sonqor and in the Sanandaj-Sirjan zone. Field relationships and petrographic evidence show that volcanic rocks of the north of Bashirabad comprise of trachydacite to trachyandesite (and altered basaltic trachyandesite) and in the south of this area, it consists of andesite to trachyte. Their texture is mainly porphyry. Geochemical data {total abundance of (Na2O+K2O), enrichment of large lithophile ion elements and rare light earth elements) indicate that these rocks belong to the alkaline series. Spider diagrams show enrichment in LREE and depletion HREE, and parallel patterns in all volcanic samples confirm their common origin. According to modeling magmatic processes, fractional crystallization, assimilation and crustal contamination have played an important role in the magma forming the studied rocks. The discriminating diagrams the tectonic setting the Bashirabad volcanic rocks indicate their subduction-related volcanic arc that was formed in an active continental margin environment with local tensions.

The Fatehabad Cu deposit is located in the Khorasan Razavi province, 35 km SE of the Torbat-e Heydariyeh and in the Khaf-Kashmar-Bardaskan metal belt. The vein and veinlet mineralization consist of chalcopyrite, pyrite, magnetite, chalcocite, bornite, covellite, malachite and iron oxides associated with siliceous-sericite, argillite and propylitic alteration in the volcanic rocks formed parallel to the sub-faults that branch off from the Dorouneh fault. The similar pattern of REE and trace elements in the mineralized veins and associated volcanic rocks suggests an magmatic-hydrothermal origin of the ore elements. In the vein system of Fathabad district, quartz, pyrite, chalcopyrite, and magnetite veins with propylitic alteration in the early stage of mineralization, quartz, pyrite, chalcopyrite and magnetite veins with sericite alteration in the main stage of mineralization and quartz, pyrite and chalcopyrite veins were identified along with argillic and iron oxide alterations. Calcite veins along with sericite and iron oxide alterations were also identified in the late stage of mineralization. The enrichment of trace, LREEs/HREEs ratio, positive Eu anomalyand negative Ce anomaly, indicate reducing conditions and a high pH of the mineralized fluids. Fluid inclusion studies with low salinity (13.9 to 4.74 wt% NaCl eqv.) and low temperature (111 to 192 oC) indicate dilution and mixing of the sulfur- and element-rich magmatic-hydrothermal fluid with meteoric water, leading leaching and precipitation of trace, rare and copper elements. The δ34S isotopes values (-1.58 to -2.86‰) in the chalcopyrite minerals indicate the magmatic origin of sulfur. The geology, geochemistry, and fluid inclusions evidences indicate that the Fathabad Cu deposit is belong to epithermal style mineral systems.

The aim of this research is the geochemical study of the major and trace elements of the alteration systems in the Kamar-Gov district (south of Hashtjin, Ardabil province). The rock units of  the studied area include volcanic rocks with the composition of basaltic-trachy andesite to rhyolite and crystal vitric-tuff with Eocene and Oligocene age. These rocks have calk alkaline and shoshonitic affinity and belong to post-collisional arc tectonic setting. In the Kamar-Gov district, the alteration zones include silicic, sericitic (quartz + muscovite + pyrite ± illite ± rutile), sericite-argillic (quartz + sericite + kaolinite + dolomite), intermediate argillic (quartz + kaolinite + illite), advanced argillic (quartz + kaolinite + alunite + diaspore ± anatase ± muscovite), and chloritic (quartz + chlorite + illite). The distribution pattern of the normalized-BSE major and trace elements and the mass change calculations (volume factor method) show that the silicic and advanced argillic alteration zones have more elemental depletion and different distribution patterns from the parent rock. However, chloritic, intermediate argillic, and sericite-argillic alterations have relatively little mass change and almost similar distribution patterns to the primary parent rock. The major elements like Ca, Mg, Al, Na, and Fe have frequently depleted. Ti shows slight depletion. K has frequently enriched. Trace elements such as Zr, Nb, Sc, and Th have mass reduction. Co, Cr, Ni, and Rb have experienced depletion and enrichment processes. Sr and V show relatively high depletion. Sb, S, and As (chiefly) have enriched. LREEs have depleted more than HREEs. Elements like Pb, Zn, and Cu only in the siliceous and sericite-argillic zone show enrichment. This research shows that factors like pH of hydrothermal fluid and primary rock-forming and secondary minerals resulting from alteration have caused differences in the behavior and concentration of elements in different alteration zones in the Kamar-Gov district.

The Zaghdareh area in the Esfandagheh-Faryab ophiolitic complex, southern Sanandaj-Sirjan belt, embraces extensive outcrops of mafic-intermediate lava flows and a felsic intrusive body. The volcanic rocks are calc-alkaline to tholeiitic, metaluminous, and distinguished by depletions in light rare earth elements and relatively flat patterns for heavy rare earth elements in chondrite-normalized diagram; the (La/Yb)N ratio is lower than unity for most samples. The chemical attributes for the Zaghdareh volcanic rocks are comparable to those developed in suprasubduction zones. The Zaghdareh intrusive body is distinguished by abundant plagioclase and quartz, and subordinate hornblende, phenocrysts in quartz-feldspar rich matrix. Representative samples from the intrusion plot in the trondhjemite-tonalite fields in the normative An-Ab-Or diagram. The intrusion is calc-alkaline to tholeiitic, peraluminous, and marked by enrichments in Na2O and CaO and depletions in K2O, Rb, and most other LILEs, as well as low K2O/ Na2O ratios, very low Rb/Sr ratio, and distinct depletions in light rare earth elements, which are typical of the oceanic plagiogranites. Results from this study and a comparison with other ophiolitic suites in Iran suggest that the occurrence of plagiogranites is a recurring feature associated with the development and evolution of ophiolitic suites in suprasubduction zones.

The studied area is located in N-Sonqor and in the Sanandaj-Sirjan zone. Field relationships and petrographic evidence show that volcanic rocks of the north of Bashirabad comprise of trachydacite to trachyandesite (and altered basaltic trachyandesite) and in the south of this area, it consists of andesite to trachyte. Their texture is mainly porphyry. Geochemical data {total abundance of (Na2O+K2O), enrichment of large lithophile ion elements and rare light earth elements) indicate that these rocks belong to the alkaline series. Spider diagrams show enrichment in LREE and depletion HREE, and parallel patterns in all volcanic samples confirm their common origin. According to modeling magmatic processes, fractional crystallization, assimilation and crustal contamination have played an important role in the magma forming the studied rocks. The discriminating diagrams the tectonic setting the Bashirabad volcanic rocks indicate their subduction-related volcanic arc that was formed in an active continental margin environment with local tensions.

The Chahargonbad batholite is located  close to Sirjan and southeast of Urumieh-Dokhtar magmatic zone. The batholite's composition is acidic to intermediate that is intruded into the Eocene volcanic rocks. Although the main volume of these rocks consisted of granodiorite and monzogranite, this mass contains numerous mafic microgranular enclaves with a combination of diorite and monzodiorite. Also, microgranular dykes have cut the mafic mass.  Existence of field evidence such as mafic microgranular enclaves with spherical to oval shapes, bell and rod shaped mafic microgranular enclaves, the presence of synplutonic mafic dykes, as well as textural disequilibrium evidences indicate the absence of plagioclase with oscillatory zoning and repeated analytical levels, and Osley quartz in the presence of enclaves. As they grow, they are minerals and evidence for magmatic mixing. Enclaves show higher values than the host rock in most of the basic elements, such as Al2O3, CaO, MgO, Fe2O3, TiO2, P2O5. The elements (REE), host granite rocks and associated enclaves show relatively differentiated REE patterns with sloping LREE patterns and flat MREE and HREE patterns. Based on the tectonomagmatic environment determination diagrams, all samples from the Chahargonbad (studied area) are located in the arc island setting due to subduction and show the characteristic of active continental margin setting.

The petrographical examination of peridotites of the Nehbandan ophiolitic complex revealed that the peridotites of Kalateh Shahpouri, Qadamgah, Lah-Kouh, Cheshmeh anjir, Bandan, and Zolfaghari were of harzburgite type and Sefid-Kouh and Nasfandeh-Kouh were of lherzolite type. Generally, the types of clinopyroxenes in the peridotites of this complex were diopside. The geochemical investigation of clinopyroxenes in Mg# vs. Al2O3, Cr2O3, and TiO2 graphs and Ti vs. Nd, Zr, and Sr graphs shows that the peridotites of Nasfandeh-Kouh, Bandan, Zolfaghari, and Sefid-Kouh with a low degree of partial melting belong to the Abyssal tectonic setting and back-arc basin.on the other side, the harzburgites of Kalateh Shahpouri and Cheshmeh anjir were formed in the Supra-subduction zone tectonic setting and fore-arc basin and have a high degree of partial melting. The study of incompatible elements, LILE and HFSE in spider diagrams normalized to the primary mantle and as well as the study of REEs in spider diagrams normalized to the chondrite for clinopyroxenes confirm this issue. Therefore, Nasfandeh-Kouh and Sefid-Kouh lherzolites as well as Qadamgah, Lah-Kouh, Bandan, and Zolfaghari harzburgites with a low degree of depletion were more consistent with the Mid-oceanic ridgestectonic setting, and the harzburgites of Kalateh Shahpouri and Cheshmeh anjir were close to the Supra-subduction zone tectonic setting with a high degree of depletion.

In this article, metabasic and gneissic rocks of Gelmandeh and Zamanabad mountain (Boneh-Shurow complex, Saghand region) have been used for U-Pb dating. Analyses of zircon crystals yielded concordant U–Pb ages with weighted mean 206Pb/238U ages of 545.4 ±3.6 Ma (MSDW=1.7) for garnet amphibolite, 541.2 ± 4.4 Ma (MSDW=1.8) for metagabbro, 541.3 ±3.5 Ma (MSDW=0.26) for quartz-feldspatic gneiss and 549.2 ± 2.6 Ma (MSDW=0.28) for amphibole- biotite gneiss. The studied zircon crystals has continental, crustal nature and show a strong affinity to magmatic zircons in Chondrite-normalized patterns. The ages that approximately ranges between 541-549 Ma are interpreted as the Crystalline age of the garnet amphibolite and gneissic parental magma. These ages previously assumed as the timing of peak-metamorphism of the Boneh-Shurow garnet-amphibolite and emplacement ages for the granitic precursor of gneissic rocks.

The 2017 Ezgeleh earthquake (Mw: 7.3), which occurred in the northwest of the Zagros, was followed by many aftershocks. The histogram of the monthly rate of aftershocks shows that, except for the first few months, the aftershock sequence did not follow the Omori law. Therefore, it is necessary to use more complex methods to investigate the aftershock sequence. In this research, the temporal multifractal method was used. The obtained results show that the temporal pattern of aftershocks has two short and long-scaling ranges. It seems that short and long ranges are related to the distribution of aftershocks within smaller clusters and the pattern of clusters in the aftershock sequence, respectively. These result showed that the pattern in the longer range is more heterogeneous than the shorter one. On the other hand, by removing the smaller aftershocks, the heterogeneity increases. It seems that the occurrence of several more significant aftershocks with a magnitude of more than 5 has caused an increase in the heterogeneity of the temporal pattern of the aftershock sequence. The results also show that the degree of inhomogeneity of the occurrence time of aftershocks is related to the spatial distribution pattern of aftershocks.

Mass movements are among the most dangerous natural hazards in mountainous regions. The present study employs machine learning (ML) models for mass movement susceptibility mapping (MMSM) in Iran based on a comprehensive dataset of 864 mass movements which include debris flow, landslide, and rockfall during the last 42 years (1977–2019) as well as 12 conditional factors. The results of validation stage show that RF (random forest) is the most viable model for mass movement susceptibility maps. In addition, MARS (multivariate adaptive regression splines), MDA (mixture discriminant additive), and BRT (boosted regression trees) models also provide relatively accurate results. Results of the AUC for validation of produced maps were 0.968, 0.845, 0.828, and 0.765 for RF, MARS, MDA, and BRT, respectively. Based on MMSM generated by RF model, 32% of study area is identified to be under high and very high susceptibility classes. Most of the endangered areas for mass movement are in the west and central parts of the Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Province. In addition, our findings indicate that elevation, slope angle, distance from roads, and distance from faults are critical factors for mass movement. Our results provide a perspective view for decision makers to mitigate natural hazards.

The purpose of this study is: to determine the geomorphological setting; to assess earthquake, flood, and subsidence hazards, as well as to evaluate the landscape of Iranian urban areas, based on geomorphological criteria. To access the aim, 210 cities, each one having more than 50,000 population, were investigated. In this study, Google Earth and satellite pictures, aerial photographs, and geological and geomorphological maps were used and, if needed, field investigations were undertaken. This study showed that the number of urban areas totally or partly lie on alluvial fans, flat surfaces, terraces, synclines, piedmonts, anticlines, and deltas are 103, 34, 26, 39, 27, 8, and 11 cases, respectively. The numbers on volcanic cones, cliffs, and wetlands are only 2, 1, and 1 cases, respectively. Also, 158 cases lie only on one landform and the remaining 52 cases predominately lie on two kinds of landforms. There are 82 and 90 cities at the high threat of earthquake and flood and the numbr of cities at the threat of surficial and qanat subsidence are 60 and 47 cases, respectively. The urban areas with uniform and good landscapes are 71 and 52 cases, respectively. The presented table demonstrates the geomorphological settings; the earthquake, flood and subsidence hazard levels and the landscape status of the 210 studied urban areas.

The Urmia Lake, which is a tectonic depression in the northwest of Iran, has received a lot of eroded sediments of the geological records of the lake watershed. Because of the constant drought in the recent years, sediments have been subjected to the wind erosion and thus are an important source for local and regional emission during dust storms. In this research the south and west sediments of the Urmia playa lake have studied on the parent rock issue. Bivariate plots such as Th/Co versus La/Sc and TiO2 versus Al2O3 and comparison proportion of the trace elements such as La/Sc, Th/Sc, La/Co, Th/Co and Cr/Th display mainly the felsic and partly basic rocks source for the studied sediments. Major and trace spider plots of the studied sediments display their depletion with respect to Sc, V, Cr, Ni and enrichment with respect to Th and Sr, confirm mainly a felsic and partly mafic and ultramafic source rocks. Geochemistry of the major elements shows the dry climatic conditions during deposition of Urmia Lake sediments, suggested by bivariate plots of SiO2 against the sum of Al2O3, K2O and Na2O as well as the amount of chemical index of weathering.

The Julfa region in East Azerbaijan Province exhibits one of the best continuous marine sedimentary successions across the Permian to Triassic boundary. The present study is focused on the brachiopod contents of the Julfa beds in Qareh-Goz section (41.5 m thickness) in the south of Julfa. This study is led to the determination of 11 genera and 21 species of the orders Athyridida, Orthotetida, Orthida, Productida, Spiriferida, and Terebratulida, all representing the Cathaysian bioprovince for this area in the Western Paleotethys. Accordingly, four Wuchiapingian biozones, including Araxilevis intermedius Zone, Araxilevis intermedius-Permophricodothyris ovata Interval zone, Permophricodothyris ovata Zone, and Transcaucasathyris araxensis Zone, have been detected. These biozones correlate well through the other stratigraphic sections of the Julfa area in the Ali Bashi and Zal Mountains, Dorasham section in the Transcaucasia, Hembast Formation in the Abadeh area, and Nesen Formation in the central Alborz, approving the potential of these brachiopods in biocorrelation at a regional scale in the Late Permian.

Reasonably diverse and very well-preserved palynomorphs including miospores, dinoflagellate cysts, foraminiferal test linings, acritarchs (sensu lato) and fungal spores occur in the Dalichai Formation, Yonjehzar, northeastern Tehran, central Alborz. The assemblages embrace 40 species of spores (assigned to 29 genera), 18 species of pollen (distributed among 10 genera) and 54 species of dinoflagellates (assigned to 28 genera). According to the presence of such miospores species with known worldwide stratigraphic distribution as Klukisporites variegatus, K. scaberis, Concavissimisporites verrucosus, C. pricei, Osmundacidites senectus and Striatella spp. the host strata are conceivably dated as Middle Jurassic. Based on the stratigraphic distribution of miospores, Klukisporites variegatus-Araucariacites australis-Cerebropollenites macroverrucosus Assemblage Zone is recognized. Presence of some index dinoflagellate species led to identification of four biozones in the Dalichai Formation. These include in ascending order, Cribroperidinium crispum Total Range Biozone (late Bajocian), Dichadogonyaulax sellwoodii Interval Biozone (Bathonian - early Callovian), Ctenididinium continuum Interval Biozone (early - middle Callovian) and Subzone a (early - middle Bathonian). Co-ccurrence of dinoflagellate cysts with known vertical ranges, viz., Cribroperidinium crispum, Meiourogonyaulax valensii, Carpatodinium predae, Ctenidodinium combazii and Compositosphaeridium polonicum suggests a Middle Jurassic age (late Bajocian to middle Callovian) for the host strata corroborates the available miospores-based biostratigraphy. The miospores are attributed to the Pterophyta (69%), Coniferophyta (15%), Pteridospermophyta (7%), Cycadophyta (5%), Lycophyta (2%), Ginkgophyta and Bryophytes (1%). Considering the relative abundance of fern spores (69%) and their morphological diversity (19 genera), it can be concluded that fern and fern-allies dominated the coastal vegetation around the sedimentary environments of the studied strata and that they flourished under a warm climate with notable humidity. The study of paleoclimate using the Sporomorph EcoGroups model shows a high ratio of warmer/cooler sporomorphs and a low ratio of drier/wetter sporomorphs, which is another confirmation of this type of climate. Presece of such warm water dinoflagellate cysts as Gonyaulacysta centriconnata, G. jurassica, Nannoceratopsis pellucida, Tubotuberella apatela, Ctenidodinium continuum, Pareodinia halosa, P. ceratophora, paleogeographic reconstruction and geographical location of Iran in the Middle Jurassic supports the generalization proposed.

The Shishtou section is located in the north of Tabas Ghezelin and Asselian sequences of Zaladou formation with 60 m thickness are divided into five units, includes sandstone, limestone, shale, sandy limestone and limestone. The lower boundary of the Gzhelian deposits with disconformity on top of the Moscovian deposits of the Abshani formation. The upper boundary of these deposits with the Tighe-Madanou formation is continuous. The assemblages of fusulinids in the Shishtou section such as Ruzhenzevites-Rauserites-Triticites are identified in the upper part of Gzhalian previously reported from equal deposits in Darvaz, Fergana, Southern Urals, Donetsk and Carnic of Alps, as well as, Central Iran, Central Alborz and Sanandaj-Sirjan zones. Also, different species of Sphaeroschwagerina, Pseudoschwagerina and Likharevites, which illustrate the Asselian age, represent the Carboniferous-Permian boundary in the studied section and allow for comparability with other structural-sedimentary zones of Iran, including Central Iran , Central Alborz (Doroud Group) and Sanandaj-Sirjan zone. This equivalence expresses the transgressive of sea level in different parts of Iran in the late Carboniferous and early Permian periods. In Shishto section  15 genera ,35 species and 2 subspecies of Fusulins have been identified, some of which are reported for the first time from Iran.

Agha Jari Formation (Miocene-Pliocene, 788 m) comprises alternations of sandstone, siltstone, and marl in red to brown color layers in the east Gotvand, north Khuzestan province, southwest Iran. Numerous vertebrate footprints have been found in the middle part of the Formation, which includes footprints of wetland small bird (Aviadactyla media, Gruipeda dominguensis), artiodactyls (Lamaichnum alfi, Lamaichnum isp., Pecoripeda satyri, Pecoripeda isp.), canids (Canipeda isp.) and large reptiles (Hatcherichnus sanjuanensis). Frequency of artiodactyl imprints are more than the other footprints. These footprints proof the living of camels and crocodiles in the Zagros basin for the first time. The ichnotaxa diversity of the footprints in the studied section is more than the other reports of Agha Jari Formation in Iran and its stratigraphic equivalent in the adjacent countries.