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The Sidi Mohamed peridotites (Edough Massif, NE Algeria): Evidence for an upper mantle origin

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The Hercynian Edough massif is the easternmost crystalline massif of the Algerian coast. It consists of two tectonically superposed units composed of micaschists, gneisses, and peridotite. This study concentrates on the small and isolated Sidi Mohamed peridotite outcrop area (0.03 km2). The Sidi Mohamed peridotite is composed mainly of harzburgites (Mg-rich olivine and orthopyroxene as major minerals). The Ni (2051–2920 ppm), Cr (2368–5514 ppm) and MgO (~28–35 wt.%) whole-rock composition and the relative depletion in Nb make these harzburgites comparable to depleted peridotites related to a subduction zone. We suggest that the Sidi Mohamed ultramafic body was derived directly from the upper mantle and tectonically incorporated into the gneiss units of the Edough metamorphic core complex in a subduction environment.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank C Físcher, A Musiol and C Günter from Potsdam University as well as D Rhede and O Appelt for their support in sample preparation and analytical laboratories. The first author also thanks DAAD and University of Annaba for financial support. They also thank the reviewers for their helpful comments.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Soils and Sustainable Development, Badji Mokhtar-Annaba University, P.O. Box 12, Annaba, 23000, Algeria

    SORAYA HADJ ZOBIR

  2. Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Potsdam, Karl-Liebknecht-Strasse 24-25, Building 27, Potsdam-Golm, 14476, Germany

    ROLAND OBERHÄNSLI

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  1. SORAYA HADJ ZOBIR
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Correspondence to SORAYA HADJ ZOBIR.

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ZOBIR, S.H., OBERHÄNSLI, R. The Sidi Mohamed peridotites (Edough Massif, NE Algeria): Evidence for an upper mantle origin. J Earth Syst Sci 122, 1455–1465 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12040-013-0358-z

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