Ophiolites of the Kamchatsky Mys Peninsula, eastern Kamchatka: Structure, composition, and geodynamic setting

Abstract

Ophiolites of the Afrika Mys Block of the Kamchatsky Mys Peninsula, eastern Kamchatka, are a fragment of an accretionary prism that formed in the Late Cretaceous-Eocene on the southern side of the Kronotsky island arc as a result of its collision with the Smagino volcanic uplift that arose at the post-Neocomian time on the subducting plate. On the basis of the geologic, geochemical, and paleomagnetic data available to date, it is established that ophiolites are heterogeneous in their origin and were formed in different geodynamic settings that changed progressively with time. The heterogeneous structure of ophiolites displays the evolution of a fragment of the oceanic lithosphere, which was not submerged into subduction zone, from its origination in the spreading center via transformation under conditions of the plume-related volcanic uplift to the involvement in the structure of the Kronotsky island arc, which is currently a constituent of the accretionary system of Kamchatka. The reconstruction of ophiolites tectonically fragmented in the accretionary prism allows recognition of (1) derivatives of an ocean ridge (ultramafic-gabbro-basaltic complex of the Mount Olen’ya Massif) conjugated with a transform fault and volcanosedimentary rocks of the Smagino volcanic uplift (cover of the oceanic crust) and (2) a fragment of the lithospheric mantle (ultramafic rocks of the Lake Stolbovoe Massif) exhumed in the process of collision and genetically related to the evolution of the volcanic uplift. In the course of evolution of the Kronotsky island arc, all these elements were overlapped by tephrogenic turbidites (Pikezh Formation) and quartz-feldspar graywackes (Pikezh Sandstone) that were involved in the accretionary prism as well. The paleotectonic reconstructions broadly support the petrologic conclusions about the complementary nature of different igneous complexes and ascertain the temporal sequence of events.