EconomicGeology

Vol. 80, 1985, pp. 294-306

The WaziristanOphiolite, Pakistan:General Geologyand Chemistry

of Chromite and Associated Phases

M. QASIM JAN,
N.C.E. Department of Geology,Universityof Peshawar,Peshawar,Pakistan

BRIAN F. WINDLEY,
Departmentof Geology,Universityof Leicester,LeicesterLE1 7RH, UnitedKingdom

AND ASHRAF KHAN

GeologicalSurveyof Pakistan,Peshawar,Pakistan

Abstract

The Waziristan complex, coveringover500 km2, wastectonically emplaced duringthe

Paleocene to earlyEocene.It consists of ultramaficrocks,gabbros,sheeteddikes,pillow
lavas,andpelagicsediments--atypicalophiolitesuite.However,a completesequence does
not occurin any singlelocalitydue to tectonicdismemberment. The podiformchromitites
consistof aluminochromite (Cr203:49-61%)with subordinate chromianchloriteand/or
chromian serpentine + magnetite. In Cr-A1-Fe+3+ Ti spacethe chromites plotin the area
of alpinechromites, but on otherdiagrams theyoverlapthe fieldsof chromites
fromalpine
and stratiformcomplexes. Many chromitesare zonedwith "ferrit-chromit"marginsricher
in Cr/(Cr + A1)andpoorerin Mg/(Mg + Fe+2)thanthe unalteredcores.The chloritesare
generallyrich in SiO2andMgO andpoorin A12Oa.It appearsthat duringgreenschist facies
metamorphism (or alteration)diffusionof Mg, A1,andsomeCr fromthe chromitemargins
towardthe silicatematrix resultedin the developmentof ferrit-chromitand chlorite.

Introduction The entire Waziristan ophiolite belt displaysa

OF the six major ophiolitesof Pakistan,the Wazir-
istancomplexis the third mostextensiveafter those
of Zhob and Bela (see maps of Bakr and Jackson,
1964; Kazmi and Rana, 1982). The Malakhand (or
Sakhakot-Qila) ophiolite (Fig. 1) is described by
Ahmed and Hall (1984). The Waziristan ophiolite
occupiesabout half the Boya-Razmakarea recently
investigatedby Khan et al. (1982); the ophiolite
extendsfarther toward Afghanistan;this is a very
remote area of Pakistan(Fig. 1). The sedimentary
rocksassociatedwith the ophiolite are Mesozoicand
early Tertiary in age, and are locally covered by
Quaternary deposits.The ophiolitic rocks occur in
thrust sliceswhich have overridenlargely Jurassic
to Cretaceous calcareous sediments of the Indo-
Pakistanplate. Eocenesediments,mostlylimestones
and shales with a red-oxidized zone toward their
base, overlie the ophiolitic rocks unconformably.
Thus the ophiolitewastectonicallyemplacedin the
Paleoceneto early Eocene. This age is similar to
that of the Zhob (Ahmedand Abbas,1979; Allemann,
1979) and Bela ophiolites (Dejong and Subhani,
1979).
complexstructure (Fig. 2). The rocks are generally
intensely thrusted, folded, faulted, and in places,
fractured,brecciated,and granulated.Deformation
has dismemberedthe ophiolite which now consists
of a chaoticallyarrangedstack of thrust slices;a
complete normal-order sequenceis nowhere pre-
served.However, all the membersof a typical ophi-
olite (ultramaficrocks,gabbros,sheeteddikes,pillow
lava, pelagic sediment, and plagiogranite (tron-
dhjemite)) are present in different localities (see
Fig. 3). Pillowlavasare not presentalongthe section
in Figure 3 and plagiograniteshave not yet been
mapped as a separateunit.
The ophiolitebelt is interestingfrom an economic
point of view. Extensivecopper mineralizationis
under detailed investigationby the FATA Devel-
opmentCorporationand chromititelensesassociated
with the ultramafic rocks have long been known.
Khan et al. (1982) report manganeseoccurrences,
with nodulesup to 20 cm acrossand lensesup to 8
m thick and magnesiteveins up to 1.5 m thick and
70 m long. No mineralogicalor petrologicalstudies
of the ophiolite have yet been made. In this paper,
we describethe general geology and petrography

0361-0128/85/290/294-13$2,50 294

Downloaded from https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/segweb/economicgeology/article-pdf/80/2/294/3488246/294.pdf

by Laurentian University user
 WAZIRISTAN OPHIOLITE, PAKISTAN 295

of the main units, togetherwith the mineralchem- forminga persistentunit, is mediumto thickbedded
istry of the chromitites.The mineralanalyseswere and fine to coarsegrainedwith a black color due to
performedon a CambridgeInstrumentsMicroscan desert varnish. The assignmentof a Jurassicto
5 microprobeusingan energydispersivesystemat Cretaceous ageto theserocksisbasedon lithological
the Universityof Leicester. similaritieswith the knownrocksof this age else-
where in the region. These rocks occur in the
Geologyand Petrology easternpart of the area.They formedon the stable
continentalmarginof the Indo-Pakistanplate.
In the Boya-Razmakareathe followingsequence
wasestablished
by Khanet al. (1982): The ophiolitecomplex
Quaternary Channel,piedmont,and stream The dismemberedophiolitecomplexoccupiesan
deposits areaof 30 X 25 km (Fig. 2). Ultramaficrocksinclude
......... Unconformity..........
Eocene Limestone and shale harzburgite, dunitc, and pyroxenite. About half of
......... Unconformity .......... the harzburgiteand dunitc has been convertedto
Pelagicsediments serpentinite.The Waziristan ultramaficsbelong to
Ophiolite Volcanic flows and breccias the harzburgite subtype of Jacksonand Thayer
Paleocene complex Sheeteddike swarm
(eraplacement
age) Marieplutonicrocks (1972). Like ultramafics
of the ZhobValley (Bilgrami,
Ultramafic rocks 1964; Ahmed and Abbas, 1979) and Jijal (Jan and
......... Unconformity .......... Howie, 1981) complexes,the rocks are generally
Cretaceous Limestone,shale,and sandstone medium grained and commonly display deforma-
to
tional features and cataclastic fabrics. The harzbur-
Jurassic
gite is dark green and consistsof olivine (Fo9•) and
Jurassicto Cretaceous (undifferentiated) sediments enstatite (En91;A12Oa,1.6%), with accessorychro-
mite and secondaryserpentine+ chlorite and mag-
These include limestones,shales,and sandstones netite (seeanalysesof sample80-12 in Tables 1 and
(in decreasingorder of abundance)that have a 3 for details).Serpentine,with reddishFe oxide-
generalnortheasternstrike and westerlydip. The hydroxide,has formed more readily from olivine
limestones are gray,fine grained,in placesoolitic, than orthopyroxene,but it also occursalong late
mediumto thickbedded,and sparselyfossiliferous. fractures. In the less altered rocks, olivine and
The shalesare grayto black,thin to mediumbedded, pyroxene occur as relics in serpentine, whereas in
andcalcareous, withbandsof ferruginous claystonesthe intensely serpentinizedrocks there are only
varyingin thicknessfrom 2 to 9 cm. The sandstone, pseudomorphs of theseminerals,alongwith chromite
and abundant secondarymagnetite. Some of the
harzburgitesalso contain minor plagioclase.The
dunitc, usuallyoccurringas layersand lensesin the
70 ø 72 ø 74 ø 76 ø
i I I harzburgite, is brownish, contains chromite as a
I

sporadicaccessory,and is much less abundantthan

the harzburgite.In thin sectionthe olivine is strained
and replaced by serpentinealong many fractures.
The pyroxenite dikes are generally composedof
36 ø_ orthopyroxenewith or without diopsideand olivine.
The feldspathicplutonicrockswhich are of limited
extent, are mostly gabbros;a few range from leu-
cogabbro to anorthosite.Ultramafic rocks are in-
truded by gabbroswhich are medium to coarse
34 ø-
grained, dull green, and are composedprincipally
of calcicplagioclase,augiticpyroxene,opaqueoxides,
and locally, olivine. Some rocks are substantially
altered;completelysaussuritized plagioclasecontains
small grainsof epidote and white mica, the clino-
pyroxene(30%) hasa spongyappearancewith about
o_
8 percent green hornblende,and orthopyroxeneor
olivine is completely serpentinized.The rocks also
FIG. 1. Geologicsketchmap of northernPakistanshowing contain thick fractures with serpentine and talc
the locationof the Waziristanophiolitein the belt of thrusted infill. The anorthositicrocksare composed of plagio-
Tethyan sediments. clasewith minor poikilitic clinopyroxene,and sub-

Downloaded from https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/segweb/economicgeology/article-pdf/80/2/294/3488246/294.pdf

by Laurentian University user
 296 JAN,WINDLEY,AND KHAN

69 ø 40' 70 ø O'

v ' ,• •'•- • ß ' X' 6• --

v v ' ,,' v

v v v • v •
v '
v v• •V/j .•o•.• • vo•.,••o•
v •4a•l • , '
v v ......
V V//•UiDA:
/• • • ULTRAMAFIC .
MAFIC ROCKS

•/•7
• •R
,, v j• JURASSIC.
C,•T•C•OU• LIMESTONE,
•,•.•O.T.• SANDSTONE
v v v v v•
32ø 40•
i 5Km
i • THRUST,
TEETH
DIP & STRIKE
ON
HANGING
WALL
•C. g. Geologicm•p o[ the W•zirist•nophio[ite.The pusRicho[ the crosssectiono[ Figure3
is indicated.

ordinate opaquegrainsand chloritized (?) olivine. consistingof abundantactinolite-tremolite,chlorite,

Electron microprobe analysesof minerals in anor- albitic plagioclase,epidote, quartz, carbonate,and
thositeare givenin Table 2. The plagioclase
is zoned opaquegrains.The preciseparentageof theserocks
bytownite (An75.4)with an anorthitecontentof 77.1 is not clearly understood,but they are probably
in the core and 73.3 in the margin.An interesting sheeteddikesthat have undergonelow-grademeta-
feature of the analysisis that the K•O content of morphism.
the core is abouttwice as high as in the margin. Volcanic rocks make up more than half the area
The clinopyroxeneis diopside (Mg = 45.6, Fe of the ophiolite. They are more extensivetoward
= 7.9, Ca -- 46.5) with 3.3 percent AlsO3and 0.4 the south where the terrain has not been deeply
percent MnO. eroded. The rocks are brown to green and are
The sheeteddike swarmis recognizableat many dominatedby flows with commonpillows. Minor
localities,but the mostdistinctexposures are to the agglomerates-breccias containfragmentsof volcanic
north of Datta Khel. Distinct white-graydikes are rocks,ultramaficrocks,dolerite,jasperite,limestone,
visible on aerial photos.They are fine to medium and diorite. Tuffaceous rocks are subordinate. The
grained,mostlybetween i and 10 m thick and may pillows have circular, oval, or elongate shapesand
have chilled marginswhich are asymmetrical(i.e., the crustandcoreare easilyrecognizable.The crust
one margin is better developedthan the other), as of the pillowsis i to 4 cm thick, fine grained,hard,
in the Troodosophiolite on Cyprus (Gass,1980). brown to greenishbrown and has a desert varnish
The rocksare greenishin color,doleriticin texture, on weatheredsurfaces.The core is coarsergrained
and usuallycontaina high proportionof ferromag- and basaltic,occasionallycontainingcoarselycrys-
nesianminerals.They arehypidiomorphic andconsist talline quartz infilling radial cracks.The rocks are
of labradorite,augiticclinopyroxene(locallyophi- generallyporphyriticand intergranularin texture;
tic), brownto greenpleochroichornblende,ilmenite, the matrix in agglomeratesmay be flow aligned or
variableamountsof serpentineand/or chlorite, and tuffaceous.They are generally composedof labra-
in places,tremolite-actinoliteveins.Somerocksare doriticplagioclasewith abundantaugiticclinopyrox-
amphibolitizedwith a greenschist faciesassemblage ene andopaqueoxide.Secondarychlorite,actinolite,

KAZHA ALGAD GHALANAI

CHERTY SHALE & VOLCANIC OYKE SWARM OR
PRESENT LINE PELAGIC LIMESTONE FLOWS & SHEETED DYKES

OFSECTION / D.... • /•
W ""'" •-'v • • -"•'
, .v v v . MAFIC RO

1 Km MMESTONES, SANDSTONES
; I
& S•ALES ON T•E
•ND•A• PLATE

FIG. 3. East-westcrosssectionof the Waziristanophiolite.For positionseeFigure 2.

Downloaded from https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/segweb/economicgeology/article-pdf/80/2/294/3488246/294.pdf

by Laurentian University user
 WAZIRISTANOPHIOLITE, PAKISTAN 297

TABLE1. Microprobe Analysesof Olivine and Orthopyroxene length traverse the volcanicsirregularly, and they
from Harzburgite Sample 80-12
are commonlyassociated with copper mineralization.
These dikes have not been studied in detail, but
Olivine Orthopyroxene
some are trondhjemitic with sodic plagioclaseand
Olivine Orthopyroxene Ions on a 4 and 6 (O) quartz, and tracesof ilmenite, secondaryepidote,
(3) (1) basis,respectively
and white mica;someare calc-alkalineand rhyolitic
SiO,2 40.33 56.23 Si 1.000 1.962 to rhyodacitic.Badshah(1983) alsorecognizedcalc-
TiO,2 0.01 0.00 AI 0.001 0.067 alkaline plutonic and volcanicrocks in the area. It
Al•O,s 0.05 1.65 Ti 0.000 0.000 is not yet clear whether they are relatedto the calc-
Cr.203 0.00 0.48 Cr 0.000 0.013
FeO 8.96 5.92 Fe +• 0.186 0.173
alkaline magmatism.
MnO 0.10 0.03 Mn 0.002 0.001 Pelagicsedimentsoverlie the volcanicsand other
MgO 48.53 33.41 Mg 1.794 1.738 membersmostlywith tectonic contacts.They com-
CaO 0.04 0.85 Ca 0.001 0.032 prisechertyshalesandlimestones. Cherty bandsof
Na,20 0.28 0.22 Na 0.013 0.015
variablelengthup to 0.3 m thick are common,often
K.20 0.01 0.01 K 0.000 0.000
NiO 0.36 0.22 Ni 0.022 0.006
containingpoorly developedradiolarianimprints in
Z 1.00 2.00 a matrix of chalcedony.Somethin sectionsdisplay
Total
98.67 99.02 X(Y) 2.02 2.01 roundedradiolarianimprints(with fibrousradiating
margins),spongespicules,and quartz q- chalcedony
Analyst:M. Q. Jan in a matrixof cryptocrystalline
silicaor ferruginous
Olivine: 100 Mg/(Mg + Fe + Mn) -- 90.5; orthopyroxene: clay (seeSabirand Ahmad, 1972). The limestoneis
100 Mg/(Mg + Fe + Mn) = 90.9, Mg = 89.4, Fe = 9.0, Ca
= 1.6; Fe total taken as Feo grayto reddish,frequentlyargillaceousandgenerally
Location: 32ø58 ' N, 69ø51 ' E fine grainedwith poorlypreservedunidentifiedfossil
Number of point analysesin parentheses remains.Irregular calciteveinsand minor foldsare
commonthroughout.

epidote, calcite, and reddish opaque oxide or hy- Eocene sediments

droxide are common. Some rocks also contain sulfides
and malachite(Sabirand Ahmad, 1972). These limestonesand shalesare mostly exposed
The rocks have vesicles filled with secondary west and northwest of Datta Khel, but some occur
minerals. Whitish dikes of variable thickness and alongthe Tochi River. The limestoneis white, fine

TABLE2. Microprobe Analysesof Minerals in AnorthositeSample 80-48

Plagioclase Clinopyroxene

Cations on the basis of

Plagioclase Clinopyroxene Pyrite
(6) (3) (1) 32(0) 6(0)

SiO2 48.25 51.50 0.76 Si 8.997 1.900

TiO2 0.03 0.44 0.02 AI 6.844 0.100
Al,•O.s 31.10 3.31 0.06 AI 0.053
Cr,20• 0.03 0.97 0.00 Ti 0.004 0.012
Fe,20:• 0.59 Cr 0.005 0.028
FeO 4.71 48.08 Fe +• 0.084
MnO 0.05 0.16 0.03 Fe +'2 0.145
MgO 0.19 15.76 0.17 Mn 0.008 0.005
CaO 15.45 22.34 0.00 Mg 0.053 0.867
Na,20 2.64 0.44 0.05 Ca 3.091 0.884
K,20 0.24 0.05 0.00 Na 0.955 0.032
K 0.056 0.002
Total 98.57 99.68 Z 15.93 2.00
X(Y) 4.16 2.03

Analyst:M. Q. Jan
Plagioiclase:100 Ca/(Ca + Na + K) = 75.4, plagioclaseis zoned from An77• in the core to An7• in the margin;diopside:
averageof three very similar analyses,Mg = 45.6, Fe + Mn -- 7.9, Ca -- 46.5; pyrite formula could not be recalculatedbecause
sulfur was not determined; total iron determined as FeO was consideredas Fe,20• in plagioclaseand FeO in clinopyroxene
Location: 32o53 ' N, 69o53 ' E
Number of point analysesin parentheses

Downloaded from https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/segweb/economicgeology/article-pdf/80/2/294/3488246/294.pdf

by Laurentian University user
 298 JAN,WINDLEY,AND KHAN
grained, medium to thick bedded, and lies uncon-
formably over the shaleunit which is red to green,
friable, and which in turn overlies the volcanics Chromite
unconformably.
The Chromitites
Chromite occurs in ultramafic rocks as dissemi-
FeO; Fe+3 and Fe+2 were calculated so that
nated grains and segregatedstringers and lenses.
Lensesof chromitite, which are up to 6 m long and R+3:R
+2-- 2:1. Accordingto Steven's(1944) classi-
0.5 to 1.0 m thick, may be surroundedby zonesup
to 30 X 3 m containinghigh concentrationsof ac-
cessorychromite; total resourcesare estimated at
68 metric tons (Sabirand Ahmad, 1972). The chro-
mite usuallyhas a higher concentrationwhere the
rocksare crushedor brecciated(Khan et al., 1982),
probably becausethe primary chromite has been
remobilizedduring tectonism.There are podiform
lenses of boudinagedchromitite horizons in peri-
dotite and serpentinite.
Podiformchromitedepositsare unanimouslycon-
sideredto be magmaticin origin, althoughopinion
differs regarding the processesthat led to their
concentrationand form (Borchert, 1963; Thayer,
1970; Dickey andYoder, 1972; Augustithis,1981).
The proposedmechanismsinclude crystal settling
and rolling in a magma chamber due to liquid
immiscibility,snowballingof chromite crystalsin a
turbulent zone of magmasegregation,boudinageby
deformationprocessesand remobilization,winnow-
ing as magmapercolatesthrough the systemwhich
produceschromiteby incongruentmelting, and hy-
drothermal formation of some chromites in veins.
Dickey (1975) proposed that podiform chromite is interestingto note that all the chromititescon-
depositsform as magmaticcumulatesin elongate taining zoned chromitesalso contain chlorite; it
magma pockets along accreting plate boundaries. wouldappearthat zoningandchloriteformationare
After formation, the chromite cumulates sink as parageneticallyrelated.
podiformautolithsinto the underlyingresidualharz-
burgitesand dunites.
The Waziristan chromitites are essentiallycom-
posedof chromitewith a small amount of chlorite
and/or serpentineand magnetite.They are medium
grainedand may displaypull-apartstructures.Chro-
mite grains contain inclusionsof chlorite and ser-
pentine which are probably altered mafic silicates
(mainlyor entirely olivine)trappedin growingchro-
mite crystals.The matrix chlorite-serpentineis typ-
icallyinterstitialor elseoccursalongfractures;how-
ever, in sample 80-2A many chromite grains are
completely surroundedby a chlorite matrix. The
chromite is generally brownish red in refracted
light, but it is often surroundedby a marginalzone
that consistsof a black alterationproductthat proves
to be ferrian chromite.This alterationproduct also
occursalongfracturesin the chromite grains.
Downloaded from https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/segweb/economicgeology/article-pdf/80/2/294/3488246/294.pdf
by Laurentian University user
Mineral Chemistry of the Chromitites
Chromite was analyzedfor in sevenchromitites
and one harzburgite. Fifteen analysesand their
recalculatedcationson a 32-oxygen basisare pre-
sented in Table 3. Total iron was determined as
fication, all are aluminous chromites, except the
marginalzone of sample80-2 which is ferrian chro-
mite. Accordingto Kolotilov and Garyayev's(1971)
nomenclature,80-12, 80-21, and the altered margins
of 80-21 and 8-2 are subferrialuminochromites and
the remainder are aluminochromites.
In order to detect chemicalzoning and variation
from grain to grain, two or more grains in each
samplewere analyzed from core to margin. The
variationin chemistryfrom grain to grain is insig-
nificantand within the limits of analyticalinaccuracy,
except in sample 80-2A. Chromites in chromitite
WZN-5 and harzburgite80-12 are unzoned,except
for a slight increase(0.63-0.75) in A1/Cr in the
marginsof the latter. The remainingchromitesdis-
play distinctzoningfrom core to margin,but the
chemistryof thesechromitesvariesfrom sampleto
sampleand to someextent from grain to grain (see
analysesof sample80-2A). In the caseof sample
80-21 two grains are zoned and one is unzoned,
while in 80-2A one grain is unzoned, another is
marginallyzoned, and a third consistsentirely of
material similar to the outer zone of the second. It
Chemical characteristics of chromites from various
types of complexeshave been widely investigated.
As a group the alpine chromitesdisplay a large
variation in Cr203 wt percent and (Cr q-A1), a
relativelysmallMg/(Mg+ Fe+•)variation, relatively
constantFe+3/R +3, a positivecorrelationin Cr/(Cr
q- A1)and Fe+•/(Mgq- Fe+•) variation,a low and
uniform oxidation ratio, and a low Ti content that
doesnot showa significantcorrelationwith any of
the major elements (Irvine, 1967; Thayer, 1964,
1970; Dickey, 1975; Greenbaum, 1977). Thayer
(1970) found that in chromiteswith more than 45
wt percent Cr•Oa, total iron rarely exceeds16 wt
percent. Dickey (1975) reported that chromites
from individualdepositshave almostconstantFe/
Mg; the limited variationwasthoughtto be caused
by fractionalcrystallizationof primitive magmas
bufferedby residualmaficsilicates.The Cr/A1vari-
ation, on the other hand, was consideredby him to
 WAZIRISTAN OPHIOLITE, PAKISTAN 299

•+ •+

•+ +

Downloaded from https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/segweb/economicgeology/article-pdf/80/2/294/3488246/294.pdf

by Laurentian University user
 300 JAN, WINDLEY,AND KHAN

lOO
be essentiallydue to bulk chemistryor to tempera-
ture of crystallization.
Many of thesechemicalfeaturesare foundin the /
Waziristan chromites.Their Cr2Oa content is high
(49-61 wt %), exceptfor the accessorychromitein ee o x '-""/':7'.
x" l/
harzburgite, which contains only 44 wt percent / ø ,/o
Cr2Oa. This drop is not usual;a number of workers
(cf. Cameron, 1975) have found an increase in
Cr2Oawith increasingmodalpercent chromite.The /
/ 2
compositionof accessorychromite may be subject / •__•,,'--
•,7 /

to considerablechangesdue to subsolidusreequili- i I

bration with the associatedolivine and pyroxenes

(Irvine, 1967; Dickey and Yoder, 1972). The 100
Mg/(Mg+ Fe+2)of the analysesisrelativelyconstant
(55-71) asis also100 Fe+3/R
+a(2.9-6.4), ignoring
the marginalzones.The TiO2 contentof the analyses ß /"-'....
is characteristically
low and the oxidationratio (mole
% 2Fe203/(2Fe2Oa + FeO)) ranges from 13.1 to
22.0 with one value of 29.6 in an unaltered core--
the ratio has a greater variation (6.4-28.4) in the •o ,, •/ .... "•. I
altered margin. However, it must be pointed out
that chromitesin Ontariodisplaycertainchemical
characteristics
that are intermediatebetween alpine _, ß,,_'- - a
and stratiformtypes.Hence, Watkinsonand Main-
100 80 60 40 20 0
waring (1980) concludedthat the distinction sug- 100Mg/(Mg*Fe2' )
gestedby earlier workersmay not be valid.
On the 100 Mg/(Mgq-Fe+2)vs.100 Cr/(Cr q-A1) FTc.4. A. Plot of 100 Cr/(Cr + AI} rs. 100 Mg/(Mg + Fe+2}
for the chromites(solidcircles)andtheir altered(ferrit-chromit)
faceof the spinelprism(Irvine, 1967), the Waziristan margins(opencircles)connectedby dottedlines.Arrowedfields
chromitesgenerallyplot in the overlappingfieldsof are for chromitesand chromianspineIsfrom alpine complexes
chromitesfrom stratiformandalpinecomplexes (Fig. (1), stratiformcomplexes(2), spinelperidotitcxenoliths(3), and
4A). However, WZN-5, 80-21, and 90-1 plot just GoodnewsBay (Alaska)concentriccomplex (4) (from data of
outsidethe field of stratiformcomplexesandwithin Irvine, 1967; Irvine and Findlay, 1972; Bird and Clark, 1976).
The fields of alpine and stratiform chromites are based on
the alpine field. Figure 4A also shows that the segregatedchromites. Notethe distinctlylowerMg/(Mg+ Fe+2)
marginsof the zoned chromitesare poorer in Mg/ andhigherCr/(Cr + A1)ratiosof the alteredchromitescompared
(Mg + Fe+2)and,with the exceptionof 80-2, richer with the unaltered cores. Two crosses represent accessory
chromites.
in Cr/(Cr q- A1).The 100 Mg/(Mg q-Fe+2)vs. 100
B. Plot of 100 Fe+a/(Cr+ A1 + Fe+a) vs. 100 Mg/(Mg
Fe+a/(Fe+a + A1 + Cr) plot is displayedin Figure + Fe+2) for the chromites.Explanationas for A. The figure
4B. Here also the Waziristan chromites fall in the
showsthat in sevenanalyses of unalteredchromitesthe Fe+a/
overlapping
fieldsof thosefromalpineandstratiform (Cr q- A1 q- Fe+a) ratio is nearlyconstantand in two a little
complexes.Note that the Fe+a/(Fe+a + A1 + Cr) higher. Two of the altered marginshave values similar to the
cores for this ratio, three show an increase, and two a decrease.
ratio is higherin the marginsof four zonedchromites,
remainsrelatively constantin one, and falls in two
others.Samples80-21 (chromitite)and 80-12 (harz-
burgitc) contain chromites with distinctly higher the Cr-A1-Fe
+a + Ti triangularplot (Fig. 6), which
valuesfor this ratio than in the rest, ignoring the showsthe fieldsfor chromitesfrom alpine,stratiform,
marginalzones. and concentriccomplexes,they clearly belong to
Figure 5 showsthe variation of total iron oxides the alpine group. On the basisof these diagrams,
againstCr2Oa. The Waziristanchromitesplot in the the generalchemistryof the Waziristanchromites
overlappingfield of alpineandstratiformcomplexes. is closeto that of the chromitesin other alpine-type
Their iron oxide againstCr2Oavariation is closerto complexes.
stratiformthan to alpine chromites.In the zoned An interestingaspectof the Waziristan samples
chromites, the total Fe oxide shows an increase in is the presenceof iron-richzonesaround"normal"
the outer zones(exceptin sampleWZN-1), as does chromites.These zones have a black color against
Cr2Oaexceptin two cases.The molepercentA12Oa/ the brown, reddish, or almost black color of the
(A12Oa + Fe2Oa + Cr2Oa), on the other hand, normal chromitesin refracted light, and they show
decreases in all but one case in the outer zones. On a high reflectivity.Suchzoneshave been referred

Downloaded from https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/segweb/economicgeology/article-pdf/80/2/294/3488246/294.pdf

by Laurentian University user
 WAZIRISTAN OPHIOLITE, PAKISTAN 301

the third (C) is distinctlyzoned.In comparisonwith

the third grain, it would appear that grain A is
2 equivalentto the altered marginof C and grain B
to the unalteredcore of C. Thus, this exampleshows
somegrainsentirelyalteredandothersonly margin-
ally altered to ferrit-chromit.
There is no general agreementabout the origin
of ferrit-chromitexceptthat it is an alterationproduct
of normal chromite. From a review of the subject
Blissand MacLean (1975) found that its formation
lO
wasvariablyattributedto serpentinization(prior or
20 3•o t.•o 51o do subsequent to serpentinization),magmaticreactions
% ½r2O
3 andalteration,or regionalmetamorphism. However,
they suggestedthat an elevationof temperature
FIG. 5. Plot of total iron vs. Cr•Oa weight percent for the
chromites. Area 1 encloseschromites from alpine and area 2 subsequentto initial chromite crystallizationwas
those from stratiform complexes (after Thayer, 1970). The necessary for ferrit-chromitformation.The originof
chromites (solid circles) plot in the overlappingfield for the Waziristan ferrit-chromit is discussedfollowing the
two types, but the harzburgite chromite plots far away from the section on chlorites.
field of alpine types. Note the general increaseof Cr•Oa in the
altered margins(open circles) and that three of these plot well
ouiside the fields of igneouschromites.Two crossesrepresent Chlorite
accessorychromites.
Analysesof eightchloritesare presentedin Table
4. An interestingaspectof the chloritesis that they
to in the literature as "ferrit-chromit" (retaining the frequently displaya chemicalvariation in Cr, A1,
Germanspelling;Spangenberg, 1943). In Waziristan, and Fe from grain to grain. The detailsof these
the ferrit-chromit may or may not envelop the variationsare given in Table 4. All are rich in MgO
chromite grains completely; moreover, it may also and havehigh Mg/Fe ratios.They generallycontain
occur along fractures in the chromite grains. Al-
thoughwe presentaverageanalyseshere, the ferrit-
chromit does vary compositionallyfrom grain to Cr

grain, as can be observed in sample 80-2A. For

determining petrogenesis,it is important to note
that on Cr2Oa vs. mole percent A12Oa/(A120•
+ Cr203 + Fe203) and total Fe oxide, and Cr-A1-
Fe+• + Ti diagrams,
someof thesezonesplotoutside
the fields of igneouschromites.Our ferrit-chromit
analyses,however, have higher Cr, A1, Mg, and
lower total Fe than thoseof other areasreported in
Loferskiand Lipin (1983).
Studieson similar chromite marginal zoneshave
revealedthat they are enrichedin FeO and depleted
in MgO and A12Oawhen comparedwith the cores.
The variation in Cr and Fe +• is not uniform in all
cases(Weiser, 1967; Bird and Clark, 1976; Oen et
al., 1979). An increase in Ni, Ti, and Mn in the
ferrit-chromit marginshas also been reported (On-
yeagocha,1974; Blissand MacLean,1975; Hoffman
and Walker, 1978). The Waziristan ferrit-chromits A[ Ve•**Ti

are clearly higher in Cr2Oaand total iron, and lower
in MgO and A12Oathan their cores. In this respect
they resemble those from the Malakhand (or Sak-
hakot-Qila) complexsome250 km to the northeast
(Ahmed and Hall, 1981). Only one sample (WZN-
1) doesnot displaya significantandparallelvariation.
Chromitite sample 80-2A presents an interesting
ease.Here two grains(A and B) are unzoned, while
FIG. 6. Cr-A1-Fe
+• + Ti triangularplot for the chromites
with fields of chromites from alpine (1), stratiform (2), and
concentric(GoodnewsBay) complexes(3) after Bird and Clark
(1976) and Dickey (1975). The unaltered chromites (solid
circles)plot in the alpinefieldwith the exceptionof oneanalysis
(harzburgite)whichplotsin the overlappingfieldsof alpineand
stratiformtypes. Note that two of the altered margins(open
circles) plot outsidethe igneousfield. Two crossesrepresent
accessorychromites.

Downloaded from https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/segweb/economicgeology/article-pdf/80/2/294/3488246/294.pdf

by Laurentian University user
 302 JAN,WINDLEY,AND KHAN

TABLE4. AverageMicroprobeAualysesof Chlorite from Chromitites

WZN-2 WZN-5 WZN-5 80-1 80-1 80-2 80-2A 80-21

(low AI) (high Al) (high AI) (low A1)
Sampleno. (2) (1) (3) (4) (1) (4) (3) (2)

SiO.2 32.19 35.40 36.57 30.99 36.80 33.36 31.65 31.56

TiO.2 0.06 0.00 0.04 0.05 0.01 0.04 0.01 0.12
A1.203 14.14 5.99 10.07 15.40 5.69 12.32 13.87 17.22
Cr,203 3.38 5.45 1.51 2.59 2.72 3.93 2.42 2.05
FeO 1.15 4.25 2.25 1.26 1.99 1.94 1.76 1.16
MnO 0.00 0.09 0.06 0.07 0.15 0.02 0.10 0.01
MgO 33.64 34.17 34.11 32.53 36.55 34.63 32.75 33.21
CaO 0.10 0.01 0.10 0.05 0.00 0.05 0.05 0.01
Na.20 0.22 0.30 0.34 0.39 0.50 0.40 0.09 0.59
K.20 0.00 0.00 0.05 0.04 0.07 0.03 0.04 0.05
NiO 0.37 0.35 0.36 0.35 0.00 0.28 0.32 0.29

Total 85.25 86.01 85.46 83.72 84.48 87.00 83.06 86.28

Ions on the basisof 28 (0)

Si 6.206 6.991 6.999 6.079 7.170 6.350 6.263 5.990
AI 3.213 1.382 2.266 3.565 1.307 2.757 3.233 3.852
Ti 0.008 0.000 0.006 0.007 0.001 0.006 0.002 0.018
Cr 0.516 0.843 0.228 0.400 0.419 0.592 0.380 0.308
Fe +'2 0.186 0.697 0.361 0.207 0.324 0.309 0.291 0.183
Mn 0.000 0.014 0.010 0.012 0.025 0.003 0.017 0.002
Mg 9.671 9.976 9.733 9.513 10.615 9.825 9.662 9.375
Ca 0.021 0.002 0.021 0.010 0.000 0.010 0.010 0.002
Na 0.084 0.114 0.123 0.149 0.189 0.147 0.034 0.217
K 0.000 0.000 0.012 0.010 0.018 0.007 0.011 0.012
Ni 0.057 0.055 0.055 0.056 0.000 0.042 0.050 0.045
Z 8.00 8.00 8.00 8.00 8.00 8.00 8.00 8.00
Y 11.96 12.01 11.81 12.01 12.07 12.05 11.96 12.02

Analyst:M. Q. Jan
WZN-2. Clinochlore; averageof two analysesshowing2 percent variation in AI•,O.•and 0.3 percent in FeO
WZN-5. Low A1, high Cr and high AI, low Cr perufinitesoccurringin different parts of the samethin sectiou;three analysesof
the secondvariety havea 3.0 percentraugein A1.20•,0.5 percentin Cr.zOa,and 0.7 pertcut in FeO
80-1. High AI clinochloreaud low AI talc-chloritein the samethin section;clinochlorecontainsabout 2 percent more Cr.20•
when included in chromite than when iu matrix; however, the inclusionsthemselves have a variation of 4 percent A1.20.•and 2
percent Cr.,Oa
80-2. Penninite; averageof three grainsincluded in chromite and one in matrix; no systematicdifference is seen in the two
exceptfor a slightlylower AI in the latter; overall rangein the formulasof the four point analysesare: AI -- 2.3 to 3.2, Cr = 0.3
to 0.9, Fe = 0.2 to 0.5; average may be meaningless
80-2A. Penninite;averageof matrix and grainsincludedin chromite;latter have about 1.0 percent higher Cr.zOa
80-21. Clinochlore showing0.13 to 0.23 Fe (atomic) variation in the two points analyzed
All Fe determined as FeO
Number of poiut analysesin parentheses

lower Ab.Oa and higher SiOn.than the Mg-rich
chloriteanalysesin Deer et al. (1962). The deficiency
of Ab.Oa is, to some extent, compensatedby the
presenceof Cr•.Oa (1.5-5.5 wt %). Samples80-1
and WZN-5 contain two chlorites each, with dis-
tinctly different compositions(seeTable 4). Two of
these are unusuallylow in AI•.Oa and only one of
the 39 analysesin Deer et al. (1962) containsa
lower Ab.Oa content.
All the chlorites are chromian
strong negative correlation between AI•.Oa (Fig.
7A),suggesting
thesubstitution
of Cr+afor A!. Ionic talc-chlorite; all have low total Fe and are unoxidized.
charge-balanceconsiderationsalso suggest that
chromium is trivalent. Structural
known and it is not clear whether the Cr +a is
occupyingthe tetrahedral or octahedralsite (cf.
Lapham,1958). However,Burns(1975) suggested
oncrystalfieldgrounds
thatCr+aionshavea strong
preferencefor octahedralsitesin mineral structures
anddiscriminateagainsttetrahedralsites.The study
by Phillips et al. (1980) of ten chromian chlorites
revealed that Cr does not occur in tetrahedral co-
ordination.The analyseswere plotted on the Si vs.
and there is a Fe/(Fe + Mg) and Fe diagramof Hey (1954); three
classifyas clinochlore,four aspenninite,and one as
The recalculatedanalysesare closeto the ideal
details are not chlorite formula in which the sum of the cations in

Downloaded from https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/segweb/economicgeology/article-pdf/80/2/294/3488246/294.pdf

by Laurentian University user
 WAZIRISTAN OPHIOLITE, PAKISTAN 303

BeesonandJackson(1969) and Onyeagocha(1974).

6[. A Olivines and pyroxenesin the harzburgitesubtype

complexesare typicallylow in A120• and their Mg/
Fe ratiosare about 9:1 (Jacksonand Thayer, 1972;
Moores, 1973). The chlorite analysespresentedin
O• • •
Table 4 contain5.7 to 17.0 percentAI•O• and their
5 10 15 20 Mg/Fe ratios are much higher than 9:1, as is their
% A[203 Cr•O• contentwhen comparedwith that of olivine,
pyroxene,or the analyzedserpentine.We therefore
conclude that the chlorites could not have formed
by isochemical
metamorphism
or alterationof mafic
/ silicatespresent in the chromitites.
Chromite appearsto be the only mineral which
could have contributedthe A1,Cr, and Mg necessary
eex
•' for the formation of the chlorites. Diffusion of these
/
/
elementsfrom the marginsof chromitesrendered
/
them depleted in these cations, resulting in an
increaseof Cr/(Cr + A1) and decreasein Mg/(Mg
+ Fe+•) ascompared with the unalteredcores.Since
chlorite is not an important product of serpentini-
zation, we assumethat its formation, as well as that
of the ferrit-chromitmarginsaroundchromite,took
/ placeduringa progradegreenschistfaciesmetamor-
•' / I At.Cr(Tetrahedral)
I phismfollowingserpentinization.A similar mecha-
1.0 1.5 2.0 nism was recently proposed by Srikantappa and
FIG. 7. A. Wt percent Cr•O3 vs. AI•O3 plot for the chlorites. Friend (1982) for the chromianedeniteparagenesis
A strongnegative correlationsuggeststhe substitutionof Cr for from Sinduralli, southIndia. However, ferrit-chromit
AI. B. Ionic charge-balancediagramshowingthe plot of cationic d-chloriteparagenesisin otherareashasbeenrelated
substitutionin octahedralsite againsttetrahedralsite. Dashed to alterationprocesses (Beesonand Jackson,1969;
line is for perfectlybalancedsituations.
Onyeagocha,1974).
The Cr•O• content of the Waziristan analyzed
the octahedralsite equals 12 and that in the tetra- serpentines rangesfrom 1.0 to 1.5 wt percentwith
hedral site equals 8. However, the ionic charge is one valueof 0.3 wt percent.Theseamountsandthe
not perfectly balanced due generally to a lower Mg/Fe ratiosof the serpentineare muchhigherthan
chargein the octahedralsite. The entry of Ti, A1, those in olivine--the mineral that we think most
Cr, Na, and K in this site doesnot fully compensate likely accompaniedthe chromitesoriginally. The
for the chargedeficiencycreatedby the entry of A1 lossof Fe from silicates(olivine) during serpentini-
and Cr (?) for silica in the tetrahedral site in six zation is not fully accountedfor by the generally
analyses(see Fig. 7B). This lower charge in the smallquantityof magnetitein our rocks.Therefore,
octahedral site is essentiallybecause all iron has somediffusionof chromiumand magnesium(?) from
been taken as Fe+2. We proposethat the Fe+• the marginsof the chromitesmust alsohave taken
content in microprobeanalysesof chlorites can be place duringserpentinization. The stronglyserpen-
estimated from this diagram or the formula (A1 tinized-chloritized silicate matrix in the chromitites
d-Cr)tet= 2Ti + (A1+ Cr)oct- Na - K + Fe+• or is consistent with the observation that silicate rocks
Fe+• = 8Si - 2Ti - (A1+ Cr)octd- Na + K. in the neighborhoodof chromite concentrationsare
stronglysheared-brecciated.
Rodgers(1973) found
Paragenesisof ferrit-chromit and chlorite a similarsituationin New Caledonia.It appearsthat
Ferrit-chromit in the Waziristan chromitites
brecciation-shearing is
facilitatedthe entry of H20 and
closely associatedwith chlorite, which sometimes caused the development of hydrous phasesmore
envelopsthe former.In the harzburgiteand chrom- readily than elsewherein the peridotites.There is
itite sampleWZN-1, the chromite is only associated a markedincreasein the Fe+•/Fe+• ratiosof some
with serpentine;noneof thesecontainferrit-chromit. ferrit-chromit,suggesting changesin oxygenfugacity
(Althoughchromitein WZN-1 is slightlyzoned, its (cf. Beesonand Jackson,1969; Onyeagocha,1974).
compositionalvariation is distinctly different from The variationsin composition betweenthe unaltered
the rest.) It is therefore likely that ferrit-chromit chromitecoresand the altered ferrit-chromitmargins
and chlorite are parageneticallyrelated. Ferrit- mostlikely reflect degreesof oxidation.The relative
chromit d- chlorite paragenesiswas described by increase in Mg/(Mg + Fe+•) in the coresmayhave

Downloaded from https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/segweb/economicgeology/article-pdf/80/2/294/3488246/294.pdf

by Laurentian University user
 304 JAN,WINDLEY,ANDKHAN

resulted from oxidation of some of the Fe +2 of the

originalchromites
andremovalof the resultantFe+3
to the margins.Hoffman and Walker (1978) sug-
gestedthat in a comparablesituationin Vermont
there is a competition of the various +3 ions to
leave the cores,becausethe oxidationproducestoo
many +3 ions for stoichiometry.This resultsin a
relativemobilityof Fe > Cr > A1;thiswouldaccount
for the increaseof Cr/(Cr + A1)in the ferrit-chromit
marginsof the Waziristan chromites.
Serpentine
Four serpentine analysesfrom chromititesand
one from harzburgite (80-12) are given in Table 5.
In the serpentineanalysesthe totals are low even
when an allowancefor about 14 wt percent H20 is
made. All contain a significantamount of Cr•O3,
probably donated from chromite margins during
serpentinization.The alumina content is low (0.5-
1.0 wt %); as is NiO except in two analyseswith
over half a percent. In the absenceof X-ray data,
the serpentinemineralscannotbe adequatelynamed
becausethe chemistryof the variousspeciesis quite
similar (cf. Deer et al., 1962) and comparisonwith
averageanalyses(cf. Whittaker and Wicks, 1970;
Moody, 1976; Page, 1968) is not very meaningful.
SampleWZN-1 containsa vein consistingof fibrous
chrysotile.The remaininganalyses are of platygrains,
but it cannot be ascertainedwhether they are anti-
gorite or lizardite. However, the rather high Si/Mg
ratios in 80-12 and 80-21 are akin to those of
antigorite and the low Si/Mg ratio in WZN-1 and
the high Fe + Cr content in WZN-5 are suggestive
of lizardite.

Discussion

The Waziristanophiolite occupiesmore than 500

km2 of the Boya-Razmak
regioncloseto the Afghan
border. It consistsof harzburgites,dunites,pyrox-
enites,gabbros,anorthosites,sheeteddoleritedikes,
trondhjemites,basalticpillow lavas,andpelagicsed-
iments,an assemblage typical of oceaniccrust and
upper mantle (Coleman, 1977; Panayiotou,1980).
However, a completesequenceof theserocksis not
found in any one locality due to dismemberment
and tectonic slicing. The ophiolite was obducted
duringthe Paleocenein responseto the northward
drift of the Indo-Pakistanplate, and thus, it lies
closeto an important suture zone.
The ultramafic membersof the ophiolite contain
disseminatedgrains as well as small depositsof
podiformchromite.The disseminatedchromite in
samples80-2 and 80-12 has distinctlylower Mg/
(Mg + Fe+•) ratiosthan the unalteredchromitein
the chromitites.It is possiblethat someMg waslost
and Fe gaineddue to the processof diffusion(or
subsolidus
reequilibration)with the surroundingol-

Downloaded from https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/segweb/economicgeology/article-pdf/80/2/294/3488246/294.pdf

by Laurentian University user
 WAZIRISTANOPHIOLITE, PAKISTAN 305

ivine (Irvine, 1967). Temperatureestimatesbased for drafting Figures 4 to 9; and Raza Shah and
on the methods of Evans and Frost (1975), Fuji Wahabuddinfor their cooperationin the field work.
(1977), and Fabrics (1979) suggestthat the Mg-Fe November 14, 1983; October 9, 1984
exchangebetweenthe two mineralsceasedat tem-
peraturesof about850øC (1,000øC by the method REFERENCES

of Medaris,1975). Theseestimatesare at least100ø Ahmed, Z., and Abbas,S. G., 1979, The Muslim Baghophiolites,
lower than thoseexpectedto have operatedduring in Farah, A., and De-Jong,K. A., eds., Geodynamicsof
the crystallizationof the chromiteand olivinefrom Pakistan:Peshawar,PakistanGeol. Survey, p. 243-249.
a basalticliquid, thus supportingthe idea of solid Ahmed, Z., and Hall, A., 1981, Alteration of chromite from the
Sakhakot-Qilacomplex,Malakandagency,Pakistan:Chemic
state ionic diffusion between these minerals.
der Erde, v. 40, p. 209-239.
The chromite in the chromititesis high Cr alu- -- 1984, Petrologyand mineralizationof the Sakhakot-Qila
minouschromitewith a Cr•O3 contentrangingfrom ophiolite,Pakistan,in Gass,I. G., Lippard,S. J., andShelton,
49 to 61 wt percent.On conventional diagrams(cf. A. W., eds., Ophiolites and oceanic lithosphere:London,
Geol. Soc. London, p. 241-252.
Irvine, 1967; Thayer, 1970) it generallyplotsin the Allemann,F., 1979, Time of emplacementof the Zhob Valley
overlapping fieldsof alpineandstratiformcomplexes. ophiolites andBelaophiolites, Baluchistan(preliminaryreport),
However,the Cr-A1-Fe
+3+ Ti plot of the chromites in Farah,A., andDeJong,K. A., eds.,Geodynamics
of Pakistan:
is akin to those of the alpine types. In most rocks Peshawar,Pakistan Geol. Survey, p. 215-242.
the chromiteis zoned, with outer marginsconsisting Augustithis,S.S., ed., 1981, An internationalsymposiumon
the metallogenyof maficand ultramaficcomplexes: The E.
of ferrit-chromit that is distinctly lower in Mg/(Mg Mediterranean-W.Asia area, and its comparisonwith similar
+ Fe+•) and higherin Cr/(Cr + A1).Thesezones metallogenic
environments
of the world:Athens,AthensUniv.,
are invariably associatedwith chromian chlorite v. 1,423 p.
+ serpentine.The pointanalyses on chloriteswithin Badshah,
M. S., in press,Geologyandbreccia-pipeprimaryand
secondarycoppermineralizationin Waziristan:Natl. Seminar
the samethin sectionmay showconsiderablevaria- Devel. Mineral Resources, 2nd, Peshawar, 1983, Proc.
tions in A1, Cr, and Fe. In general, they are rich in Bakr, M. A., and Jackson,R. O., 1964, Geologicalmap of
Si and Mg (clinochlore,penninite, with one talc- Pakistan:PakistanGeol. Survey.
chlorite)and low in A1.Sincethe necessary A1,Cr, Beeson,M. H., and Jackson,E. D., 1969, Chemicalcomposition
of altered chromitesfrom the Stillwater Complex, Montana:
andMg requiredfor the formationof chloritecould Am. Mineralogist, v. 54, p. 1084-1100.
not havebeen contributedby olivine(andpyroxene) Bilgrami,S. A., 1964, Mineralogyandpetrologyof the central
that probably was originally associatedwith the part of the Hindu Baghigneouscomplex,Hindu Baghmining
chromite, it is most likely that they were derived district, Zhob Valley, west Pakistan:PakistanGeol. Survey
from the chromitemarginsby the processof solid Rec. 10, 28 p.
Bird, M. L., andClark, A. L., 1976, Microprobestudyof olivine
state diffusion.This diffusion,leadingto the devel- chromititesof the GoodnewsBayUltramaficComplex,Alaska,
opmentof chlorite and ferrit-chromitzonesaround and the occurrenceof the platinum:U.S. Geol. SurveyJour.
chromitegrains,probablytook placewhen temper- Research,v. 4, p. 717-725.
atureswere raisedduring greenschistfacies(ocean Bliss,N. W., and MacLean,W. H., 1975, The paragenesisof
zoned chromite from central Manitoba: Geochim. et Cosmo-
ridge ?) metamorphicconditions,possiblyfollowing chim. Acta, v. 39, p. 973-990.
an earlier phaseof serpentinization.The 0.3 to 1.5 Borchert,H., 1963, Principlesof the genesisandenrichmentof
wt percent Cr•Oa content of the serpentinesand chromiteore deposits, in Methodsof prospectingfor chromite:
their muchhigherMg/Fe ratiosthanthoseof olivine OECD Seminar on Modern Scientific Methods of Chromite
and pyroxenesuggestthat minor Cr•O3 and MgO Prospecting,Athens, 1963, Proc., p. 175-202.
Burns,R. G., 1975, Crystal field effectsin chromiumand its
(?) were alsolostfrom the chromitemarginsduring partitioningin the mantle:Geochim.et Cosmochim.Acta, v.
serpentinization.However, the higher Cr/(Cr + A1) 39, p. 857-864.
ratios in the ferrit-chromit would suggestthat the Coleman,R. G., 1977, Ophiolites:New York, Springer-Verlag,
principal phaseof their growth was connectedwith 229 p.
Deer, W. A., Howie, R. A., and Zussman, J., 1962, Rock-
lossof MgO and AlcOa during the chlorite devel-
formingminerals:New York, Longman,v. 3, 270 p.
opment. DeJong,K. A., and Subhani,A.M., 1979, Note on the Bela
ophioliteswith specialreferenceto the Kanerarea,in Farah,
Acknowledgments A., andDeJong,K. A., eds.,Geodynamics of Pakistan:Pesha-
M. Q. Janwishesto acknowledgea RoyalSociety war, PakistanGeol. Survey, p. 263-269.
Guest ResearchFellowshipwhich enabled him to Dickey, J. S., 1975, A hypothesis
of originfor podiformchromite
deposits: Geochim. et Cosmochim. Acta, v. 39, p. 1061-
visit the Universityof Leicesterduring the summer 1074.
of 1981. B. F. Windley acknowledgesNatural En- Dickey, J. S., Jr., and Yoder, H. S., Jr., 1972, Partitioningof
vironment ResearchCouncil grant GR3/4242. We chromium and aluminum between clinopyroxeneand spinel:
thank Asrarullah, R. A. K. Tahirkheli, and S. H. CarnegieInst. WashingtonYear Book 71, p. 384-392.
Evans, B. W., and Frost, B. R., 1975, Chrome-spinel in pro-
Grauharfor their usefulsuggestions;
M. S. Badshah gressivemetamorphism--apreliminaryanalysis:Geochim.et
for fruitful discussions;R. N. Wilson for his advice Cosmochim.Acta, v. 39, p. 959-972.
duringthe microprobeanalyses;M. Umar Khattak Fabrics,J., 1979, Spinel-olivinegeothermometryin peridotites

Downloaded from https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/segweb/economicgeology/article-pdf/80/2/294/3488246/294.pdf

by Laurentian University user
 306 JAN, WINDLEY, AND KHAN

from ultramafic complexes:Contr. Mineralogy Petrology, v. peridotites of the granulite facies: Geochim. et Cosmochim.
69, p. 329-336. Acta, v. 39, p. 947-958.
Fuji, T., 1977, Fe-Mg partitioning between olivine and spinel: Moody, J. B., 1976, Serpentinization:A review: Lithos, v. 9, p.
Carnegie Inst. WashingtonYear Book 76, p. 563-569. 125-138.
Gass,I. G., 1980, The Troodosmassif:Its role in the unravelling Moores, E. M., 1973, Geotectonic significanceof ultramafic
of the ophiolite problem and its significancein the under- rocks:Earth-Sci. Rev., v. 9, p. 241-258.
standingof constructiveplate marginprocesses,in Panayiotou, Oen, L. S., Kieft, C., and Westerhof, A. B., 1979, Variation in
A., ed., Ophiolites:Proceedingsof the International Ophiolite compositionof chromitesfrom chromite-arsenide depositsin
Symposium,1979, Cyprus: Nicosia, Cyprus Ministry Agricul- the peridotites of Malaga, Spain: ECON. GEOL., v. 74, p.
ture Nat. Resources,Geol. SurveyDept., p. 23-25. 1630-1636.
Greenbaum, D., 1977, The chromitiferousrocks of the Troodos Onyeagocha, A. C., 1974, Alteration of chromite from the Twin
ophiolite complex, Cyprus: ECON. GEOL., v. 72, p. 1175- Sistersdunite, Washington:Am. Mineralogist,v. 59, p. 608-
1194. 612.
Hey, M. H., 1954, A new review of the chlorites:Mineralog. Page, N.J., 1968, Chemical differencesamong the serpentine
Mag., v. 30, p. 277-292. "polymorphs":Am. Mineralogist,v. 53, p. 201-215.
Hoffman, M. A., and Walker, D., 1978, Textural and chemical Panayiotou,
A., ed., 1980, Ophiolites:Proceedings
of the Inter-
variations of olivine and chrome spinel in the East Dover nationalOphiolite Symposium,1979, Cyprus:Nicosia,Cyprus
ultramafic bodies, south-central Vermont: Geol. Soc. America Ministry Agriculture Nat. Resources, Geol. Survey Dept.,
Bull., v. 89, p. 699-710. 781 p.
Irvine, T. N., 1967, Chromium spinel as a petrogenic indicator. Phillips,T. L., Loveless,J. K., and Bailey,S. W., 1980, Cr3+
Part 2. Petrol•)gic applications:Canadian Jour. Earth Sci., v.
coordinationin chlorites:A structural study of ten chromian
4, p. 71-103. chlorites:Am. Mineralogist, v. 65, p. 112-122.
Irvine, T. N., and Findlay, T. C., 1972, Alpine-type peridotites
Rodgers,K. A., 1973, Chrome-spinelsfrom the Massif du Sud,
with particularreferenceto the Bayof IslandIgneousComplex: southern New Caledonia: Mineralog. Mag., v. 39, p. 326-
Canada Dept. Energy Mines ResourcesEarth Physics Br., 339.
Pub. 12, p. 97-129. Sabir, M., and Ahmad, N., 1972, A preliminary report on
Jackson,E. C., and Thayer, T. P., 1972, Some criteria for mineral depositsof north Waziristan: Fata Develop. Corp.,
distinguishingstratiform, concentricand alpine peridotite- unpub. rept.
gabbro complexes:Internat. Geol. Cong., 24th, Montreal, Spangenberg,K., 1943, Die chromitlagerstatteyon Tampadel
1972, Proc., sec. 2, p. 289-296. am Zobten: Zeitschr. Prakt. Geologie, v. 5, p. 13-35.
Jan, M. Q., and Howie, R. A., 1981, The mineralogy and Srikantappa,C., and Friend, C. R. L., 1982, Chromian edenite
geochemistry of the metamorphosedbasic and ultrabasic from the Sinduralli ultramaficbody, Karnataka,south India:
rocks of the Jijal complex, Kohistan, NW Pakistan:Jour. Geol. Soc. India Jour., v. 23, p. 539-544.
Petrology, v. 22, p. 85-126. Stevens,R. E., 1944, Composition of some chromites of the
Kazmi, A. H., and Rana, R. A., 1982, Tectonic map of Pakistan: western hemisphere:Am. Mineralogist, v. 39, p. 1-34.
PakistanGeol. Survey. Thayer, T. P., 1964, Principal featuresand origin of podiform
Khan, A., Wahabuddin,and Shah, M. R., 1982, Preliminary chromite deposits,and some observationson the Guleman-
report on the ophiolite occurrencesin parts of Waziristan, Sorida• district, Turkey: ECON.GEOL.,v. 59, p. 1497-1524.
N.W.F.P., Pakistan:PakistanGeol. Survey Inf. Release 129, -- 1970, Chromite segregationsas petrogenetic indicators:
p. 1-23. Geol. Soc. South Africa Spec. Pub. 1, p. 380-390.
Kolotilov,D.C., andGaryayev,S. M., 1971, On formingchrome Watkinson, D. H., and Mainwaring, P. R., 1980, Grant 46
spinelsof Kempsirayultrabasicmassif:Relation of their chem- chromite in Ontario: Geology of chromite zones,Puddy Lake-
ical composition to latticeparameters: Internat.GeologyRev., Chrome Lake area, and chromite chemistry: Ontario Geol.
v. 13, p. 670-674. Survey Misc. Paper 93, p. 220-234.
Lapham, D. M., 1958, Structural and chemical variation in Weiser, T., 1967, Untersuchungenmit der Elekronenmikrosonde
chromiumchlorite: Am. Mineralogist,v. 43, p. 921-956. fiber die Zusammensetzungyon Chromiten: Neues Jahrb.
Loferski, P. J., and Lipin, B. R., 1983, Exsolutionin metamor- MineralogieAbh., v. 107, p. 113-143.
phosedchromite from the Red Lodge district, Montana:Am. Whittaker, E. J. W., andWicks, F. J., 1970, Chemicaldifferences
Mineralogist, v. 68, p. 777-789. amongthe serpentinepolymorphs!A discussion: Am. Miner-
Medaris, L. G., 1975, Coexistingspinel and silicatesin alpine alogist,v. 55, p. 1025-1047.

Downloaded from https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/segweb/economicgeology/article-pdf/80/2/294/3488246/294.pdf

by Laurentian University user