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 exis- tence 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 illus- trates the importance of arc magmatism in evaluating the geodynamic milieu associated with convergent margin orocesses.

Petrogenesis of the late Cretaceous Turnagol intrusion in the eastern Pontides:Implications for magma genesis in the arc setting

A series of Cretaceous plutons is present in the eastern Pontides of northeastern Turkey. The Turnag61 intrusion is the least studied and, thus, the least understood plutons in the orogen. This intrusion consists of hornblende-biotite granodiorites emplaced at 78 Ma based on LA-ICP-MS U-Pb zircon dating. It is of sub- alkaline affinity, belongs to the medium- to high-K calc-alkaline series, and displays features typical of I- type granites. The rocks of the intrusion are enriched in large-ion lithophile elements and light rare earth- elements with negative Eu anomalies （EuJEu＊ = 0.69-0.82）, but are deficient in high-field-strength elements. They have a small range of （87Sr/S6Sr）i （0.7060 0.7063）, ENd （-2.6 to 3.1）, and 6180 （＋8.1 to ＋9.1） values. Their Pb isotopic ratios are 206pb/204pb = 18.63-18.65, ＇207Tpb/204pb = 15.62-15.63, and 208pb/204pb 38.53-38.55. The fractionation of plagioclase, hornblende, and Fe-Ti oxides had key functions in the evolution of the Turnag61 intrusion. The crystallization temperatures of the melts ranged from 758 to 885 ℃ as determined by zircon and apatite saturation thermometry. All these characteristics, combined with the low values of K20/Na20 and （Na20 ＋ K20）/（FeOt ＋ MgO ＋ TiO2）, as well as the high values of （CaO ＋ FeOt ＋ MgO ＋ TiO2）, suggest an origin by dehydration melting from a metabasaltic lower crustal source.

Early Cretaceous to Middle Eocene Magmatic Evolution of Eastern Pontides:Zircon U-Pb Ages and Hf Isotopes,and Geochemical and Sr-Nd Isotopic Constraints from Multiphase Granitoids,NE Turkey

The Eastern Pontides orogenic belt(EPOB)represents a significant segment of the AlpineHimalayan orogenic belt that evolved from the Paleozoic to Cenozoic periods.Here we report new zircon U-Pb ages,together with Lu-Hf isotopes,and whole-rock geochemical and Sr-Nd isotopic analyses of plutonic rocks from EPOB,northeastern Turkey.Our aim is to interpret magmatic evolution in which the granitoids formed.Zircon U-Pb dating of six samples yielded crystallization ages of~134,~82,~39 Ma,respectively.They show a wide range of87Sr/86Sr((i))(0.7039–0.7109),andεNd(t)values varying from-9 to+4.6,yielding model ages(TDM)from 520 to 1623 Ma,suggesting a heterogeneous magma source.Dated zircons show exlusively positiveεHf(t)values(+12.4 to+1.4),yielding model ages(TDM)from 352 to 1059 Ma,implying that they are most likely derived from a juvenile lower crust rather than the mature continental crust.In this study,we suggested that the northward subduction of the Neo-Tethyan oceanic slab began from the Early Cretaceous and resulted in the Late Cretaceous magmatism.Moreover,the Middle Eocene magmatism in the EPOB was related to the collision of the Anatolide Taurid Platform(ATP)with the Pontides.