An attempt to reconstruct Iranian ophiolite puzzle

Iranian geology exposes a mosaic of continental blocks that are surrounded by Palaeo-Tethyan and Neo-Tethyan oceanic relics. Remnants of the ophiolitic rock assemblages are exposed around the Central Iranian Microcontinent (CIM), discretely along the Sanandaj-Sirjan Zone and in Jaz-Murian. The Present-day “ring” distribution of the Iranian ophiolites is not straightforwardly explained by a simple subduction zone architecture. The CIM is a key feature to solve the puzzle and consists of three major fault bounded sub-blocks, Lut, Tabas, and Yazd. They formed during rifting in Permo-Triassic as a result of opening of Neotethys Ocean. Subsequent convergence in Cretaceous to Paleogene time emplaced the ophiolites onto the passive margins. Neogene Arabia-Eurasia collision caused strike‐slip reactivation of normal faults that were associated with major block rotations. We aim to kinematically restore the history of the ocean basins around the CIM. Key in our analysis is the Doruneh and Great Kavir faults that continues into northern Afghanistan as the Herat Fault. The Doruneh Fault indicates slip sense inversion before ~5 Ma which is consistent with the deactivation of the dextral Herat Fault. Pre-Pliocene dextral movement (>500 km) along these faults may kinematically accommodate a major CCW rotation (~65o) of the CIM. This enables the transport of the Jandaq ophiolite from Aghdarband to Anarak region and, duplication of Birjand-Nehbandan ophiolites in Sistan suture. If correct, this may imply that the closure history of the Central Iranian basins is directly connected to the large-scale Cretaceous to Paleogene extrusion tectonics in western Tibet and Hindu Kush regions.