Petrography, mineralogy, and geochemistry of the Hemrin Basalt, Northern Iraq: Implications for petrogenesis and geotectonics

Geology, mineralogy, and geochemistry of the Zarloukh Bentonite −Tuff deposit, Hemrin South Mountain, northern Iraq: implications for genesis and geotectonics

“…These two diagrams clearly suggest the same origin for the Hemrin Basalt and the tuff and associated bentonite deposits of the studied Zarloukh area which is also expected for the other similar bentonite-tuff deposits in the surroundings. This result is a further confirmation for the conclusion reached by Kettanah et al (2021) about the common origin of these three rock types in the Hemrin area. Bentonite deposits of Balikesir region, NW Turkey (Kadir et al, 2019) and few east Aegean islands and western Thrace region, NE Greece (Koutsopoulou et al, 2016) fall in the same field of the studied ZBT deposit in the Th versus Co diagram of Hastie et al (2007).…”

“…The chemical results of bentonite and tuff as well as those of the Hemrin Basalt (from Kettanah et al, 2021) plotted on the Th vs. Co diagram (Hastie et al, 2007) showed that they all fall in the same field (Figure 8a). All three rock types have basaltic andesite−andesites affinity and fall within the high-K calc-alkaline basalts and shoshonite field.…”

“…The materials capping six of these hills (numbered as hill−1 to −6) were mis-interpreted and mis-named by Basi (1973) and Basi and Jassim (1974) who suggested that they have been formed by burning and melting of sedimentary rocks of the Injana Formation by a jet of burning gases, along a NW/SE trending line near the axis of the Hemrin Anticline and close to the Injana thrust reverse fault (Figure 2a). Recent studies of these so-called burnt hills proved that they are basaltic rocks and originated from a volcanic activity in the area, possibly from the hill−6, about 10 km to the northwest of ZBT deposit (Abdulrahman, 2016;Kettanah et al, 2021). These basaltic rocks capping the hills were named Hemrin Basalt by Kettanah et al (2021) suggesting that the source of this basalt and the bentonite-tuff deposits is the same volcanic activity which ejected volcanic ash in the area to be deposited as volcanic tuff and followed by a lava flow which formed the Hemrin Basalt during Quaternary period, less than 0.5 Ma ago.…”

“…Recent studies of these so-called burnt hills proved that they are basaltic rocks and originated from a volcanic activity in the area, possibly from the hill−6, about 10 km to the northwest of ZBT deposit (Abdulrahman, 2016;Kettanah et al, 2021). These basaltic rocks capping the hills were named Hemrin Basalt by Kettanah et al (2021) suggesting that the source of this basalt and the bentonite-tuff deposits is the same volcanic activity which ejected volcanic ash in the area to be deposited as volcanic tuff and followed by a lava flow which formed the Hemrin Basalt during Quaternary period, less than 0.5 Ma ago.…”

“…The aim of this study is to describe the characteristics and origin of bentonite and tuff of the Zarloukh deposit and to discuss its genetic relation and the other similar deposits in the area with the Hemrin Basalt within the Hemrin South Mountain which was described by Kettanah et al (2021).…”