Alkaline Rocks and Carbonatites of the World

Setup during HiTech AlkCarb: an online database of alkaline rock and carbonatite occurrences

Elpinskii

stripes

Occurrence number: 
009-00-007
Country: 
Armenia
Location: 
Longitude: 46.15, Latitude: 39.45
Carbonatite: 
No

The Elpinskii complex is located within the Zavozhen-Akhavnadzorskaya tectonic depression in the south of Armenia. The earliest manifestations of igneous activity are represented by analcime basalts, the thickness of which is from 25 to 30 m. Higher in the section there occur analcime tephrites in the form of both lavas and explosive breccias which in their turn are succeeded by potassium-rich (leucitic) tephrites and dykes of hauyne-bearing basalt. Immediately above these rocks there occur trachyandesites and trachytes which are overlain by both effusive and subvolcanic trachytes and trachyrhyolites.

Age: 
K-Ar determinations on whole rocks gave 12.5 to 14.5 Ma (Bazarova and Kazaryan, 1986.
References: 

BAGDASARYAN, G.P. 1966. Intrusive rocks of the Basumo-Pambaksky region. In Geology of the Armenian SSR. Petrography. Intrusive rocks. 3: 256-308. Armenian Academy of Sciences, Erevan.
BAZAROVA, T.Yu., KAZARYAN, G.A. 1977. Peculiarities of crystallization of the leucite phonolites of the Azat-Vedi river. Doklady Akademii Nauk SSSR, 6: 137-42.
BAZAROVA, T.Yu. and KAZARYAN, G.A. 1986. Neogene alkaline effusives of South Armenia and conditions for their formation. Volcanology and Seismology, 2: 34-45

Location: 
Scratchpads developed and conceived by (alphabetical): Ed Baker, Katherine Bouton Alice Heaton Dimitris Koureas, Laurence Livermore, Dave Roberts, Simon Rycroft, Ben Scott, Vince Smith