Laterites are highly worn soils rich in iron and aluminum that occur in tropical and subtropical climates after extensive and long-term weathering. Climate, terrain, and geological formation age all have an impact on laterite formation and dispersion. Laterites are less abundant in Iran than in tropical places due to the country's largely dry and semi-arid environment. Laterites can still be discovered in some geological locations and times when the temperature and environmental circumstances were favorable for their creation. Laterites in Iran are more likely to have formed under tropical or subtropical climates. Potential Geological Ages of Laterite Formation in Iran: During the Paleogene Period (66–23 million years ago), Iran enjoyed warmer and more humid weather, especially in the early Eocene period. This may have generated favorable circumstances for laterite production. During the Neogene Period, which lasted from 23 to 2.6 million years ago, several places had warmer and more humid conditions. This might have resulted in the formation of laterites in specific areas of Iran. Factors Promoting Laterite Formation Climate: Warm, humid conditions are required for laterite production. Increased rainfall and warmer temperatures would help to speed up the essential weathering processes.
Laterite is first and foremost a duricrust enriched in oxide hydroxides accommodating Fe and Al in their trivalent state which forms the central cluster in the triangular plots of (1) KAOLIN: kaolinite plus other clay minerals, (2)BAUXITE:gibbsite, boehmite, diaspore, and corundum, (3) FERRITE: hematite, goethite. It can pass into latosol or oxisols bearing organic matter but this is not in the case in question. Due the resistance of laterite it can survive diagenesis and metamorphosis and in such a geological situation end up as "meta-laterite" with no connection to the modern climate anymore. It may turn into a relic indicating different climates which it does not use to form in its prestine state. Therefore you must very carefully scout the stratigraphy in question with regard to minerals and chemical elements (such as Cr, Ti, REE, Mn..) indicative of lateritic parent material. My insight into the Iranian stratigraphy through time is not good enough so as to exclude or predict such laterites sensu lato.
HGD
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