A Late Palaeozoic‐Early Mesozoic marginal basin along the actives sourthern continental margin of Eurasia: Evidence from the central Pontides (Turkey) and adjacent regions

Abstract

AbstractRemnants of two ‘Palaeotethyan’ oceanic basins are exposed in the Central Pontides of northern Turkey, separated by a continental sliver and an oceanic arc. The southern basin corresponds to the main Tethys (‘Palaeotethys’), which partially closed in Early Mesozoic time following northward subduction under the southern, active continental margin of Eurasia.The northern basin (Küre Complex) opened above the ‘Palaeotethyan’ subduction zone as a marginal basin, following rifting of a continental fragment (Istanbul fragment) from Eurasia. Marginal basin opening apparently dates from the Late Palaeozoic in the east (Küre basin) and from the Triassic in the west (Kocaeli basin). Basin closure was achieved by southward subduction‐accretion, in pre‐Late Jurassic times, leaving ‘Neotethys’ open to the south.Counterparts of the Küre Complex are found in the adjacent Crimea (Taurian Series), Istranca (Zabernevo Complex), Dobrogea (Nalbant flysch) and Caucasus (pre‐Late Jurassic Southern Slope Basin) regions. Basin opening was accompanied by oceanic crust genesis, at least in the Pontides and Caucasus. Closure before Mid‐Jurassic time was achieved by subduction‐accretion processes, whereby oceanic crust and deep‐sea sediments (including sulphides) were detached and structurally assembled, while oceanic basement was subducted. Marginal basin opening and closure is seen as one in a series of events along a long‐lived, active south Eurasian continental margin.