Geological-petrographic properties of Late Miocene granitoids from the Caucasian Mineral Waters region and their relation with the superplume

The Late Miocene granitoids in the Caucasian Mineral Waters (CMW) region that are known in the specialized literature as CMW laccolites are characterized by a unique geological position. Being located in the Stavropol Uplift of the southern Scythian Platform, they represent the northernmost manifestations of Late Cenozoic magmatism in the Ciscaucasia region. Similar to all the Late Cenozoic igneous complexes of the Caucasus and Ciscaucasia region, these rocks, which were formed at the late stage of collision between the African-Arabian and Eurasian plates, are confined to a system of deep crustal faults, which is known as the Transcaucasian system of transverse deep seated dislocations. At the same time, development of peculiar Late Cenozoic magmatism precisely within this stabilized part of the platform requires special explanation.