The East Anatolia-Lesser Caucasus ophiolite:An exceptional case of large-scale obduction,synthesis of data and numerical modelling

We present new,geological,metamorphic,geochemical and geochronological data on the East Anatolian-Lesser Caucasus ophiolites.These data are used in combination with a synthesis of previous data and numerical modelling to unravel the tectonic emplacement of ophiolites in this region.All these data allow the reconstruction of a large obducted ophiolite nappe,thrusted for>100 km and up to 250 km on the Anatolian-Armenian block.The ophiolite petrology shows three distinct magmatic series,highlighted by new isotopic and trace element data:(1)The main Early Jurassic Tholeiites(ophiolite s.s.)bear LILEenriched,subduction-modified,MORB chemical composition.Geology and petrology of the Tholeiite series substantiates a slow-spreading oceanic environment in a time spanning from the Late Triassic to the Middle-Late Jurassic.Serpentinites,gabbros and plagiogranites were exhumed by normal faults,and covered by radiolarites,while minor volumes of pillow-lava flows infilled the rift grabens.Tendency towards a subduction-modified geochemical signature suggests emplacement in a marginal basin above a subduction zone.(2)Late Early Cretaceous alkaline lavas conformably emplaced on top of the ophiolite.They have an OIB affinity.These lavas are featured by large pillow lavas interbedded a carbonate matrix.They show evidence for a large-scale OIB plume activity,which occurred prior to ophiolite obduction.(3)Early-Late Cretaceous calc-alkaline lavas and dykes.These magmatic rocks are found on top of the obducted nappe,above the post-obduction erosion level.This series shows similar Sr-Nd isotopic features as the Alkaline series,though having a clear supra-subduction affinity.They are thus interpreted to be the remelting product of a mantle previously contaminated by the OIB plume.Correlation of data from the Lesser Caucasus to western Anatolia shows a progression from back-arc to arc and fore-arc,which highlight a dissymmetry in the obducted oceanic lithosphere from East to West.The metamorphic P-T-t paths of the obduction sole lithologies define a southward propagation of the ophiolite:(1)P-T-t data from the northern Sevan-Akera suture zone(Armenia)highlight the presence and exhumation of eclogites(1.85±0.02 GPa and 590±5℃)and blueschists below the ophiolite,which are dated at ca.94 Ma by Ar-Ar on phengite.(2)Neighbouring Amasia(Armenia)garnet amphibolites indicate metamorphic peak conditions of 0.65±0.05 GPa and 600±20 C with a U-Pb on rutile age of 90.2±5.2 Ma and Ar-Ar on amphibole and phengite ages of 90.8±3.0 Ma and 90.8±1.2 Ma,respectively.These data are consistent with palaeontological dating of sediment deposits directly under(Cenomanian,i.e.>93.9 Ma)or sealing(Coniacian-Santonian,i.e.,≤89.8 Ma),the obduction.(3)At Hinis(NE Turkey)PT-t conditions on amphibolites(0.66±0.06 GPa and 660±20℃,with a U-Pb titanite age of80.0±3.2 Ma)agree with previous P-T-t data on granulites,and highlight a rapid exhumation below a top-to-the-North detachment sealed by the Early Maastrichtian unconformity(ca.70.6 Ma).Amphibolites are cross-cut by monzonites dated by U-Pb on titanite at 78.3±3.7 Ma.We propose that the HT-MP metamorphism was coeval with the monzonites,about 10 Ma after the obduction,and was triggered by the onset of subduction South of the Anatolides and by reactivation or acceleration of the subduction below the Pontides-Eurasian margin.Numerical modelling accounts for the obduction of an"old"~80 Myr oceanic lithosphere due to a significant heating of oceanic lithosphere through mantle upwelling,which increased the oceanic lithosphere buoyancy.The long-distance transport of a currently thin section of ophiolites(<1 km)onto the Anatolian continental margin is ascribed to a combination of northward mantle extensional thinning of the obducted oceanic lithosphere by the Hinis detachment at ca.80 Ma,and southward gravitational propagation of the ophiolite nappe onto its foreland basin.

CHARACTERISTICS OF TECTONIC MIXTITE ZONE IN THE LANCANG RIVER,WESTERN YUNNAN

Specialists think tectonic mixtite zone in Lancang River, which lies in southern and eastern fringe of Qingzang plateau, is the suture line (or contact strip) between Gondwana Land and Yangtz block (Fan Chengjun, 1982; Liu Zhengqian, etc, 1991; Fang Runsen,1993).By regional geological study (Legend:1∶50000) in Tu’e, western Yunnan, the author think major fracture zone about 6\|8km from western Lancang River is fragile\|ductile shear zone between batholithic granite of Biluo snow mountain and Jurassic\|Cretaceous slight curdle strata. The zone is a very complicated tectonic mixtite zone (width:0.7\|6km; strike: SN\|direction). Study based on geometric structure, constitution, metamorphism, deformation and kinematic characteristics, the author sum up the following features about the complex deformation zone.(1) Tectonic mixtite zone is a very complicate blocks made up of curdle blocks and residual blocks of granite. Its’ geometric structure is a net\|shape structure composed of matrixes and chaotic blocks in plane and have two kinds of structure types (obduction schists in early diagenesis and heteroploytypes in late diagenesis) in section.

Evidence in Oman for Mantle Excavating Hypervelocity Impact at the Cenomanian-Turonian Boundary?

Speculation that elliptical to circular segments of surface exposed lithospheric mantle belts might mark rims of large terrestrial impact basins suggests that the ophiolite rimmed Sulu Sea, Loyalty and Yucatan basins may have resulted from middle Miocene, late Eocene and K-Pg boundary mantle excavating hypervelocity impacts on Earth(Olds, 2019). The Semail ophiolite suggests such a circular rim segment with a ~250 km radius of curvature implying an originally ~500 km diameter impact basin before subsequent deformation/destruction at plate boundaries. Presently the Arabian plate is being actively consumed at the Makran subduction zone(Penney et al., 2017) which evidently will result in subduction of the Gulf of Oman and suturing of the adjacent Semail ophiolite in the near geological future. For large impact basins on the rocky planets, O’Keefe and Ahrens(1993) estimate maximum excavation depth to be roughly 5% of final crater diameter. In this case maximum ejecta source depths of ~25 km are implied, a number roughly comparable with observed thicknesses of crust plus mantle sections for the Semail ophiolite(Aldega et al., 2017) and depths of burial due to over-thrusting(obduction) implied by the exhumed metamorphic sole(Cowan et al., 2014). Hacker et al.(1996) and Roberts et al.(2016) place peak metamorphism timing of the Semail metamorphic sole within uncertainty of the C-T Boundary at 94 Ma. Study of possible correlation of peak obduction timing with end-Cenomanian global extinction plus anoxic events(Wan et al., 2003) and C-T boundary impact ejecta plus tsunami deposits(Monteiro et al., 2001) may be warranted.

Hypervelocity Impacts and Exposed Lithospheric Mantle: A Way to Recognize Large Terrestrial Impact Basins?

On the Moon and Mars olivine of probable mantle origin is detected at rims of large Late Heavy Bombardment(LHB) age impact basins for which excavation depth estimates exceed crustal thickness estimates. But lunar Crisium size impact basins are not recognized on Earth nor expected in the Phanerozoic from conventional interpretations of crater size frequency distributions. In this study several large circular to elliptical basin structures on Earth, for which hypothesized impact excavation depth would greatly exceed crustal thickness, are examined for the presence of exposed lithospheric mantle, expressed as ophiolite, at the rims. Three Phanerozoic impact basins, modified by plate tectonics and tentatively correlated with "ophiolite obduction" plus global extinction events, are proposed here. These tentatively suggested Phanerozoic impact basins are:(1) Yucatan Basin/Puerto Rico Trench with a Greater Antilles ophiolite rim. Cretaceous-Paleogene Boundary global extinction may correlate with Maastrichtian ophiolite obduction in Southeast Cuba.(2) Loyalty Basin with a New Caledonia ophiolite plus d’Entrecasteaux Ridge rim. Late Eocene global extinction may correlate with obduction of the New Caledonia Peridotite Nappe.(3) Sulu Sea Basin with a Palawan, Sabah etc. ophiolite rim. The Middle Miocene Disruption Event may correlate with ophiolite obduction plus ophiolitic mélange emplacement in Sabah and in Palawan. These originally circular to elliptical belts of exposed lithospheric mantle may serve as strain markers for relative plate motions in the vicinity of plate boundaries during post-impact geologic times. It is further speculated that plate boundaries may be initiated and/or modified by such impacts.