Geochemical characteristics of a pre-Middle Jurassic oceanic crust fragment from the Central Pontides in northern Turkey: Geodynamic implications on intra-oceanic subduction initiation

Abstract

The Central Pontides (northern Turkey) is one of the key localities to understand the geodynamic evolution of the Palaeo- and Neotethyan oceans. It consists of the pre-Jurassic basement units, the Early Jurassic and the Early Cretaceous accretionary complexes, the widespread Middle Jurassic continental arc magmatics and the Late Jurassic to Tertiary cover units. The Early Cretaceous accretionary complex is represented by the Central Pontide Structural Complex and includes the Middle Jurassic oceanic units, which were metamorphosed during the Early Cretaceous. Apart from these oceanic units, a few metaophiolite and serpentinite fragments have been recognized within the basement units, which may represent the remnants of an older ocean. The pre-Middle Jurassic Devrekani Metaophiolite is the largest oceanic fragment and tectonically intercalated within/between the Devrekani Metamorphics and the Çangaldağ Metamorphic Complex. It is mainly composed of harzburgites, dunites with chromite veins and metagabbros, and cut by metabasaltic andesites and metadacites. Petrographically, the gabbro consists mainly of plagioclase and clinopyroxene, and displays phaneritic/porphyritic texture. In contrast, the metabasaltic andesite includes plagioclase and mica phenocrysts within a fine-grained groundmass. Also, the metadacite is composed predominantly of quartz, plagioclase, and mica minerals. Two different magmatic groups belonging to completely different tectono-magmatic settings have been geochemically determined based on the immobile trace element systematics. The metadacites and metabasaltic andesites are akin to continental arc magmatics and characterized by negative Nb and Ta anomalies and depleted HFSE relative to Th and La contents. However, the metagabbro samples display the geochemical signatures of boninitic rocks and characterized by highly depletion in HFSEs and REEs relative to N-MORB. The Devrekani Metaophiolite in the Central Pontides may represent another remnant of pre-Middle Jurassic oceanic crust generation and can be north-eastward continuation of the Permian-aged Almacık complex and the Boğazköy Metaophiolite fragment in the western Sakarya Composite Terrane. It may have been cut by intrusions of the extensive Middle Jurassic continental arc magmatism after its imbrication within the basement unit. The presence of pre-Middle Jurassic oceanic units may indicate that the Paleozoic ocean may have survived as the Jurassic Intra-Pontide Ocean between the Scythian Platform and Sakarya Composite Terrane during the Mesozoic time. Thus, the Intra-Pontide Suture may normally include the Palaeozoic and Mesozoic remnants of the long-lived northward subducting Tethyan ocean.