Panafrican basement and Mesozoic gabbro in the Zagros orogenic belt in the Dorud–Azna region (NW Iran): Laser-ablation ICP–MS zircon ages and geochemistry

• Panafrican ages indicate the similarity between Sanandaj–Sirjan zone and Central Iran.
• A Carboniferous metagabbro within a bimodal magmatic succession indicates a rift.
• Geochemical analysis confirms a collisional setting of the Mesozoic magmatism.
• The Darijune gabbro results from initial subduction of Neo-Tethyan oceanic lithosphere.
• An evolutionary model of the Sanandaj–Sirjan metamorphic zone has been developed.

The Dorud–Azna region of the Sanandaj–Sirjan metamorphic zone (SSMZ) in NW Iran is part of the Zagros orogenic belt and exposes an amphibolite-grade metamorphic succession of mixed continental (e.g., the granitic Galeh–Doz orthogneiss) and oceanic or rift (e.g., various amphibolites) origin, which is intruded by the Darijune gabbro. Laser-ablation ICP–MS U–Pb zircon ages of 608 ± 18 Ma and 588 ± 41 Ma of the granitic Galeh–Doz orthogneiss indicate a Panafrican basement similar to that of the Yazd block of Central Iran. We therefore interpret this part of the SSMZ to represent a previously subducted part of the Panafrican basement of the Iranian microcontinent. Based on geochemistry, amphibolites and metagabbros from the Amphibolite unit representially potentially the cover on the Panafrican Galeh–Doz orthogneiss are interpreted to have their origin in a likely Upper Paleozoic to Mesozoic rift or E-MORB ophiolite succession. One of the metagabbros, here termed Dare-Hedavand metagabbro yield a 206Pb/238U mean age of 314.6 ± 3.7 Ma. Talc-bearing greenschists to epidote amphibolites of the Triassic June complex formed in a similar, but younger environment. Furthermore, the metamorphic complex is intruded by the Darijune gabbro, which yields a mean ICP–MS U–Pb zircon age of 170.2 ± 3.1 Ma. The final stage of likely Jurassic greenschist facies-grade metamorphism postdates the gabbro intrusion. We interpret the Darijune gabbro to have resulted from the initial subduction of Neotethyan oceanic lithosphere in a continental arc setting. The new data combined with data from literature indicate that the SSMZ represents a tectonic element of a mixed continental and oceanic origin, likely accreted to Central Iran during a Jurassic tectonic process. The new data also constrains thick-skinned nappe stacking within the Sanandaj–Sirjan zone.