Stratigraphy of the metamorphic rocks of Niğde Massif and new evidence of Triassic rifting of the Inner Tauride Ocean (Central Anatolia, Türkiye)

Authors : Mustafa Kemal ÖZKAN, Metin BEYAZPİRİNÇ, Ali Ekber AKÇAY, Muhamed ÇOBAN, Osman CANDAN, Osman Ersin KORALAY, Meftun Kerem SÖNMEZ, Halil YUSUFOĞLU

Pages : 57-85

Doi:10.19111/bulletinofmre.1133242

View : 20 | Download : 3

Publication Date : 2023-04-17

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :Metamorphites of Niğde Massif, which form the basis of study area covering the Niğde vicinity in Central Anatolia, are composed of Late Devonian Gümüşler, Carboniferous-early Permian Kaleboynu late Permian Kızıldağ formation and unconformable Triassic-Late Cretaceous cover units from bottom to the top, which are separated from each other with unconformities. The Triassic succession insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(Söğütlüdere formation); of phyllite-marble-schist alternations with common amphibolite levels is first distinguished in this study, unconformably overlies the Paleozoic succession. Thick homogeneous marbles of Jurassic-Cretaceous period, is defined by quartzite at the bottom representing the unconformity at the base, is defined as the Kırtepe formation. The succession probably ends with the Late Cretaceous metaflysch insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(Kırkpınar formation); constituting metaophiolite blocks with unconformable contact relationships. Amphibolite sample of the Söğütlüdere formation gives 239 Ma insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(Middle Triassic); age, which is interpreted as the crystallization age of the primary basic magmatism. The youngest detrital zircon ages insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(223-224 Ma); obtained from the metaclastics of the same formation shows that the primary deposition age of the formation is probably Late Triassic, which is consistent with this data. Geochemical data indicate an extensional environment of the alkaline composition and anorogenic originated basic volcanism developed on the continental crust. When these results evaluated together with the regional data, the metabasites of the Söğütlüdere formation can be interpreted as the first phase products of rifting, which commenced with the rifting process of the Tauride-Anatolide Platform in the Triassic period and resulted in the opening of the Inner Tauride Ocean and the break off the Kırşehir Block.
Keywords : Niğde Massif Metamorphics, Stratigraphy, Triassic Rifting, Inner Tauride Ocean