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• The Early Eocene porphyries are I-type metaluminous in composition. • These porphyries were derived from an enriched mantle domain. • Infiltration of asthenosphere due to slab break-off event triggered partial melting. • The porphyries represent an early stage of extensional tectonic in the Sakarya Zone. The initiation of the break-off of the northern branch of the Neotethyan oceanic lithosphere is an important but poorly understood event in the geology of the Sakarya Zone (SZ) in northeastern Turkey. Although it is well-known that Latest Cretaceous intrusives (~70 Ma) and early Eocene adakitic magmatic rocks are present in the eastern SZ, the outcrops of the early Eocene non-adakitic rocks are very limited, and their tectono-magmatic evolution has not been studied. We describe a small outcrop of non-adakitic quartz diorite porphyry in the Kov area of the Gümüşhane region in northeastern Turkey. The genesis of these porphyries is significant in evaluating the syn- to post-collision-related magmatism. The LA-ICP-MS zircon U-Pb dating revealed that the Kov quartz diorite porphyries (KQDP) formed at ca. 50 Ma, coeval with adakitic rocks, and ~20 Myr later than the slab roll-back-related intrusive rocks. The KQDPs are calc-alkaline in composition and enriched in large ion lithophile elements (LILEs) and light rare earth elements (LREEs) and depleted in high field strength elements (HFSEs; e.g., Nb, Ta, Ti), with significant negative anomalies of Nb, Ta, and Ti but positive anomalies of Th, U, and Pb. Isotopic compositions of the samples show limited range of variation and slight enrichment of 87Sr/86Sr(t) (0.70489 to 0.70555), ε Nd (t) (−1.4 to −1.2) with T DM of 1.11 to 1.61 Ga. Pb isotopic ratios of the samples point to an enriched mantle source. They were likely crystallized from the melt that originated from an EM2-type spinel-facies subcontinental lithospheric mantle (SCLM), followed by the fractionation with insignificant crustal assimilation. The SCLM was metasomatically enriched, and the metasomatic agent was likely H 2 O-rich fluids rather than sediments released from subducting oceanic crust during the Late Cretaceous closure of the Neotethyan oceanic lithosphere. In conjunction with the geological background and previous data, we propose that the generation of the KQDPs resulted from a slab break-off event that caused ascending or infiltration of hot asthenosphere, triggering mantle melting. Such sporadic occurrences of the KQDPs, with coeval adakitic rocks in the SZ, are likely associated with the onset of extensional tectonics due to the earlier stage of slab break-off along the region during the early Eocene period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The tectonic setting of the Eastern Pontides during the late Mesozoic to early Cenozoic remains a subject of debate. Petrogenesis of adakite-like granitoid porphyries plays a critical role in determining the nature of the lower continental crust and mantle dynamics during orogenic processes in the region. Here we describe, for the first time, the late Paleocene to early Eocene adakite-like granitoid porphyries from the northern part of the Eastern Pontides although their counterparts in the southern part have recently been found. The adakitic porphyries, which emplaced into the subduction-related Turonian–Santonian volcanics from northern part of the region, consist of I-type calc-alkaline quartz monzonite–tonalite (SiO2 =62.89–65.07wt.%) and high-K calc-alkaline granodiorite–granite associations (SiO2 =69.06–70.43wt.%). The former displays peraluminous to metaluminous signatures, whereas the latter shows peraluminous geochemical character. The granite–granodiorite porphyries have high K2O (3.32–3.84wt.%), and low Na2O (3.48–4.61wt.%) and MgO (0.91–1.04wt.%) relative to the quartz monzonite–tonalite association (K2O=1.50–1.92 wt.%; Na2O=4.08–6.45 wt.%; MgO=1.44–2.07 wt.%). Ar–Ar geochronology studies on the amphibole separates reveal that the adakite-like porphyries have a crystallization ages of 51.34±0.27 to 53.55±0.34Ma. Here, we contend that these rocks were formed by partial fusion of a mafic lower continental crust in a collisional phase but not in a subduction setting. All the samples exhibit the typical geochemical characteristics of adakite, that is, high Sr (250–1141ppm), high Sr/Y ratios (16–147), low Y (6.8–14.8ppm) and low HREE concentrations; they are similar to adakites formed by slab melting associated with the subduction zone. However, the rocks exhibit heterogeneity in isotopic composition, with ISr ranging from 0.70554 to 0.70986, εNd (51Ma) from –8.5 to –0.9 and Nd model ages from 0.72 to 1.26 Ga. The samples are characterized by relatively high Th, Th/U and no significant Eu anomalies, implying that garnet was stable in their source during partial melting. The compositional diversity between rock groups is probably related to partial melting of heterogeneous lower crustal source. All of the features are inconsistent with a slab-melting origin and slab-related petrogenetic model, but instead, they favor an origin by melting of heterogeneous lower continental crust due to a thermal anomaly that was induced by the upwelling of the asthenosphere through a slab break-off in a collisional setting. These interpretations argue against the evidence for the presence of an early Cenozoic arc setting in the Eastern Pontides. Instead, the early Cenozoic time in the region may be attributed to a geodynamic response to a post-collisional uplift phase that occurred along the continent-continent collision between the Pontide and the Anatolide-Tauride blocks. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Late Mesozoic evolution of the Neotethys Ocean is critical and still remains unclear along the entire Sakarya Zone (SZ), Turkey, because previous interpretations of the Middle to Late Jurassic rifting of the SZ have not been consensually accepted. We identified, for the first time, the Early Cretaceous dykes intruded into the Late Jurassic and Late Carboniferous bodies in the Çamlıkaya (Erzurum) area in the SZ. Here, we present a data set of new field observations, 40Ar/39Ar geochronology, whole-rock geochemical and Sr–Nd isotopes to find out the tectonic setting of previously undated basic to intermediate igneous rocks. 40Ar/39Ar technique on the groundmass separations yielded the plateau ages of 128.78 ± 1.02 to 122.89 ± 0.82 Ma. The investigated dykes are compositionally divided into two sub-groups: calc-alkaline lamprophyres (CAL) and high-Nb alkaline basalts (HNB). They show enrichment in large ion lithophile elements (LILE: e.g., Rb, Ba, K) and depletion in high field strength elements (HFSE: Nb and Ti) as well as moderate fractionation of light rare earth elements relative to heavy rare earth elements. The HNB have high Mg# (47–66), and relatively unradiogenic Sr 87Sr/86Sr(t) = 0.70385 to 0.70510] and Nd [ε Nd (t) = +0.5 to +5.3] isotopic composition, whereas the CAL possess moderate to high Mg# (32–72), and relatively high Sr 87Sr/86Sr(t) = 0.70586 to 0.71379] and Nd [ε Nd (t) = +1.5 to −9.9] isotopic composition. Early Cretaceous high-angle subduction triggered upwelling of the asthenosphere at 126 Ma, which likely generated a heat anomaly. This anomaly has probably induced melting of the oceanic slab and the metasomatized mantle to form the CAL and HNB. The HNB were generated by low degrees of melting of mantle domain that was previously reacted by oceanic slab-related adakitic melts at the depths of the garnet stability field (≥70 km). However, the CAL were probably formed at shallower mantle levels within the garnet-amphibole field by a relatively higher degree of melting of the mantle, also modified by subducted slab sediments. A new field, age, and petrochemical data from the Early Cretaceous dykes, combined with the presence of Aptian deep-water sediments to the north and the Late Jurassic-Early Cretaceous platform carbonates deposited in the passive margin setting along the entire SZ, imply the initiation of active-margin magmatism in the SZ. We suggest that the coexistence of the Early Cretaceous CAL and HNB points to the formation of an Andean-type active margin above a north-dipping Neotethyan oceanic slab. Their emplacement ages are associated with the inception of the magmatic arc structure and refer to a significant geodynamic turnover from passive-margin to active-margin tectonics along the SZ. • Ar–Ar dating suggest presence of an Early Cretaceous volcanism in the Sakarya Zone. • The CALs and HNBs were originated from an enriched mantle wedge. • All geochemical features indicate that they formed in a subduction setting. • All data refer a geodynamic shift from passive- to active-margin tectonics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Rheic Ocean is the most significant Paleozoic ocean that detached peri-Gondwana terranes from the northern Gondwana margin throughout the closure of the Iapetus Ocean. The suture of the Rheic Ocean spreads from Mexico to the Middle East, and the timing of its final closure is well-documented by the rocks formed in the Variscan-Alleghanian-Ouachita orogeny which led to the formation of the supercontinent Pangaea. However, as robust paleomagnetic and quantitative data are mostly lacking, the onset and evolution of the subduction of the Rheic Ocean are highly speculative, and they require further confirmation. Recently, the well-preserved metagranitoids along the western Sakarya Zone (SZ) in Anatolia have been identified, and they provide new data that improve our knowledge on the evolution of the Early Paleozoic Rheic Ocean along the northern Gondwana. Here, we present new geochronological, in situ zircon Hf isotope, and whole-rock geochemical analyses of these metagranitoids from the western SZ to enhance our understanding of the subduction processes of the Rheic Ocean. LA-ICP-MS zircon U-Pb dating demonstrated that the Bozüyük and Borçak metagranitoids from the western SZ were emplaced during the Silurian to Early Devonian (431 ± 2.7 to 403 ± 3.5 Ma). The both granitoids have medium- to high-K, calc-alkaline magmatic character, and exhibit peraluminous to slightly metaluminous geochemical signature. They show a typical arc pattern in terms of trace elements and have a uniform, moderate negative ε Hf (t) of −3.2 to −9.7, with Mesoproterozoic Hf depleted mantle model ages (T DM1 = 1.2 to 1.4 Ga). The geochemical and isotopic characteristics are not consistent with those of depleted mantle melts and melts derived from the crustal rocks in an intracontinental environment. Instead, the parental magma is likely generated from the partial melting of a homogeneous and enriched mantle wedge source. We propose that the Silurian to Early Devonian arc-related magmatism is associated with a northward subduction episode of the Rheic Oceanic lithosphere beneath the peri-Gondwana terranes. Hence, we consider that the opening of Paleotethys Ocean formed in a back-arc basin of subduction in Andean style to the north rather than a continental rift to the south in response to south-directed and short-lived supra-subduction zone (SSZ)-type subduction during the Silurian to Early Devonian. Unlabelled Image • Silurian to Early Devonian magmatism were recognized in the Sakarya Zone. • The metagranitoids originated from an enriched mantle domain. • Asthenospheric upwelling due to slab roll-back caused partial melting of mantle. • All the geochemical features indicate that they formed in a subduction setting. • The closure of Rheic Ocean triggered opening of Paleotethys in back-arc to north. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]