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Post–east African Orogen dilation and magmatism: development of a conjugate-style of dolerite dike swarm in the northwestern Arabian shield

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Abstract

The Al Madinah area bimodal dike swarms underwent detailed field mapping, measurements of dikes’ attitudes, structural analyses, remote sensing data interpretation, and petrology study. The oldest rock unit is a greenish intermediate dioritic unit that varies in its petrologic composition between microdiorite and andesite porphyry which is intruded by alkali granite. The dioritic and alkali granite units have been cut by intermediate to mafic dikes, ranging in texture and composition from micromonzodiorite and micromonzonite to microgabbro, microdolerite, and basalt or basaltic andesite, as revealed by thin-section work. A stereographic projection and rose diagrams of the mafic dikes formed a regional conjugate dike system, following probably a typical andersonian style, consisting of three major sets, namely, the WNW set which trends between N295 and N330, E-W set between N265 and N270, and finally the ENE (N065) set. The WNW set has its own local system, but it is considered as a set in the overall regional conjugate dike system. The WNW and E-W sets are the conjugate pair of the WNW Najd fault system maximum horizontal shearing, where the ENE set reflects the minimum regional horizontal shearing stress of the Najd system. The interpretation of this dike system is a WNW-ESE sinistral faulting and NE-SW dilation that formed Wadi Al-Hamd Ediacaran continental basin, bounded by two Najd faults and Thurwah-Bir Um suture. The study area underwent final thrust faulting that tilted the dikes towards the east. For the consequent magmatisms during the Neoproterozoic period, followed by Cenozoic volcanism, the Al Madinah area is considered a large igneous province.

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Acknowledgments

The author would like to thank Prof. Roure for his help and support to publish and contribute to knowledge. Thanks to Dr. Alessandro Tibaldi for his comments and suggestions that enhanced this manuscript. Thanks to the Saudi Geologic Survey for their support in the preparation of the thin sections. Special thanks to Alim Siddique from the SGS who reported the petrologic study of the thin sections. Special thanks to Mr. Salih Matar, from the geospatial and research unit, remote sensing department, SGS, for his help in providing World View III imageries and processing. Very appreciated and plausible effort was performed by undergraduate students, Al-Harbi et al. (2017) during data collection and sampling that made this work through.

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  1. Geology Department, Taibah University, P.O. Box 30002, Al Madinah, Al Munawarah, 41477, Saudi Arabia

    Abdullah O. Bamousa

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Correspondence to Abdullah O. Bamousa.

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Bamousa, A.O. Post–east African Orogen dilation and magmatism: development of a conjugate-style of dolerite dike swarm in the northwestern Arabian shield. Arab J Geosci 13, 546 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-020-05548-8

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