Provenance of the Oligocene-Miocene Zivah Formation, NW Iran, assessed using heavy mineral assemblage and detrital clinopyroxene and detrital apatite analyses

The geochemical composition of detrital clinopyroxene grains from the Zivah Formation indicates that these detrital grains probably crystallized from calk-alkaline magmas. They also show an orogenic tectonic setting at the time of deposition of the Zivah Formation. Compositions of detrital apatites of the Zivah Formation are also consistent with the widespread distribution of mafic/intermediate volcanic rocks of both alkaline and calc-alkaline composition. All of these data as well as the composition of volcanic rocks of the southern parts of the Moghan Basin is consistent with the derivation of these sediments from areas with calc-alkaline volcanic rocks like Talysh and Arasbaran (Qharadagh)-Lesser Caucasus.