Quaternary volcanic centres north of the Bitlis-Zagros suture in Turkey, Iran and the Caucasus represent both volcanic hazards and potential or actual geothermal energy resources. Such challenges and opportunities cannot be fully quantified without understanding these volcanoes' petrogenesis, geochronology and magmatic, tectonic or other eruption triggers. In this preliminary study, we discuss the age and geology of the Karkar monogenetic volcanic field in Syunik, SE Armenia. The ~70 km² field is close to Armenia's only geothermal energy test drilling site. Fissure-fed trachybasaltic andesite to trachyandesite lavas erupted on a trans-tensional segment of the Syunik branch of the Pambak-Sevan-Syunik Fault, where previous studies suggested a Holocene age for the youngest eruptions. Here, high-resolution duplicate ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar dating of 7 groundmass separates provided inverse isochron ages ranging from 7.4 ± 3.6 ka and 7.9 ± 2.9 ka to 353 ± 20 ka (2σ). Each lava flow displays petrographic and whole rock geochemical patterns consistent with melting of subduction-modified lithospheric mantle and extensive evolution within the crust involving fractional crystallisation and mixing of magma batches. Data confirm that volcanic activity related to the Syunik Fault overlapped with Palaeolithic to Bronze Age human occupation and remains a minor lava inundation hazard. Further geochemical work will allow constraint of the depth and timescales of magma storage. Both Karkar and the area around Porak volcano, which lies 35 km N of Karkar on the Syunik Fault, might be considered for future geothermal energy developments.

位于土耳其、伊朗和高加索地区 Bitlis-Zagros 缝合线以北的第四纪火山中心代表着火山灾害和潜在或实际的地热能源资源。如果不了解这些火山的岩石成因、地质年代学和岩浆、构造或其他喷发触发因素，就无法完全量化这些挑战和机遇。在这项初步研究中，我们讨论了亚美尼亚东南部 Syunik 的 Karkar 单成火山场的年龄和地质。~70 公里²该油田靠近亚美尼亚唯一的地热能试验钻井场地。在 Pambak-Sevan-Syunik 断层的 Syunik 分支的跨张拉段上喷发了裂隙补给粗面玄武质安山岩到粗面安山岩熔岩，之前的研究表明最年轻的喷发处于全新世时代。在这里，高分辨率复制⁴⁰ Ar/ ³⁹7 个地块分离物的 Ar 定年提供了从 7.4 ± 3.6 ka 和 7.9 ± 2.9 ka 到 353 ± 20 ka (2σ) 的逆等时线年龄。每个熔岩流都显示出岩石学和全岩地球化学模式，与俯冲改造的岩石圈地幔的熔化和地壳内的广泛演化一致，包括部分结晶和岩浆批次的混合。数据证实，与 Syunik 断层相关的火山活动与旧石器时代至青铜器时代的人类活动重叠，仍然是熔岩淹没的轻微危害。进一步的地球化学工作将限制岩浆储存的深度和时间尺度。Karkar 和 Porak 火山周围地区（位于 Syunik 断层上 Karkar 以北 35 公里处）可能被考虑用于未来的地热能开发。