Search

The mantle section of the Guleman ophiolite consists mainly of depleted harzburgite and dunite with some less depleted harzburgite, all of which contain economically significant chromitite. The depleted harzburgite and dunite are characterized by low average bulk Al 2 O 3 (<0.85 wt%) and CaO (0.14–0.94 wt%) contents, high-Mg olivine (Fo = 90.8–93.8) and orthopyroxene (Mg# = 91.3–92.1) together with moderately high-Cr spinel (Cr# = 54.1–67.6). The less depleted harzburgite (sample EG30) contains higher bulk Al 2 O 3 (1.84 wt%) and CaO (2.15 wt%) contents, slightly lower-Mg olivine (Fo = 90.4) and orthopyroxene (Mg# = 90.4) together with lower-Cr spinel (Cr# = 17.9) and clinopyroxene with high Al 2 O 3 (2.79 wt%) and similar TiO 2 (0.05 wt%) contents. The 187Os/188Os isotopic ratios of the Guleman peridotites are 0.12589, 0.12736 and 0.13352, coupled with 187Re/188Os ratios of 0.32822, 0.90743, and 1.48804, respectively, for the dunite and depleted harzburgite These data suggest that the Guleman peridotites were modified by melt metasomatism and/or Re addition. Petrographical and geochemical results reveal that mantle peridotites experienced multi-stage melting and refertilization. In the first stage, abyssal peridotites were formed by ∼15% partial melting of an upwelling mantle at a mid-ocean ridge under anhydrous conditions, which was followed by the second stage of partial melting in a supra-subduction zone environment under hydrous conditions. In this later stage, forearc peridotites were formed with a total of 25–43% partial melting for the two episodes and then refertilized. However, some of the peridotites were unaffected (or less affected) by these later events. As a result, abyssal and forearc peridotites are both observed in the Guleman ophiolite. • The composition of peridotites records two-stages depletion and refertilization. • Abyssal and forearc peridotites coexist in the Guleman ophiolite, SE Turkey. • Forearc peridotites experienced a total of 25–43% partial melting in the two stages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deposition of early Holocene Eastern Mediterranean S1 tephra and a Black Sea cryptotephra coincides with cultural transitions in the Fertile Crescent termed the Neolithic Revolution as well as sapropel formation during climate variability of the African humid period, classifying them as paramount regional marker horizons for archaeology as well as paleoclimatology. Their correlations with specific eruptions of the Mt. Erciyes stratovolcanic complex (Central Anatolia) remained inconclusive though. Here, we use zircon double-dating by (U–Th)/He and U–Th disequilibrium methods, major and trace element tephra glass geochemistry, and probabilistic modeling of tephra dispersal in an attempt to characterize all major late Quaternary proximal tephras of Mt. Erciyes, and to correlate them with distal deposits. Furthermore, we discuss contrasting proximal and distal tephra dispersal. Three nearly-coeval rhyolitic satellite domes (Dikkartın, Perikartın, and Karagüllü) erupted at Mt. Erciyes in the early Holocene, and their dome extrusions were all preceded by explosive phases producing pyroclastic material that formed tephra fall and pyroclastic flow deposits. The new eruption age of 9.03 ± 0.55 ka (1σ uncertainty here and elsewhere) for proximal Dikkartın pumice is consistent with 14C-based S1 tephra chronologies in distal locations averaging 8.92 ± 0.03 cal ka BP. Perikartın pyroclastic flow deposits predate S1 tephra by ca. 0.8 ka according to a pair of published 14C ages, and stratigraphically overlie Karagüllü fall-out, here dated to 8.2 ± 1.8 ka. Previously undated proximal tephras of Mt. Erciyes erupted in the Late (85.2 ± 4.9 ka) and Middle Pleistocene (154.5 ± 5.3 ka). S1 tephra glass is chemically similar to that of Dikkartın fall-out, but also indistinguishable from that of Perikartın fall-out. Karagüllü pumice is characterized by a distinct glass chemical composition, which correlates with that of unnamed cryptotephra reported for the southeastern Black Sea instead, where these results call for a re-evaluation of existing age models. Maximum lithic clast size isopleths for proximal Dikkartın fall-out indicate eastward dispersal of a 20 ± 5 km high eruption plume by stratospheric winds, in agreement with results of probabilistic tephra dispersal modeling. This azimuth contrasts with the known distribution of S1 tephra at distal locations that are all south of Mt. Erciyes. Significant tephra occurrences at up to 1300 km distance and orthogonal to prevalent stratospheric wind directions either result from very atypical wind conditions (probability ≪10 %), or are caused by tephra transport by prevailing low altitude winds. Two scenarios are proposed for low altitude transport: eolian reworking of primary fall-out (more likely from the more widespread Dikkartın deposits), or co-ignimbrite ash cloud dispersal (more likely from the Perikartın eruption which predominantly produced pyroclastic flows). Because S1 tephra is chemically indistinguishable from both Dikkartın and Perikartın by major and trace element glass compositions, its exact source and dispersal mechanism remain ambiguous, although existing 14C ages for Perikartın predating those for S1 tephra favor Dikkartın as its source. Image 1 • Five Pleistocene and Holocene explosive eruptions of Mt. Erciyes dated. • Holocene Dikkartın and Perikartın pumices chemically equal Mediterranean S1 tephra. • Karagüllü dome eruption identified as the source of a Black Sea cryptotephra. • Eastward dispersal of Dikkartın fall-out consistent with probabilistic modeling. • Southerly S1 tephra occurrence suggests low altitude ash dispersal from Mt. Ericyes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The initiation of subduction is associated with sequential magmatic responses that lead to the formation of the forearc lithosphere, yet the detailed characteristics of these magmatic activities are not well constrained. Here we use mineral chemistries and bulk-rock trace-element contents of highly-depleted harzburgites from the Guleman and Kızıldağ ophiolites in Southeast Turkey to examine mantle wedge melting dynamics during subduction initiation. We focus on how different components from the subducting slabs potentially contribute to various stages of magmatism throughout the process. Mineral and bulk-rock compositions of these harzburgites are significantly different from those of abyssal peridotites, suggesting that our harzburgites cannot be explained as residues of anhydrous adiabatic melting and melt-rock interaction at mid-ocean ridges alone. This implies that the petrogenesis of SE Turkey harzburgites involves additional processes and components. Harzburgites with the most depleted heavy-rare earth element (HREE) contents are the ones with the highest abundance of strongly incompatible elements, which can be explained by open-system processes where the peridotites in the mantle wedge experienced melting and infiltration of enriched components simultaneously. Open-system dynamic melting models with continuous flux of sediment-derived melts can account for the observed correlation, but are numerically too low compared to the measured values. Based on the observed fractionation between Zr, Hf, and elements with similar incompatibility (middle REEs), we hypothesized the involvement of amphibolite-derived melt and modeled its numerical trace-element contents. Binary mixing between this hypothetical melt and residues of the former open-system model can coherently account for the majority of the obtained trace-element data. This indicates that magmatic events during subduction initiation likely involve multiple components and occur in multiple stages, and that melt-mantle interaction plays a significant role in oceanic forearc lithosphere formation. Based on our model, we suggest the high (Zr/MREE) N signatures in some boninites and depleted harzburgites found in modern forearcs and ophiolites could be inherited from amphibolite-derived melts. Moreover, the existence of slab melts agrees with current constraints on the reconstructed geothermal gradients during subduction initiation based on the petrology and geochemistry of metamorphic soles. • Chemical compositions of depleted harzburgites record magmatic evolution of subduction initiation. • Chemistry of these harzburgites can be explained by open-system dynamic melting with continuous sediment derived-melt. • Their elevated Zr/MREE values are caused by addition of amphibolite-derived melt. • Our findings provide petrogenetic link between depleted harzburgites and boninitic magma in ophiolites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The continental collision between Arabia and Eurasia which gave rise to the Caucasus-Iran-Anatolia (CIA) volcanic province provides a unique opportunity for understanding collisional zone magmatism. This study reports a comprehensive dataset of ages and geochemical compositions of volcanic rocks formed during the initial phase of post-collisional magmatism in the CIA province. The age data indicate a diachronous onset of volcanism that began ~17 Ma in SE Anatolia, and propagated northward from ~11 to 9 Ma toward NE Anatolia and NW Iran. The rocks are characteristically bimodal, with dominantly basic (SiO 2 = 48–52 wt%) and silicic (SiO 2 = 58–71 wt%) components that feature significant isotopic variations (εNd = +6 to −5), suggesting two principal magma sources: (1) a juvenile mantle-derived component, and (2) an older continental crust component. We therefore attribute the volcanic initiation to a migrating post-collisional extension regime caused by the successive breakoff of subducted Neo-Tethyan slabs. Subsequent volcanism that began from ~6.5 Ma resulted in a wide spectrum of calc-alkaline and alkaline rocks, with mafic to felsic lithologies in the entire province. From ~2 Ma, volcanism ceased in the western CIA province, and started propagating eastward and southeastward to SE Iran, following the Urumieh-Dokhtar magmatic belt, consistent with the notion of an oblique continental collision between Arabia and Eurasia. • Post-collisional magmatism in the CIA province initiated diachronously. • It started at ~17 Ma in SE Anatolia and propagated from ~9 Ma toward NE Anatolia. • The initial phase has bimodal compositions and significant isotopic variations. • Three magma sources involved are juvenile mantle, juvenile crust and older crust. • The volcanic initiation is ascribed to a migrating post-collisional extension regime. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]