Early Paleozoic Evolution of the NW Gondwanaland: Data from Southern Turkey and Surrounding Regions

Abstract

The Lower Paleozoic rock-units in the Eastern Mediterranean can be separated into two distinct zones: the Northern Zone (Carpathian-Balkan, Istanbul, Zonguldak and Main Range terranes) and the Southern Zone (Tauride-Anatolide, SE Anatolian-Arabian, and Central Iranian terranes). A Gondwanan /Perigondwanan origin can only be properly indicated for the Southern Zone, whereas the Early Paleozoic paleogeographic positions of smaller terranes (e.g. Istanbul Terrane) of the Northern Zone remains questionable. During the Infracambrian-Early Cambrian time in the Southern Zone, the Pan-African consolidated NW Gondwanan pericratonic margin was rifted by back-arc extension or transtension, which is represented by the deposition of fault-controlled continental sediments. The late Early Cambrian-Late Cambrian period in the Southern Zone is designated by a regional transgression from northeast suggesting a rapid subsidence in the area to the northwest of Arabian-Tauride platform and hence opening of a relatively deep basin to the north. The Lower Ordovician in the Southern Zone comprising the Tremadoc and Arenig Series is characterized by a monotonous siliciclastic deposition. Towards the end of Early Ordovician shallowing upward sequences and formation of NW-SE trending highs were noticed. The stratigraphic hiatuses, unconformities and irregular distribution of the Caradoc-Ashgill deposits in the Southern Zone has been ascribed to glacio-eustatic sea-level changes. The Early Silurian (Aeronian-Telychian) deepening and deposition of black shales that follows the regression around the Ordovician-Silurian boundary in the Southern Zone is also very probably related to the relatively rapid global sea-level rise. To the north of the Tauride-Anatolide Platform, Wenlock and Late Silurian are represented by deep marine (basinal) sediments with oceanic basalts. The generation of an accretionary complex in the northern margin of the Taurides together with the regional regression in the southern Taurides and SE Anatolia at the uppermost Silurian-Lower Devonian boundary and the regional unconformity at Lower Devonian (Middle Lochkovian) is very probably related to the closure of a “Paleotethyan” oceanic basin to the north of the Perigondwanan terranes.