formation. … ultramafic rocks are known as ophiolites. Many geologists believe that ophiolites formed at oceanic ridges were emplaced by tectonic forces at convergent plate boundaries and then became exposed in highly deformed orogenic (mountain) belts.

Where are ophiolites found?

Ophiolites have been found in Cyprus, New Guinea, Newfoundland, California, and Oman. The Samail ophiolite in southeastern Oman has probably been studied in the greatest detail. The rocks probably formed in the Cretaceous not far from the what is now the Persian Gulf.

What is an ophiolite in geology?

Ophiolite is thrust sheets of ancient oceanic crust and upper part of mantle rocks that have been uplifted and exposed above sea level and often emplaced on top of the continental lithosphere.