Scribd
Upload
157 views14 pages

Ophiolite

The document discusses ophiolites, which are pieces of oceanic lithosphere that have been thrusted onto continental plates. A typical ophiolite sequence consists of ultramafic, gabbroic and basaltic rocks covered by a thin layer of deep sea sediments, resembling newly created oceanic crust and upper mantle near a mid-ocean ridge. The document specifically examines the Semail ophiolite in Oman, which forms a 600km long thrust sheet consisting of a mantle sequence of ultramafics and a crustal sequence of layered and isotropic gabbros, sheeted dykes, pillow lavas and sediments.

Uploaded by

Willy Apryanto
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
157 views14 pages

Ophiolite

The document discusses ophiolites, which are pieces of oceanic lithosphere that have been thrusted onto continental plates. A typical ophiolite sequence consists of ultramafic, gabbroic and basaltic rocks covered by a thin layer of deep sea sediments, resembling newly created oceanic crust and upper mantle near a mid-ocean ridge. The document specifically examines the Semail ophiolite in Oman, which forms a 600km long thrust sheet consisting of a mantle sequence of ultramafics and a crustal sequence of layered and isotropic gabbros, sheeted dykes, pillow lavas and sediments.

Uploaded by

Willy Apryanto
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 14

OPHIOLITE

OPHIOLITE
Ophiolites are pieces of oceanic lithosphere
that have been thrusted (obducted) onto the
edge of continental plates.

Content Content
(Oman) (Iran)

Mantle

Ophiolite
Erosion

Content
(Oman) (Iran)

Mantle
Sequence of Ophiolite
The term ophiolite refers to
a distinctive rock assemblage
containing ultramafic,
gabbro, and basaltic rocks,
which are covered by a thin
layer of deep-see sediments.
This assemblage of rock
types and spatial
relationships resemble to
newly created oceanic crust
and uppermost mantle near a
mid-ocean ridge.
OPHIOLITE GENESIS
A typical ophiolite sequence based on
ophiolite from Oman
Semial Ophiolite
The Semial ophiolite forms a huge
thrust sheet or nappe. That is over
600km long, up to 150km wide and
between 5 and 10km thick. It crops out
over an area of about 20,000km2 along
the length of the Oman Mountains from
near Dibba in the north to near Sur in the
southeast of Oman.
56oE
Simplified Geological Map
58oE

Musandam
Peninsula
of Oman Mountains 26oN

Dibba
Dibba zone N
LEGEND
Recent Deposits
Maastrichtian-Tertiary Sediments
W. Ham Semail Ophiolite Nappe
Hawasina Group 50km

Hatta zone Sumeini Group


Hajar Supergroup
Late Precambrian-Ordovician Sediments
Sohar
Jebel Ja’alan Schists and Gneisses

24oN

Muscat

Ras Al
Hadd
Semail Ophiolite
The Semail Ophiolite forms thrust
sheets overlained by sedimentary
cover. It consists of two main units:
Mantle sequence (ultramafic peridotite,
tectonized peridotites and serpentintes)
Crustal sequence (layered gabbros,
isotropic gabrros, sheeted dykes, pillow lavas and
interbedded pelagic sediments)
Peridotite (harzburgites)
harzburgites
LAYERED GABBRO
PILLOW LAVA
Sheeted dykes
Moh
o

You might also like