Blueschists of the Amassia-Stepanavan Suture Zone (Armenia): linking Tethys subduction history from E-Turkey to W-Iran

Abstract

The Amassia–Stepanavan blueschist-ophiolite complex of the Lesser Caucasus in NW Armenia is part of an Upper Cretaceous-Cenozoic belt, which presents similar metamorphic features as other suture zones from Turkey to Iran. The blueschists include calcschists, metaconglomerates, quartzites, gneisses and metabasites, suggesting a tectonic melange within an accretionary prism. This blueschist melange is tectonically overlain by a low-metamorphic grade ophiolite sequence composed of serpentinites, gabbro-norite pods, plagiogranites, basalts and radiolarites. The metabasites include high-P assemblages (glaucophane–aegirine–clinozoisite–phengite), which indicate maximal burial pressure of ∼1.2 GPa at ∼550°C. Most blueschists show evidence of greenschist retrogression (chlorite—epidote, actinolite), but locally epidote-amphibolite conditions were attained (garnet—epidote, Ca/Na amphibole) at a pressure of ∼0.6 GPa and a temperature of ∼500°C. This LP–MT retrogression is coeval with exhumation and nappe-stacking of lower grade units over higher grade ones. 40Ar/39Ar phengite ages obtained on the high-P assemblages range between 95 and 90 Ma, while ages obtained for epidote-amphibolite retrogression assemblages range within 73.5–71 Ma. These two metamorphic phases are significant of (1) HP metamorphism during a phase of subduction in the Cenomanian–Turonian times followed by (2) exhumation in the greenschist to epidote-amphibolite facies conditions during the Upper Campanian/Maastrichtian due to the onset of continental subduction of the South Armenian block below Eurasia.