Petrology and 40Ar-39Ar dating of paragneisses from the Devrekani Massif (Central Pontides, Northern Turkey): Implications for the Jurassic high-T metamorphism in an extensional tectonic environment

Abstract

The Devrekani Massif in the northern part of the Central Pontides (Northern Turkey) provides important clues to the regional tectonics and geodynamic processes associated with Jurassic high grade metamorphic conditions. This study reports new paragenetic assemblages, mineral compositions, whole-rock geochemistry and 40Ar-39Ar geochronological data from the paragneisses in the massif, and, discusses the P–T conditions and geodynamic implications of the Jurassic metamorphism during continental extension in the Central Pontides. Upper amphibolite to lower granulite facies paragneisses form one of the main lithological units in the massif. Within these, there are five different mineral parageneses with diagnostic mineral assemblages of: quartz, K-feldspar (An0-1Ab4-26Or73-96), plagioclase (An18-35), biotite [XPhl: 0.28–0.57; Mg/(Mg + Fe2+): 0.33–0.61], sillimanite, cordierite [Mg/(Mg + Fe2+): 0.48–0.71] and garnet (Alm43-80Grs0-18Prp5-23And0-4Sps10-33) with minor hercynite. Based on Na-in-Crd thermometry and GASP barometry results, the peak metamorphic conditions are 775 ± 25 °C and 6 ± 1 kbar in the massif. The field relations, petrography and bulk chemical data suggest that the paragneisses, derived from shale-wackestone and pelitic sedimentary protoliths, are typical rock lithologies of an active continental margin. They display enrichments in LILE over HFSE, coupled with negative Nb and Ti anomalies, which are geochemical signatures of subduction-related sources. It is likely that the peak metamorphism took place during the Middle–Upper Jurassic period (ca. 174–156 Ma), suggesting that the metamorphic rocks cooled to 300–350 °C at ca. 156 Ma. The mineral assemblages reveal that the prograde history passed from sillimanite zone conditions up to the cordierite-garnet-K-feldspar zone. The petrological and geochronological data indicate that the protoliths are related to multiple sources such as volcano-sedimentary successions. We conclude that the Devrekani Massif represents the products of pre-Jurassic sedimentation, and Permo-Carboniferous continental arc magmatism, overprinted by Jurassic metamorphism.