Pontide Belt Research Articles

District-Scale VMS to Porphyry-Epithermal Transitions in Subduction to Postcollisional Tectonic Environments: The Artvin Au-Cu District and the Hod Gold Corridor, Eastern Pontides Belt, Turkey

Abstract Porphyry, epithermal, and volcanogenic massive sulfide (VMS) deposits can form together in the same mineral district in convergent margin environments. Their spatial association and superposition indicate evolving tectonic settings. The Artvin Au-Cu district is one of the major clusters of VMS bimodal-felsic, porphyry, and epithermal deposits in the Eastern Pontides belt in northeast Turkey. Whereas ore-forming processes, timing, and tectonic setting of VMS mineralization are well defined in Artvin, those for porphyry and epithermal mineralization remain less constrained. Our district-scale field study focused on the Hod gold corridor in the Artvin district, which is defined by the NE-trending alignment of the recent Au-Cu mineral discoveries (~205 t Au; ~0.33 Mt Cu; e.g., Hod Maden, Ardala-Salinbaş, and Taç-Çorak) that include Au-rich porphyry, highand intermediate-sulfidation epithermal, carbonate-replacement, and hybrid VMS-epithermal mineralization styles. Our new U-Pb, 40Ar/39Ar, and Re-Os geochronological results interpreted with previously compiled data show that magmatism in the Artvin district formed in the Carboniferous (358–325 Ma), Jurassic (182–174 Ma), Late Cretaceous (92–78 Ma), Eocene (51–40 Ma), and Oligocene (30 Ma). Porphyry and epithermal mineralization along the Hod gold corridor peaked in the Early (~113 Ma; Berta prospect) and Late Cretaceous (~86.5-82 Ma; e.g., Taç and Çorak deposits) and Eocene (~50 Ma; e.g., Ardala deposit), whereas VMS bimodal-felsic mineralization only formed in the Late Cretaceous (~91–85 Ma). Therefore, we interpret that the Hod gold corridor was a long-lived, deep crustal-scale structural feature along which the successive magmatic and mineralization events were emplaced. In addition, the timing of porphyry Cu-Mo mineralization can significantly (>20 Ma) postdate the crystallization age of the intrusive host rocks in the Artvin district, such as at Berta and Balcılı camp, which emphasizes the importance of dating mineralization directly to correctly attribute the tectonic setting. The distribution of Late Cretaceous mineral occurrences suggests a possible eastward temporal evolution from VMS (~91–85 Ma) to epithermal-porphyry systems (~86.5–82 Ma), transitioning from back-arc to arc settings at the onset of the Northern Neotethyan oceanic slab rollback and accompanied by increasingly elevated gold content eastwards across the Artvin district.

Removing a mask of alteration: Geochemistry and age of the Karadag volcanic sequence in SE Crimea

The Karadag Massif in south-eastern Crimea hosts a thick sequence of volcanic rocks, which underwent significant secondary alteration. Here we deduce the effects of alteration, remove their mask and estimate the primary chemical composition and age of these volcanic rocks using their bulk chemical analyses, as well as chemical data from plagioclase, ortho- and clinopyroxene-hosted melt inclusions, and Ar isotope analyses of plagioclase and groundmass from the freshest andesite. Our data reveal two distinct magmatic series in the Karadag Massif. The first defines a subalkaline, calcic, medium-K series with high enrichment in LILE, U, Th and LREE relative to HREE, Y, Zr, Hf, Nb and Ta, which is typical of supra-subduction volcanic rocks. According to previously published trace element data, most of the Karadag volcanic rocks belong to this series. We use Ar isotope data to argue that the age of these rocks is 172.8 ± 4.5 Ma, which is consistent with the biostratigraphy. No reliable major-element chemical data and no isotopic data were obtained from the second series, although its trace-element signature is similar to that of some Nb-enriched supra-subduction volcanic rocks. It is characterised by less pronounced enrichment in LILE, U, Th and LREE relative to HREE, Y, Zr, Hf, Nb and Ta, and relatively high contents of Nb and Ta. Typical supra-subduction series of the Karadag Massif is similar to other pre-Cretaceous magmatic rocks exposed in Crimea, and hence likely formed in a similar environment. Literature data on Middle Jurassic magmatic rocks of the Pontides Belt in northern Turkey also allow to distinguish two magmatic series, which closely correspond to the magmatic rocks in Crimea. This is consistent with palaeotectonic reconstructions which suggest that the Pontides Belt was joined to Crimea prior to the opening of the Black Sea, and they formed a single volcanic arc.

Petrology, Geochronology and Tectonic Setting of Early Triassic Alkaline Metagabbros From the Eastern Pontide Orogenic Belt (NE Turkey): Implications for the Geodynamic Evolution of Gondwana's Early Mesozoic Northern Margin

AbstractThe Triassic geodynamic evolution of the Pontides Belt, which geographically corresponds to northern Anatolia, is still a matter of debate. We present and interpret geological, petrographical, geochemical, and geochronological data from small, discordant, metagabbroic rocks exposed in the Tokat Massif. Field and petrographic characteristics distinguish four subgroups: (i) medium‐grained, slightly lineated, clinopyroxene‐rich metagabbros; (ii) fine‐grained, nonlineated, clinopyroxene‐rich metagabbros; (iii) medium‐grained, nonlineated, brown amphibole‐rich metagabbros; and (iv) medium‐grained, slightly lineated, brown and blue amphibole‐rich metagabbros. Magmatic kaersutites give 39Ar/40Ar plateau ages of 244.6 ± 0.5 and 243.16 ± 0.92 Ma and overlap the U‐Pb age of titanite from a clinopyroxene‐rich sample. Inherited zircons (~460, ~880, and ~2600 Ma) in fine‐grained clinopyroxene‐rich metagabbros indicate interaction with a range of crustal rocks during the intrusion. The blue amphiboles are magnesioriebeckites that formed during metamorphism or late‐stage crystallization. Geochemical data, including whole rock major and trace element concentrations, and Sr‐Nd‐Pb isotope compositions reveal that both clinopyroxene‐ and amphibole‐rich metagabbros are alkaline in composition but derived from distinct mantle sources. They are compositionally distinct from mafic igneous rocks in the contemporaneous Permo‐Triassic Karakaya Complex that is well exposed in the western part of the Pontides Belt. Considering all data, we suggest that the Pontides Belt was shaped above a south dipping subduction zone during Permo‐Triassic and the alkaline gabbros that were emplaced into crustal rocks during Early Triassic back‐arc rifting of the northern margin of Gondwana.

Permo–Triassic and Liassic Tethyan Oceanic Tracts within the Pontide Belt Along the Southern Margin of Eurasia, Northern Anatolia

The Pontide belt in northern Turkey includes three major tectonic terranes, the Strandja Massif (SjM), and the Istanbul (ISZ) and Sakarya Zones (SZ) (Fig. 1). We present new age and geochemical data from ophiolites and ophiolitic mélanges within the Sakarya Zone and show that these mafic–ultramafic rocks are the remnants of Tethyan oceanic lithosphere formed in different tectonic settings. The main ophiolite occurrences investigated in this study along the Karakaya Suture (KS) are associated with the latest Triassic Cimmeride orogeny, and in the Küre–Yusufeli ophiolite belt are part of the Alpide orogeny.The Karakaya Suture Zone ophiolites in northern west Turkey are comprised mainly of the Denizgoren (Çanakkale) ophiolite, Boğreve;azköy (Bursa), Geyve (Sakarya), Almacık (Düzce) and Çele (Bolu) metaophiolites. The Denizgören ophiolite largely contains upper mantle peridotites, which are equivalents of the Permo–Triassic Lesvos peridotites and mélange units farther SW in the northern Aegean Sea. The Boğreve;azköy ophiolite includes serpentinite and metagabbro, and the Almacık and Geyve ophiolites display an almost complete Penrose–type sequence consisting of serpentinized upper mantle peridotites, cumulate ultramafic–mafic rocks, isotropic gabbros, dolerite and plagiogranite dikes, and extrusive rocks. U–Pb zircon dating of plagiogranite dikes from Çele has revealed an igneous age of 260 Ma, and 255, 235, 227 Ma from Almacık (Bozkurt et al., 2012a, b). Consistent with the previously published Permo–Triassic age, we obtained a 268.4±6.3 Ma U–Pb zircon age from a plagiogranite dike within the Almacik ophiolite to the west. This KS ophiolite belt containing the Çele, Almacık, Geyve ophiolites within the SZ extends westward into the Armutlu Peninsula and then into the Biga Peninsula (i.e. Denizgören ophiolite) and most likely connects with the remnants of the Triassic Meliata–Meliac ocean basin (Stampfli and Borel, 2002) in the Balkan Peninsula. The KS ophiolites also continue eastward within the Pontide Belt into the Elekdağreve; ophiolite (eastern Kastamonu) and then to the Refahiye ophiolite in NE Anatolia.Triassic granites in the SZ represent a magmatic arc that formed as a result of the northward subduction of the Izmir–Ankara–Erzincan oceanic lithosphere existing during the late Paleozoic through Cretaceous (Sarifakioglu et al., 2014) beneath the Pontides. We obtained a U–Pb zircon age of 231±2 Ma from a metagranitic intrusion into the Variscan basement of the SZ in the Kastamonu region of the central Pontides. This metagranite is enriched in LILE (Rb: 63 ppm; Ba:65 ppm; Sr: 200 ppm) and depleted in HFSE (Y: 12.58 ppm; Yb: 1.26 ppm; TiO2: 0.2 wt.%; Nb: 7.6 ppm; Hf: 3.9 ppm), characterizing it as subduction–related calc‐alkaline pluton. Lead (3.9 ppm), U (1.6 ppm) and Ce (59 ppm) contents are interpreted as evidence for contamination by continental crust. The Küre basin to the north opened during the late Triassic to Liassic, following a backarc rifting episode in the central Pontides. Metabasic dike intrusions in the Devrekani metamorphic massif represent the first magmatic stage of this backarc rifting event. Whole‐rock 40Ar‐39Ar dating of the metabasic dikes has yielded cooling ages of 160.5±1.2 Ma. We infer that this age was reset due to thermal heating during the emplacement of the Middle Jurassic granitoids as the Küre oceanic basin was closing. The Küre ophiolite contains upper mantle peridotites and oceanic crustal rocks composed mainly of pillow–massive–breccia basalts, dacitic and rhyolitic lavas–tuffs, diabase dyke swarms, massive gabbros and a limited extent mafic cumulates. We obtained 182.6±1.9 Ma as a whole‐rock 40Ar‐39Ar age from a pillow basalt and a U–Pb zircon age of 171±1 Ma from the granitic intrusion cross‐cutting the peridotites. The easternmost representatives of the Küre ophiolite occur in the Yusufeli (Artvin) area in the eastern part of the Pontide belt. Here, oceanic crustal rocks are tectonically related to metamorphic rocks of the Variscan basement of the SZ. The ophiolitic crustal rocks contain isotropic gabbro and mafic and felsic dikes. Serpentinized upper mantle peridotites are scarce. Pillow lava basalts are overlain by a thick metasandstone–metashale association with locally foliated meta–lava and some manganiferous chert and mudstone interlayers. We obtained a U–Pb zircon age of 172.5±1.4 Ma from the granitic intrusion cross‐cutting the Yusufeli ophiolite and of 181.9±0.9 Ma from a felsic dike (plagiogranite) in the Yusufeli ophiolite. The Middle Jurassic granites are related to the closure of the Küre‐Yusufeli marginal ocean basin. The Küre and Yusufeli ophiolites have been previously interpreted as the remnants of the Paleotethys or the Intra‐Pontide Ocean. However, we posit that these ophiolites represent a marginal, short‐lived (∼10 Ma) ocean basin, which opened during the late Triassic through Liassic, and then closed in Dogger. This oceanic lithosphere is similar to the Evros ophiolite in the northeastern Greece in terms of its ages and geochemical characteristics.

Stratigraphic comparisons along the Pontides (Turkey) based on new nannoplankton age determinations in the Eastern Pontides: geodynamic implications

Abstract We compared the stratigraphic formations along the southern margin of the Black Sea using 196 nannoplankton ages determined in the Western and Central Pontides and 112 new samples from the Eastern Pontides. We inferred that the İstanbul and Sakarya zones were amalgamated prior to the Early Cretaceous. Extensional subsidence migrated eastwards along the Pontides from the Barremian to the Paleocene. The eastwards younging of the Cretaceous magmatism suggested that the eastern Black Sea Basin is younger. Locally, angular unconformities and a stratigraphic gap testify to the Late Albian uplift of the Central Pontides as a consequence of the collision of an oceanic edifice. Cretaceous Oceanic Red Beds are marker beds of Santonian age along the much of the Pontides and are of mainly Campanian age within the Eastern Pontides. The Middle Campanian–Paleocene was a non-volcanic period characterized by extensional subsidence mainly along the eastern Black Sea Basin. The end of Cretaceous volcanism can be correlated with a southwards subduction jump. Syn-compressional basins show that contraction started during the Ypresian along the entire Pontide belt. Eocene volcanism started earlier in the north (Lutetian) than in the south (Bartonian) of the Eastern Pontides. This propagation of syn-collisional volcanism could have resulted from slab steepening under the Eastern Pontides.

The geochemical and Sr–Nd isotopic characteristics of Eocene to Miocene NW Anatolian granitoids: Implications for magma evolution in a post-collisional setting

Early Eocene to Early Miocene magmatic activity in northwestern Anatolia led to the emplacement of a number of granitoid plutons with convergent margin geochemical signatures. Granitoid plutons in the area are mainly distributed within and north of the suture zone formed after the collision of the Anatolide-Tauride platform with the Pontide belt. We present geochemical characteristics of three intrusive bodies in the region in order to identify their source characteristics and geodynamic significance. Among these, the Çataldağ and Ilıca-Şamlı plutons are located to the north and the Orhaneli pluton is located to the south of the IAESZ (Izmir-Ankara-Erzincan Suture Zone). The plutons are calc-alkaline, metaluminous, and I-type with compositions from granite to monzonite. They display clear enrichments in LILE and LREE and depletions in HFSE relative to N-MORB compositions and have high 87Sr/86Sr and low 143Nd/144Nd ratios.The results of theoretical Fractional Crystallization (FC) model show that the samples are affected by fractionation of K-feldspar, plagioclase, biotite and amphibole. Assimilation and Fractional Crystallization (AFC) modeling indicates that the r value, the proportion of variable contamination to fraction, is high, indicating significant crustal contamination in the genesis of granitoid magmas. Combined evaluation of isotopic and trace element data indicates that the granitoids are the products of mantle-derived mafic magmas variably differentiated by simultaneous crustal contamination and fractional crystallization in lower to middle crustal magma chambers in a post-collisional setting.

Lithospheric structural control on inversion of the southern margin of the Black Sea Basin, Central Pontides, Turkey

To illustrate the structural evolution of the Black Sea Basin in the context of Neotethyan subduction and subsequent continental collisions, we present the first lithosphere-scale, ∼250-km-long, balanced and restored cross section across its southern continental margin, the Central Pontides. Cross-section construction and restoration are based on field, seismic-reflection, geophysical, and apatite fission-track data. The structure of the onshore Pontides belt is predominantly controlled by inverted normal faults, whereas the offshore areas are devoid of large structural inversion. The restored section indicates that Cretaceous crustal thinning occurred synchronously with (probably buoyancy-driven) exhumation of a forearc high-pressure blueschist wedge likely during Neotethyan slab retreat. Apatite fission-track data show that structural inversion of the forearc zone, which formed the Central Pontides fold-and-thrust belt, started at ca. 55 Ma. This Eocene structural inversion followed upon collision of the Kirs¸ehir continental block and the arrest of Neotethyan oceanic subduction below the Central Pontides. Compared to the Central Pontides belt, which underwent significant shortening (∼28 km, i.e., ∼33%), the relatively colder and stronger Black Sea lithosphere prevented the northern offshore areas from undergoing inversion. We propose that the location of Cenozoic contractional deformation is related to the absence of lithospheric mantle below the southern Pontides (forearc) zone as a consequence of the Cretaceous high-pressure wedge exhumation.

Geochemistry, Re–Os isotopes and highly siderophile element abundances in the Eastern Pontide peridotites (NE Turkey): Multiple episodes of melt extraction–depletion, melt–rock interaction and fertilization of the Rheic Ocean mantle

We report on the structure, geochemistry, Re–Os isotopes and relative abundances of highly siderophile elements (HSEs) of the Paleozoic peridotite–basalt occurrences in the Eastern Pontide belt of northeastern Turkey. These peridotites and the associated basaltic rocks are the remnants of the Rheic oceanic lithosphere, incorporated into the Eurasian continental margin during the Variscan (Hercynian) orogeny. The peridotites display a complex record of multiple magmatic, metasomatic and metamorphic events in different tectonic settings during the evolution of the Rheic upper mantle. The Beyçam harzburgite (BH) contains low Al2O3 (0.51–1.88 anhydrous wt.%) and high MgO (41.35–42.34 wt.%) contents, and its bulk-rock trace element compositions are less than 10% of the primitive upper mantle (PUM) values. The platinum, Pd and Re contents of the Beyçam harzburgite are highly depleted, whereas its Os, Ir, and Ru contents are slightly enriched relative to the PUM values. Its Pd and Re contents that are higher than those of the fertile Pulur lherzolite (PL) to the south and the absence of an isochronous relationship between its 187Os/188Os and 187Re/188Os show that the trace element distribution and the isotope ratios of the Beyçam harzburgite were significantly modified after the first melt-extraction episode. The first melt extraction occurred beneath the Rheic mid-ocean ridge spreading center, whereas the second melt extraction occurred in a mantle wedge above a Rheic subduction zone. The primary magmatic phases of the Pulur lherzolite show the geochemical characteristics typical for fertile lherzolite, formed in the early stages of oceanic lithosphere generation subsequent to the continental break up. The Pulur lherzolite also contains a secondary magmatic phase in the form of networks of clinopyroxene veins and channels, which are interpreted as an evidence for solid state melt–rock reactions between the lherzolite and a percolating basaltic melt above a subduction zone. This clinopyroxene addition resulted in the formation of variable concentrations of Al2O3 (2.47–4.33wt.%) and MgO (29.76–40.10wt.%) in the lherzolite. The rhenium, Pd and Pt concentrations of the Pulur lherzolite are depleted relative to the PUM values, whereas the Os, Ir and Ru concentrations are in the range of the PUM values as commonly observed in peridotites with a melt depletion history. The high suprachondritic 187Os/188Os is, however, inconsistent with a simple melt depletion history, and can be explained by the addition of radiogenic Os-bearing sulfide phases into the lherzolite as a result of melt–rock reactions. Basaltic rocks with an island arc tholeiitic composition from the Beyçam area represent the partial melting product of the moderately depleted Beyçam harzburgite and the basaltic parental melt from which the clinopyroxene precipitated. The covariation between the 187Re/188Os and 187Os/188Os of these basaltic rocks defines an isochron age of 377±8Ma (late Devonian). The combined structural, geochemical and isotope data indicate a prolonged history of multiple episodes of melt extraction–depletion, and melt–rock interaction and fertilization of the mantle lithosphere of the Rheic Ocean.

Editorial introduction to ‘Geological Development of Anatolia and the Easternmost Mediterranean Region’

The present set of 22 papers stems from the 7th International Symposium on Eastern Mediterranean Geology that was held in Adana, Turkey, 18–22 October 2010. After its initiation in l992, in Adana this international conference has been held successively in Jerusalem (Israel) in l995, Nicosia (Cyprus) in 1998, Isparta (Turkey) in 2001, Thessalonica (Greece) in 2004 and Amman (Jordan) in 2007. The Cyprus and Thessalonica conferences were followed by substantive publications, including one with a focus on Cyprus (Panayides et al. 2000) and another mainly concerned with the Balkan region (Robertson & Mountrakis 2006). A subset of the papers that were presented at the 7th Adana meeting, together with some others, have been prepared and edited for the present volume. Anatolia and the surrounding region provide an excellent opportunity for the study of fundamental geological processes, including rifting, seafloor spreading, ophiolite genesis and emplacement, collision, continental assembly and neotectonics. This volume should interest a wide cross-section of international researchers, including those concerned with hydrocarbons, mineral deposits and seismic risk, and also postgraduate students and advanced undergraduates. The papers highlight the role of fieldwork, the multidisciplinary nature of much of the current research in the region, the role of teamwork and the strong contribution being made by young scientists. Following an introductory chapter, the volume is divided into four sections covering different aspects of the region as a whole. The area discussed mainly lies within Turkey, Cyprus and Syria. Section 1 is made up of a small number of papers that are mainly concerned with the Pontide belt of northern Turkey. Section 2 is concerned with the geological development of the Tauride and Anatolide belts of central and southern Anatolia, especially the Triassic–Jurassic period of rifting and passive margin development and the Late Cretaceous period of ophiolite genesis and emplacement. Section 3 is mainly concerned with the formation of sedimentary basins during closure of several Mesozoic ocean basins and the related structural development during Late Cretaceous to Pliocene time. Finally, Section 4 is devoted to aspects of the structural development of the region, mainly during the Pliocene–Quaternary (i.e. neotectonics) when the plate configuration was essentially as it is today. The area covered by each paper is shown in Figure 1. The introduction by Robertson et al. covers the southern part of Anatolia and the adjacent easternmost Mediterranean region that was the main subject of the international conference. The main focus is on Late Permian–Recent time. A review of the Late Precambrian–Recent geological development of the easternmost Mediterranean region is published elsewhere (Robertson et al. 2012). The authors discuss alternative interpretations of the Mesozoic–Cenozoic inter-relations of the various crustal units that make up the region. In particular, they consider whether these should be interpreted as individual microcontinents separated by Mesozoic small ocean basins or as parts of larger continental units (i.e. microcontinents). The Anatolides in the north are generally interpreted as the metamorphosed equivalents of the Taurides, although different reconstructions exist. The Anatolides are commonly seen as the northern, leading edge of the Mesozoic Tauride–Anatolide continent that subducted and underwent high-pressure/lowtemperature (HP/LT) metamorphism during Late Cretaceous–Early Cenozoic time. The Anatolides are divided into two parts, namely the HP/LTmetamorphosed Afyon–Bolkar Dag zone in the south, which can be closely correlated with the Taurides, and the very HP/LT Tavsanli Zone further north, which also shows some affinities with the Taurides but is less well understood. The Kirsehir Massif is interpreted as a rifted continental block that was separated from a larger Tauride continent to the south by a Mesozoic oceanic basin known as the Inner-Tauride Ocean. However, uncertainties remain, including the reconstruction

Discovery of Miocene adakitic dacite from the Eastern Pontides Belt (NE Turkey) and a revised geodynamic model for the late Cenozoic evolution of the Eastern Mediterranean region

The Cenozoic magmatic record within the ca. 500km long eastern Pontides orogen, located within the Alpine metallogenic belt, is critical to evaluate the tectonic history and geodynamic evolution of the eastern Mediterranean region. In this paper we report for the first time late Miocene adakitic rocks from the southeastern part of the eastern Pontides belt and present results from geochemical and Sr–Nd isotopic studies as well as zircon U–Pb geochronology. The Tavdagi dacite that we investigate in this study is exposed as round or ellipsoidal shaped bodies, sills, and dikes in the southeastern part of the belt. Zircons in the dacite show euhedral crystal morphology with oscillatory zoning and high Th/U values (up to 1.69) typical of magmatic origin. Zircon LA–ICPMS analysis yielded a weighted mean 206Pb/238U age of 7.86±0.15Ma. SHRIMP analyses of zircons with typical magmatic zoning from another sample yielded a weighted mean 206Pb/238U age of 8.79±0.19Ma. Both ages are identical and constrain the timing of dacitic magmatism as late Miocene. The Miocene Tavdagi dacite shows adakitic affinity with high SiO2 (68.95–71.41wt.%), Al2O3 (14.88–16.02wt.%), Na2O (3.27–4.12wt.%), Sr (331.4–462.1ppm), Sr/Y (85–103.7), LaN/YbN (34.3–50.9) and low Y (3.2–5ppm) values. Their initial 143Nd/144Nd (0.512723–0.512736) and 87Sr/86Sr (0.70484–0.70494) ratios are, respectively, lower and higher than those of normal oceanic crust. The geological, geochemical and isotopic data suggest that the adakitic magmatism was generated by partial melting of the mafic lower crust in the southeastern part of the eastern Pontide belt during the late Miocene. Based on the results presented in this study and a synthesis of the geological and tectonic information on the region, we propose that the entire northern edge of the eastern Pontides–Lesser Caucasus–Elbruz magmatic arc was an active continental margin during the Cenozoic. We identify a migration of the Cenozoic magmatism towards north over time resulting from the roll-back of the southward subducted Tethys oceanic lithosphere. Slab break-off during Pliocene is proposed to have triggered asthenospheric upwelling and partial melting of the subduction-modified mantle wedge which generated the alkaline magmatic rocks exposed in the northern part of the magmatic arc.

Petrochemistry and U-Pb Zircon Ages of Adakitic Intrusions from the Pulur Massif (Eastern Pontides, NE Turkey): Implications for Slab Rollback and Ridge Subduction Associated with Cenozoic Convergent Tectonics in the Eastern Mediterranean

The well-preserved magmatic arc in the eastern Pontides orogenic belt of northeastern Turkey offers critical clues on convergent margin tectonics associated with the late Mesozoic–early Cenozoic geodynamic evolution of the eastern Mediterranean region. Here we investigate the petrology, geochemistry, and U-Pb zircon chronology of adakitic intrusions from the Pulur region in the southern zone of the eastern Pontides belt. The intermediate to felsic intrusives in the Pulur region are characterized by the presence of abundant plagioclase, amphibole, and biotite phenocrysts. The rocks display extreme light rare earth element enrichment ; high Al2O3 (15.46–17.47 wt%), Na2O (3.57–8.43 wt%), Sr (324.8–1468 ppm), and La (13.9–55.8 ppm) concentrations; a high Sr/Y ratio (35–473); and low Y (3–12.6 ppm) and heavy rare earth element concentrations, closely comparing with the typical features of adakites. Zircons extracted from the Pulur adakites show euhedral crystal shapes, oscillatory zoning patterns, and high Th/U ratios (up to 3.33) consistent with their magmatic origin. Their 206Pb/238U ages show a range of 55.21–53.07 Ma, correlating the magmatism to the early Eocene. We propose a tectonic model involving the initiation of a slab rollback and simultaneous opening of a slab window during ridge subduction in a south-dipping subduction zone for the origin of the Tertiary adakitic and nonadakitic magmatism in the eastern Pontides orogenic belt. We also identify a close relation between slab rollback processes and backarc extension, which led to the opening of the Tertiary basins in the southern part of the eastern Pontide orogenic belt. The eastern Pontide orogenic belt is one of the world’s largest metallogenic provinces, and it hosts various economic mineralizations such as volcanogenic massive sulfide, epithermal gold-silver, porphyry copper-molybdenum, skarn-type, and chromite. However, the adakitic intrusions exposed in the southern part of the eastern Pontide orogenic belt are devoid of ore deposits, which leads us to propose that the Lutetian or later nonadakitic granitic intrusions exposed at the north of the Gumushane-Bayburt-Ispir line were probably responsible for the epithermal gold mineralization in this belt.

Arc magmatism as a window to plate kinematics and subduction polarity: Example from the eastern Pontides belt, NE Turkey

The Eastern Pontides orogenic belt in the Black Sea region of Turkey offers a critical window to plate kinematics and subduction polarity during the closure of the Paleotethys. Here we provide a brief synthesis on recent information from this belt. We infer a southward subduction for the origin of the Eastern Pontides orogenic belt and its associated late Mesozoic–Cenozoic magmatism based on clear spatial and temporal variations in Late Cretaceous and Cenozoic arc magmatism, together with the existence of a prominent south-dipping reverse fault system along the entire southern coast of the Black Sea. Our model is at variance with some recent proposals favoring a northward subduction polarity, and illustrates the importance of arc magmatism in evaluating the geodynamic milieu associated with convergent margin processes.

Migrating magmatism in a continental arc: Geodynamics of the Eastern Mediterranean revisited

The eastern Pontide orogenic belt in Turkey offers a critical region to evaluate the geodynamic evolution of the eastern Mediterranean region during the late Mesozoic–Cenozoic. Here we synthesize results from our exhaustive database on the geochemical characteristics of adakitic magmatism from 137 bodies covering 7 domains in the southern zone of eastern Pontides. Together with new Pb–Sr–Nd results, we show that the adakitic magmatism in the eastern Pontide belt is clearly linked to slab window processes during ridge subduction, as against the earlier models that assumed partial melting of a delaminated or thickened lower continental crust following collision. The isotopic compositions display a complex pattern and suggest mixing of multiple source materials such as depleted mantle, enriched lithospheric mantle, and upper crust. We also confirm a southward polarity of subduction as against the previous models that assumed a northward subduction. We supplement our model with evidence for a northward propagation of the adakitic magmatism, spatial and temporal variations in arc magmatism, presence of south-dipping reverse faults and a synthesis of the available paleomagnetic data. Our studies also suggest that the Black-Sea is a remnant of the Tethyan ocean that was situated to the north of the arc during the late Mesozoic–Cenozoic as against the correlation to a late Mesozoic–Cenozoic back-arc basin related to a northward subduction of the Paleo- or Neo-tethyan oceanic lithosphere in alternate models.

Crystal fractionation of adakitic magmas in the crust–mantle transition zone: Petrology, geochemistry and U–Pb zircon chronology of the Seme adakites, eastern Pontides, NE Turkey

Plutonic and porphyritic intrusions of adakitic rocks are widely distributed in the southern part of the eastern Pontides orogenic belt in Turkey. Ranging in age from late Paleocene to early Eocene, these intrusions provide critical information to evaluate the early Cenozoic geodynamic evolution of the eastern Mediterranean region. Here we report the results from our field, petrologic, geochemical and zircon U–Pb geochronological studies on adakitic intrusions in the Seme area from the southern part of eastern Pontides belt. The Seme granitoid, Daldibi dacite and Aslanca dacite porphyry from this region carry abundant plagioclcase, amphibole and biotite phenocrysts and have geochemical affinities typical of adakites including high SiO2 (58.48–75.6wt.%), Al2O3 (15.78–18.28wt.%), Na2O (3.94–5.08wt.%), Sr (506–1413ppm), and La (12.6–52.9ppm), moderate K2O (1.77–2.76wt.%), and low Y (4.7–14.2ppm) and Yb (0.28–1.29ppm). The early Eocene intrusions in the Seme area have compositional similarities with high-slica adakites, and their geochemical features suggest the involvement of slab-derived melts. The zircons separated from these rocks show euhedral crystal shapes with oscillatory cores typical of crystallization from magmas, as also confirmed by their high Th/U ratios (0.78 to 1.15). U–Pb analyses of zircons from the quartz diorite yielded a weighted mean 206Pb/238U age of 53.16±0.45Ma. Zircon grains from the Aslanca dacite porphyry occurring as a late phase within the Seme body show U–Pb isotopic ages of 53 and 52Ma concordant with U–Pb ages of zircons from quartz diorite. Based on major, trace and rare earth element data, we present a model suggesting crystal fractionation and/or differentation processes of subduction-related adakitic magmas stored in the crust–mantle transition zone, and their transfer into shallow depths of the overriding continental lithosphere.

Structure and geochemistry of an Alaskan-type ultramafic–mafic complex in the Eastern Pontides, NE Turkey

The Karayasmak ultramafic–mafic association (KUMA) in NE Turkey represents an Alaskan-type, pre-Liassic intrusion in the Pulur metamorphic massif and is one of many such intrusive complexes that were emplaced into the continental basement of the Eastern Pontides belt during the pre-Liassic. Its main lithological units include plagioclase peridotite, melagabbronorite, banded gabbro and anorthosite (Phase-I), gabbro-pegmatite dikes (Phase-II), unmetamorphosed banded gabbro (Phase-III), cumulate olivine gabbronorite (Phase-IV), and non-cumulate gabbroic dikes and stocks (Phase-V). The contact relations between these units are gradational or intrusive, with the peridotites (Phase-I) enveloping the cumulate gabbronorites (Phase-IV) in the center of the elliptical body, displaying a concentric reverse-zoning pattern. Cr–Al spinel, plagioclase, and olivine are the first crystallizing phases in all cumulate rocks, whereas pyroxene, hornblende, phlogopite, magnetite, and ilmenite represent the intercumulus phases. The existence of hornblende and phlogopite, the high Wo and Cr 2O 3 contents of clinopyroxene, and the high Fo and NiO contents of olivine indicate that the KUMA units were the near-liquidus fractional crystallization products of hydrous basaltic magma. The Phase-I and Phase-III cumulates are slightly enriched in LILE and LREE, depleted in HFSE and HREE with respect to chondrite and primitive mantle, and show negative Nb, Zr, Hf and Ti anomalies. The Phase-IV cumulate gabbronorites are even more enriched in LILE and LREE and show less depletion in HFSE and HREE in comparison to the earlier phases. The KUMA units formed from high-Al hydrous basaltic magmas, which were derived from partial melting of a previously subduction-metasomatized subcontinental-lithospheric mantle. These magmas underwent crystal fractionation and mineral concentration processes in small magma chamber(s) at shallow crustal levels (< 5 kbar).

Curie-point depth map of Turkey

SUMMARY A Curie-point isotherm map of the whole of Turkey has been prepared from aeromagnetic data by means of a spectral analysis technique. The most characteristic signature of this map is that the shallow depths generally correlated with the young volcanic rocks and the thinned crustal thicknesses in the west reveal geothermal fields and several hot springs. The orogenic Pontide belt of the Black Sea region in the north, the western Taurus belt in the south, and some high plateaus in eastern Turkey show that the deepest Curie isotherm depths range between 20 and 29 km. Depth contour lines elongating in an almost E–W direction are due to the overlapping percentage of adjacent data blocks of 50 per cent in the E–W direction and to magnetic anomalies trending in the E–W direction. Curie isotherm depths are in the range 6 to 10 km in the Aegean region and are characterized by E–W- and NE–SW-trending graben structures, as expected, since the region has crustal thinning and many hot springs and geothermal fields. These imply the existence of shallow heat sources that could be utilized for electricity, heating of towns and cities, greenhouse and health purposes.

Effects of plate convergence obliquity on timing and mechanisms of exhumation of a mid-crustal terrain, the Central Anatolian Crystalline Complex

Apatite fission-track (FT) ages from the Central Anatolian Crystalline Complex (CACC), a microcontinent within the Turkish segment of the Alpine–Himalayan orogen, vary dramatically from north to south. This variation correlates with differences in the obliquity of convergence of the continental fragment relative to the Pontide belt (for the northern CACC) and the Tauride belt (for the southern CACC). The northern CACC was deformed and metamorphosed during Late Cretaceous orogen-normal collision and was exhumed from the mid-crust to shallow crustal levels (<2 km depth) primarily by erosion as evidenced by an extensive unroofing sequence nearby. Apatite FT ages from two massifs (Kırşehir, Akdağ) in the northern CACC range from ∼32 to 47 Ma and these rocks cooled slowly at ∼3°C/m.y. from >50 Ma to the present. In contrast, the southern CACC (Niğde Massif) was initially deformed and metamorphosed during Late Cretaceous contraction, but subsequently developed as a metamorphic core complex in a wrench-dominated regime and was exhumed to <2 km depth at least 20 m.y. later than the northern CACC. Apatite FT ages for the Niğde core complex range from ∼9 to 12 Ma and exhumation resulted in slow to moderate cooling at rates of 30°C to 8°C/m.y. The northern massifs were therefore exhumed to <2 km depth while the Niğde rocks remained above the apatite FT closure temperature. The Niğde core complex was unroofed primarily by tectonic denudation along low-angle detachment faults because the faults clearly bound the core and there is very little in the way of detritus that records unroofing. This is different from core complexes described for the Aegean and other extensional regimes worldwide because it developed in a highly oblique (wrench) zone. The broad zone of wrenching subsequently evolved into a narrow brittle fault zone that is intermittently seismically active today.

The Küre VMS (volcanogenic massive sulfide) deposit associated with the paleo-Tethys ophiolite, Turkey: allochthonous sulfide ore blocks in terrigenous sedimentary rocks

In the Pontides belt of northern Turkey, a number of ophiolites, which represent the paleo-Tethys oceanic crust-mantle of the Permian to Jurassic and active continental margin sequences of the Permian to early Jurassic are juxtaposed along the Tethyan suture (Sengor et al., 1980). Around the Kure mine dismembered ophiolite lacking sheeted dike complex is chaotically jumbled among terrigenous sedimentary rocks. In the Kure open pit, blocks of massive and stockwork sulfide ore associated with hyaloclastite ranging from a few tens of centimeters to few hundred meters in diameter are inlaid in scaly argillite with a prominent tectonic contact; so-called melange. The oceanic crust of paleo-Tethys overlain by a Cyprus type deposit is thought to be mingled with trench-fill terrigenous sediments and accreted to the continent. Although VMS deposits in sedimentary settings such as a back arc basin or marginal sea have been defined as Besshi type deposits (e. g., Slack, 1993), what would be the product if allochthonous VMS deposits, such as in this case, were introduced to a deeper level within the subduction zone and consequently undergone high P/T metamorphism ?

MIDDLE JURASSIC-LOWER CRETACEOUS BIOSTRATIGRAPHY IN THE CENTRAL PONTIDES (TURKEY): REMARKS ON PALEOGEOGRAPHY AND TECTONIC EVOLUTION

The deposition of Jurassic-Lower Cretaceous carbonates in the Pontides was controlled mainly by the evolution of an Atlantic-type continental margin in the Tethys. The study of several stratigraphic sections from allochthonous slices and blocks of the North Anatolian Ophiolitic Melange provided insight into the Middle Jurassic-Early Cretaceous paleogeographic evolution of the Central Pontide Belt. The Callovian-Aptian successions span the Globuligerina gr. oxfordiana, Clypeina jurassica (equivalent of the Tubiphytes morronensis zone), Protopeneroplis ultragranulata (with the Haplophragmoides joukowskyi subzone), Montsalevia salevensis , Hedbergella delrioensis - Hedbergella planispira - Leupoldina - Globigerinelloides and Globigerinelloides algerianus biozones. Two major stratigraphic gaps corresponding to the pre-Callovian and Hauterivian-Early Aptian ages are recognised within the successions. Lithostratigraphic and biostratigraphic studies indicate strong similarities in the evolution of the successions in the Amasya region (Central Pontides) and Biga-Bursa-Bilecik (BBB ) Platform (North-western Anatolia).