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Antarctica has been an object of interest for a long. It is considered important to increase individuals awareness and knowledge about Antarctica. The accuracy of individuals' scientific knowledge plays an important role in creating the awareness. In this study, the 349 secondary school students' knowledge and awareness about Antarctica was determined quantitatively with a questionnaire. Nineteen questions, including current topics were prepared. that addressed from biological geographic and climatic perspectives. According to the findings, 40% of the students thought Antarctica is in the North Pole, 42.6% thought polar bears and penguins live together; 46.6% thought Antarctica is best visited during summer months, 70.5% thought most glaciers are located in the northern hemisphere. Based on these findings, it can be said that students have inadequate and alternative conceptions about Antarctica. Studies can be conducted to determine how best to increase students' awareness.

Dolomitization is an important diagenetic process observed in carbonate rocks ranging in age from Precambrian to Holocene. The formation of massive dolostone bodies has long been a challenge due to complex sedimentary and diagenetic conditions. The presence of massive dolostone successions which pervasively occur in the Late Jurrasic-Early Cretaceous carbonates in Eastern Pontides (NE Turkey) can provide an excellent opportunity to gain a better understanding of the dolomitization process. Previous studies of these carbonates interpreted dolomite as a replacement phase after calcite formed at shallow burial depths. The nature of fluids for dolomitization has been attributed to the Late Jurassic–Early Cretaceous seawater. Here, we report new geochemical data, including rare earth elements (REEs) on the formation of dolomites of the Berdiga Formation and its relationship to the Late Jurassic magmatic event. These dolomites are grouped into two categories: (1) microcrystalline replacive dolomites (D1 and D2) corresponding to the shallow subsurface realm formed at relatively low-temperature conditions from seawater parentage fluids, and (2) coarse-crystalline replacive dolomites (D3) and cement dolomite (Cd) formed at shallow to intermediate burial depth under relatively high-temperature conditions from seawater affected by the hydrothermal fluid flux in Late Jurassic-Early Cretaceous. High-temperature input can be inferred from high fluid inclusion homogenization temperatures (170–210°C), low δ18O values, relatively high Eu/Eu*, Eu/Sm and Sm/Yb ratios, low Y/Ho ratios, and enrichment of LREE over HREE in these dolomites compared to the seawater signatures. The Late Jurassic magmatic event may have provided a heat supply for the generation of high-temperature input to the ambient seawater. This probably led to the rapid convection and circulation of seawater in the carbonate strata resulting in a water-rock alteration process and massive dolomitization. Therefore, we suggest that the dolomites in the Eastern Pontides are mainly formed at shallow burial associated with the Late Jurassic Magma generation. This model provides new insights into the mechanism of dolomite formation associated with a contemporaneous magmatic activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Broadly similar Early to Middle Jurassic stratigraphic sequences including bimodal igneous rocks of the Sanandaj–Sirjan Zone of Iran and the Sakarya Zone of Turkey suggest that these formed in a common tectonic setting in an extensional basin that evolved from a terrestrial magmatic rift to a marine shelf and passive continental margin. Whole‐rock chemistry and Sr–Nd isotope signatures indicate derivation of mafic melts from partial melting of the subcontinental lithosphere. Decompression associated with extension led to 5%–30% partial melting of spinel–garnet lherzolite with minor involvement of continental crust, producing tholeiitic to transitional basaltic magma. Extensional basins inverted during the Mid‐Late Jurassic. These relationships suggest the Early to Middle Jurassic formation of a volcanic rifted margin on the SW Eurasian margin, similar to that of offshore Norway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We describe Jurassic fossilized woods from the Gümüşhane and Erzurum regions of Turkey that represent the eastern Sakarya Zone (eSZ) terrestrial biota. We collected 27 fossil wood fragments in total. All 27 fossil wood specimens represent coniferous trees. We assigned ten specimens to Agathoxylon sp. type 1, fourteen to Agathoxylon sp. type 2, two to Protelicoxylon asiaticum and one to Xenoxylon hopeiense. Middle Jurassic woods are represented by Agathoxylon only what does not allow for any palaeobiogeographic inferences. The Late Jurassic wood flora evidences a continuity of Gondwanan eSZ terrestrial areas with the Laurasian ones. The occurrence of Xenoxylon within this Late Jurassic wood flora suggests an abundant water supply under a relatively cool/humid climate. Overall, both floras show important similarities to contemporary fossil wood flora from Iran and, to a lesser extent, to those from Georgia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The eastern Sakarya Zone (SZ), one of the Alpine Himalayan Belt's main components, has complex Mesozoic–Cenozoic geodynamic evolution, which remains controversial. Early-Middle Jurassic volcano-sedimentary successions (Şenköy Formation) extensively outcrops in Gümüşhane region, NE Turkey. It is regarded as a critical unit to understand the Mesozoic tectonic evolution of the eastern Sakarya Zone. One of the Şenköy Formation's predominant units is sandstone succession, preserving implications for paleoenvironmental conditions and tectono-sedimentary development of Neotethys Ocean. Thus, a combined analysis of comprehensive petrography, whole-rock major, trace and rare earth element data is carried out on the sandstones, which are well constrained as late Sinemurian- Pliensbachian. The sandstones are mainly arkosic to lithic arenites in lithology showing poor textural maturities. They are mostly represented by relatively high ICV, low CIA, high K2O/Al2O3, Fe2O3+ MgO, TiO2, Th/U, pronounced negative Eu anomaly, enriched LREEs, elevated GdN/YbN, low Ce/Ce*, Ni/Co, La/V and Zr/Ti. The petrographic and geochemical characteristics imply that the sediments may have experienced relatively low chemical weathering processes and slight reworking and recycling processes with a short transport distance before deposition in the basin. Early Jurassic sandstone successions were interpreted as a transgressive series, showing a predominantly open sea environment with oxidizing paleoenvironmental conditions. The sandstone samples' paleoenvironment is likely to be located along the southern margin of the arc and the Neotethyan basin to the south. The extensional and trans-extensional tectonic regime might have played an essential role in controlling the basin's isolated-half graben and/or asymmetric geometry, leading to changes in the provenance of studied sandstone samples. Thus, the geochemical signature differences are probably associated with basement-related proximal origins and minor effects of the multi-phases petrogenesis that experienced different source to sink processes. Early Jurassic sandstones were probably derived from multi-genetic source rocks, including (i) granite and (ii) metamorphic rocks. Our new data has also indicated that other source rocks can include mafic to felsic volcanic succession. The possible provenance for granitic pluton and metamorphic rocks can be provided by the Hercynian heterogenetic crystalline basement widespread throughout the SZ. However, mafic to felsic volcanic rock source is likely to be associated with the pre-Early Jurassic nearby volcanic-arc, which is rarely recorded in the eastern SZ. The source rock signatures may imply a close genetic link with ancient magmatic-arc generation due to the southward subduction of Palaeotethys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Bahçecik travertines, located in Gümü#hane (NE-Turkey) have been investigated for the first time using a multidisciplinary approach, which included sedimentological (lithofacies, depositional system), petrographic, radiometric 230Th dating, geochemical analysis (stable isotopes), palynomorphs and geophysics (GPR). A carbonate build-up, 12 m thick, was formed with some interruptions, through the middle Pleistocene period. For this study, two travertine sections (F and D) were extensively used to figure out palaeoenvironmental and palaeoclimatic proxies. The main precipitation cycles, separated by palaeosol levels, have been described and interpreted from a sedimentological perspective. The carbonate deposits consist of shrubs, crystalline crust, reed, laminated (micritic), pisoids, oncoids, calcite thin rafts and coated gas bubbles, lithoclasts, and palaeosol levels. The sedimentological fieldwork and petrographic analysis show that the Bahçecik travertines formed in depression depositional and slope depositional systems. Moreover, the first 230Th ages, stable isotopic results and palynofloral data in this study, prove that the Bahçecik travertines might have been affected by climatic and tectonic interruptions. According to dating results, the travertine occurrences began to precipitate during the 353 ka and continued into the 263 ka. Based on the palynological data, an abundance of herbaceous plants species was recorded in the warming period of climate. The thickness ranges from 2 to 12 m of the Bahçecik travertines. This precise thickness and also the presence of two different travertine formations, separated by a palaeosol erosional surface, were recorded by the ground penetrating radar (GPR) geophysical method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The eastern Sakarya Zone is consensually known as a back-arc setting during the Late Cretaceous period. The region has records, which are in accordance with the environments unstable and carbonate sedimentation formed into different stages of subduction-related conditions. The Tonya Formation that outcropped in the area represents the uppermost part of the Mesozoic sequence in the eastern Sakarya Zone. The Tonya Formation is mainly composed of calciclastic turbidites, including thin grey–red pelagic limestone. The Tonya Formation was subdivided into the Şahinkaya Member basing on its sedimentological properties and fauna contents. The Şahinkaya Member is interpreted as a thick carbonate succession of the Maastrichtian in the study area. To decipher the facies and depositional environment of the Şahinkaya Member, two measured sections were studied in the Çayırbağı-Çalköy area in terms of microfacies analyses. Here, six microfacies types were distinguished based on their depositional texture, petrographic characteristics, and fauna content. Bio-lithoclastic rudstones, grainstones, and packstones are common texture in the carbonates. For the first time, the conglomerate levels have been defined within the member and correspond to an unconformity surface or hiatus together with angular differences in the layers, which have developed due to regional tectonic events such as erosion/uplift and magmatic intrusions. The facies characteristics of the carbonates and the fossil fauna findings included in the Şahinkaya Member of the Tonya Formation point to the development of a slope/toe of slope environment. All the sedimentological properties, combined with the regional data, suggest that the member was deposited at the shore of the back-arc Black Sea basin during the northward subduction of Neotethyan Oceanic Lithosphere and affected by the outcrop of the subduction-related magmatic products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The early Mesozoic was a critical era for the geodynamic evolution of the Sakarya Zone as transition from accretion to collision events in the region. However, its complex evolutionary history is still debated. To address this issue, we present new in situ zircon U-Pb ages and Lu-Hf isotope data, whole-rock Sr-Nd isotopes, and mineral chemistry and geochemistry data of plutonic rocks to better understand the magmatic processes. The Gokcedere pluton is mainly composed of gabbro and gabbroic diorite. LA-ICP-MS zircon U-Pb dating reveals that the pluton was emplaced in the early Jurassic (177 Ma). These gabbros and gabbroic diorites are characterized by relatively low SiO content of 47.09 to 57.15 wt% and high Mg# values varying from 46 to 75. The samples belong to the calc-alkaline series and exhibit a metaluminous I-type character. Moreover, they are slightly enriched in large ion lithophile elements (Rb, Ba, Th and K) and light rare earth elements and depleted in high field strength elements (Nb and Ti). Gabbroic rocks of the pluton have a depleted Sr-Nd isotopic composition, including low initial Sr/Sr ranging from 0.705124 to 0.705599, relatively high ε ( t) values varying from 0.1 to 3.5 and single-stage Nd model ages ( T = 0.65-0.95 Ga). In situ zircon analyses show that the rocks have variable and positive ε ( t) values (4.6 to 13.5) and single-stage Hf model ages ( T = 0.30 to 0.65 Ga). Both the geochemical signature and Sr-Nd-Hf isotopic composition of the gabbroic rocks reveal that the magma of the studied rocks was formed by the partial melting of a depleted mantle wedge metasomatized by slab-derived fluids. The influence of slab fluids is mirrored by their trace-element characteristics. Trace-element modeling suggests that the primary magma was generated by a low and variable degree of partial melting (~5-15%) of a depleted and young lithospheric mantle wedge consisting of phlogopite- and spinel-bearing lherzolite. Heat to melt the mantle material was supplied by the ascendance of a hot asthenosphere triggered by the roll-back of the Paleo-Tethyan oceanic lithosphere. The rising melts were accompanied by fractional crystallization and encountered no or minor crustal contamination en route to the surface. Taking into account these geochemical data and integrating them with regional geological evidence, we propose a slab roll-back model; this model suggests that the Gokcedere gabbroic pluton originated in a back-arc extensional environment associated with the southward subduction of the Paleo-Tethyan oceanic lithosphere during the early Jurassic period. Such an extensional event led to the opening of the northern branch of the Neotethys as a back-arc basin. Consequently, we conclude that the gabbroic pluton was related to intensive extensional tectonic events, which peaked during the early Jurassic in response to the roll-back of Paleo-Tethyan oceanic slab in the final stage of oceanic closure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Early Eocene adakitic volcanic and granitoid rocks are widespread in the Eastern Pontides of NE Turkey, providing significant constraints for the early Cenozoic tectonomagmatic evolution of the region. These adakitic rock units exhibit relatively high Sr/Y and La/Yb ratios, but low Y and Yb values, similar to modern adakites generated by partial fusion of a subducted oceanic slab. They also have high K2O and low MgO contents, and show moderately enriched ISrand low ϵNd(t) isotopic signatures. Our trace element modelling suggests that these adakitic magmas were generated from partial melting at low pressures of a garnet-bearing amphibolitic source in the continental lower crust. This lower crustal melting resulted from slab break off-induced asthenospheric upwelling and related magmatic underplating beneath the Eastern Pontides. We interpret this melting event and the adakitic magmatic activity as a syn- to post-collisional process involving early Cenozoic collision of the Pontide and Anatolide–Tauride continental blocks. The geochemical and tectonic constraints presented here indicate that early Eocene adakitic magmatism in the Eastern Pontides did not result from partial fusion of a subducted oceanic slab, but instead represent continental-type adakite formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Tonya Formation, which represents the uppermost part of the Mesozoic sequence in the Eastern Pontides, consists of calciturbidites in Trabzon and its surrounding region. Two stratigraphic sections of the unit were measured in the Hacımehmet and Gürbulak areas to decipher the distribution of rock types, facies architecture, sediment textures and depositional environment. The grain size, channels, suprafan lobes and slump structures of the sediments suggest that calciclastic sequences were deposited in a submarine fan system. Calcarenites/calcirudites and hemipelagic rocks, comprising an alternation of marls and mudstones, are the two dominant lithologies described in the studied calciclastic submarine fan system. Calciclastic facies, which are identified as middle fan deposits, indicate high-concentration turbidity currents in the sequences. The hemipelagic rocks, which are delineated as outer fan deposits, suggest low-energy, deep-marine conditions. The microfacies description and fauna determinations propose the gravity origin for these calciclastic submarine fan deposits. Rudstones, grainstones and packstones are the dominant carbonate textures in the calcarenites. Pelagic marls and mudstones are characterised by a planktonic, foraminifera-bearing, wackestone-mudstone texture. Biogene parts of the calciclastics are fragments of benthonic foraminifers, algae, rudists, echinoids, bryozoa, inoceramids and neritic and pelagic carbonate lithoclasts, which suggest a close contemporaneous shallow marine carbonate depositional environment as their source during their deposition. Palaeocurrent directions, measured from the base of the calciturbidites, show that the components of the calciturbidites were transported from a shallow marine environment lying to the E or SE. The lateral and vertical facies organisation of these calciturbidites favours a deposition of the calciclastic submarine fan model. These deposits were fed by material derived from a shallower water carbonate depositional environment in the Eastern Pontides during the Late Campanian. All the sedimentological properties, combined with the regional data, suggest that the Late Campanian sedimentation in the Eastern Pontides formed in a backarc environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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We present elemental and Sr–Nd–Pb isotopic data for the magmatic suite (~79 Ma) of the Harşit pluton, from the Eastern Pontides (NE Turkey), with the aim of determining its magma source and geodynamic evolution. The pluton comprises granite, granodiorite, tonalite and minor diorite (SiO = 59.43–76.95 wt%), with only minor gabbroic diorite mafic microgranular enclaves in composition (SiO = 54.95–56.32 wt%), and exhibits low Mg# (<46). All samples show a high-K calc-alkaline differentiation trend and I-type features. The chondrite-normalized REE patterns are fractionated [(La/Yb) = 2.40–12.44] and display weak Eu anomalies (Eu/Eu* = 0.30–0.76). The rocks are characterized by enrichment of LILE and depletion of HFSE. The Harşit host rocks have weak concave-upward REE patterns, suggesting that amphibole and garnet played a significant role in their generation during magma segregation. The host rocks and their enclaves are isotopically indistinguishable. Sr–Nd isotopic data for all of the samples display I = 0.70676–0.70708, ε(79 Ma) = −4.4 to −3.3, with T = 1.09–1.36 Ga. The lead isotopic ratios are (Pb/Pb) = 18.79–18.87, (Pb/Pb) = 15.59–15.61 and (Pb/Pb) = 38.71–38.83. These geochemical data rule out pure crustal-derived magma genesis in a post-collision extensional stage and suggest mixed-origin magma generation in a subduction setting. The melting that generated these high-K granitoidic rocks may have resulted from the upper Cretaceous subduction of the Izmir–Ankara–Erzincan oceanic slab beneath the Eurasian block in the region. The back-arc extensional events would have caused melting of the enriched subcontinental lithospheric mantle and formed mafic magma. The underplating of the lower crust by mafic magmas would have played a significant role in the generation of high-K magma. Thus, a thermal anomaly induced by underplated basic magma into a hot crust would have caused partial melting in the lower part of the crust. In this scenario, the lithospheric mantle-derived basaltic melt first mixed with granitic magma of crustal origin at depth. Then, the melts, which subsequently underwent a fractional crystallization and crustal assimilation processes, could ascend to shallower crustal levels to generate a variety of rock types ranging from diorite to granite. Sr–Nd isotope modeling shows that the generation of these magmas involved ~65–75% of the lower crustal-derived melt and ~25–35% of subcontinental lithospheric mantle. Further, geochemical data and the Ar–Ar plateau age on hornblende, combined with regional studies, imply that the Harşit pluton formed in a subduction setting and that the back-arc extensional period started by least ~79 Ma in the Eastern Pontides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The timing of major tectonic events and the driving mechanisms for magma generation during Late Cenozoic convergence and collision between Arabia and Eurasia still remain unknown. The Sakarya Zone (SZ) in northern Turkey is a critical member of this collisional assemblage. In the easternmost part of the SZ, we have recognized a Late Miocene volcanic suite termed the Çağirankaya volcanics which displays characteristic post-collisional geochemical features. Here, we report a new data set of zircon U Pb ages, whole-rock major and trace element, as well as Sr Nd isotope analyses for dacite and andesite samples from the Çağirankaya volcanics. Zircon U Pb ages for a selected dacitic lava sample average 5.16 ± 0.11 Ma (mean square of weighted deviates, MSWD = 0.45, n = 35), confirming a late Miocene age of this volcanic episode. The high-K calc-alkaline andesites and dacites exhibit an adakite-like geochemical signature, and are characterized by high Sr (424 to 552 ppm), Sr/Y ratios (31–43), and low Mg# (42 to 46) values, along with low Y (12–14 ppm) and heavy rare earth element (HREE) concentrations, that resemble those in adakites formed by partial melting of hot oceanic slab during subduction. Isotopic compositions are near bulk Earth (87Sr/86Sr(t) = 0.70482 to 0.70489, ε Nd (t) = +1.08 to +1.33), which rules out a solely asthenospheric origin. Elevated Nb/Ta (14 to 17) and K 2 O/Na 2 O (0.6–1.0) imply a juvenile mafic lower crustal source composed of ~20% garnet-bearing amphibolite. Geochemical modeling suggests that adakite-like parental melts were generated in the absence of subduction and without large-scale delamination of lower continental crust. Instead, our findings suggest that Late Miocene adakite-like volcanic rocks in the SZ formed in a post-collisional intra-continental setting, which experienced far-field extension after the subducted slab of the southern Neotethyan branch became detached in the collision zone. Asthenospheric upwelling and underplating of basaltic magma provided the heat for partial melting of lower crustal amphibolite, forming minor amounts of adakite-like melts in the SZ. • The Çağirankaya volcanics erupted in Late Miocene in the Sakarya Zone. • They exhibit adakite-like geochemical signature. • All characteristics suggest that they were derived from a juvenile lower crust. • Upwelling of hot asthenosphere due to far-field forces caused partial melting. • Adakitic melt do not require contemporaneous subduction of a hot oceanic slab. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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]

[Display omitted] • Detrital zircons indicate derivation from the Variscan rocks. • Continental ribbon was separated from the northern margin of Gondwana. • Back-arc passive margin evolved into a lacustrine basin. The processes that caused removal of the upper Carboniferous to Permian sediments in the eastern Sakarya Zone, Turkey, are modeled by using of geochemical data and LA-ICP-MS U–Pb ages from detrital zircons. A felsic provenance and passive margin setting during the deposition of the upper Carboniferous Çatalçeşme sediments are inferred from the geochemistry of sandstones (SiO 2 > 85 wt%). Chemical Index of Alteration (CIA) values (75 – 81) indicate warm and humid climatic conditions and tectonic tranquility during deposition. Fifty-three (58%) concordant zircon grains produce a youngest age population in the range of 308.7 ± 4.4 to 342.1 ± 6.9 Ma, typical for the Variscan events. The burgundy color and upward-fining in clast size and bed thickness are the most prominent features of the concordantly overlying Hardişi Formation. Geochemistry (SiO 2 = 66–81 wt%) and CIA values (58–65) of the clastic rocks point to a subduction-related tectonic setting and increasing rate of erosion in the source area. We highlight that the Çatalçeşme sediments were deposited in a back-arc basin opened to the south of a continental ribbon separated from Gondwana. Approaching of the Paleotethyan mid-ocean ridge to the subduction zone was resulted in flattening in subducting slab, which in turn caused the back-arc basin to migrate into the interior parts of Gondwana and the former back-arc basin to evolve into a lacustrine setting. Increase in the elevation of source areas was resulted in an increase in the rate of physical erosion and transportation of burgundy Hardişi clastic sediments into the lacustrine basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Cebre Rhyolite with an outcropping area up to 12 km 2 is one of the rare extrusions in the Variscan basement of the Sakarya Zone. The unit consists of high-K calc alkaline rhyolites (SiO 2 = 74–82 wt.%). Abundant phenocrysts of quartz and K-feldspar are accompanied by subordinate cordierite phenocrysts, rare muscovite microphenocrysts and biotite microcrysts set in a fine-grained groundmass. Three types of rock fragments (xenoliths) have been recognized; (i) porphyritic, (ii) equigranular hypabyssal and (iii) hypocrystalline fragments. Zircon U–Pb dating indicates that the Cebre Rhyolite was extruded at 332.8 ± 4.38 Ma, which post-dates the Variscan low temperature metamorphism and pre-dates the emplacement of I-type granitic intrusions (325–303 Ma).The samples are strongly peraluminous with A/CNK values ranging from 1.48 to 2.95 and A/NK from 1.49 to 2.99. They have very high K 2 O (3.72–7.42 wt.%) and Al 2 O 3 (10.77–14.11 wt.%) contents, but very low CaO (0.02–0.21 wt.%), Na 2 O (0.05–0.78 wt.%) and MgO (0.3–0.21 wt.%) contents. The samples show geochemical affinity with the upper continental crust, e.g., enrichment of large ion lithophile elements (LILEs; K, Rb, U, Th, Pb), depletion of high field strength elements (HFSEs; Nb, Ta, Ti), Sr, P and Eu, but ԐNd (t) values (− 3.06 to − 8.75) and isotope ratios of Sr (t) ( 87 Sr/ 86 Sr = 0.70499–0.70915) and Pb (t) ( 206 Pb/ 204 Pb = 16.41–17.570, 207 Pb/ 204 Pb = 15.54–15.59, 208 Pb/ 204 Pb = 36.20–37.22) are similar to those of the lower crust. Geochemical and isotope data indicate that the Cebre Rhyolite was generated by melting of metapelitic rocks with some addition of intermediate metaigneous derived magma. As a geodynamic model, we propose that the Variscan Orogeny in Turkey was occurred by collision of Gondwana with an arc/terrane separated from the southern margin of Laurussia. This collision was followed shortly after by splitting of oceanic lithosphere into two pieces and sinking down into asthenosphere. Rapid upwelling of asthenosphere to space emptied by previous oceanic lithosphere provided heat for high temperature metamorphism and anatexis of metasedimentary rocks in the crust. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The eastern Blacksea magmatic arc (EBMA) in the eastern Sakarya Zone (ESZ) provides an excellent opportunity to investigate birth of an extensional intra-arc and back-arc settings in the Late Cretaceous over the Early Cretaceous northern passive margin of the Neotethys Ocean. Volcano-stratigraphy clearly shows that the Late Cretaceous volcanic activity of the EBMA occurred in two major phases. Bimodality, characterized by mafic/basaltic rocks at the base and felsic/silicic types on top of it, is a typical feature of the lower (LVS) and upper (UVS) volcanic successions in the Giresun region of the ESZ. U Pb and Ar Ar ages support the volcanic succession as two-stage (LVS: ca. 92–85 and UVS: ca. 83–67 Ma) bimodal volcanism. Both the volcanic successions are represented by similar rock types consisting of tholeiitic to calc-alkaline basalt-basaltic andesites and calc-alkaline to shoshonitic dacite-rhyolites. Basaltic (M1- and M2-series) and felsic/silicic (F1- and F2-series) samples of the LVS and UVS have an arc-like signature with enriched large ion lithophile elements (LILEs) and light rare earth elements (LREEs) and depleted high field strength elements (HFSEs). Also, the felsic/silicic samples of the F1- and F2-series show prominent negative Sr and Eu anomalies (Eu/Eu* = 0.4 to 0.9), suggesting that plagioclase fractionation played a key role on the evolution of both felsic series. Bimodal rock series in two phases have a wide range of 87Sr/86Sr (i) (0.7048–0.7075) and 143Nd/144Nd (i) (0.5123–0.5127) ratios with variable ɛNd (i) values of −3.8 to +3.0. 206Pb/204Pb (i) , 207Pb/204Pb (i) and 208Pb/204Pb (i) isotope ratios of the Giresun volcanic rocks vary in the range of 17.97–18.52, 15.55–15.65 and 37.53–38.56, respectively. Geochemical and isotopic data suggest that the parental magma of the M1-basaltic rocks were probably derived from a shallow (spinel-bearing) mantle metasomatized by slab/sediment-derived fluids. In contrast, the M2-basalts seem to have been originated from a deeper mantle source (spinel-garnet transition zone) enriched by slab/sediment-derived fluids and hydrous melts (bulk sediment) metasomatism with some contributions of lower/upper crustal materials. The least evolved basaltic samples in two phases are consistent with moderate (∼10–15%) to high degree (∼20–30%) partial melting of the metasomatized mantle. The silicic melts of the F1- and F2-rocks series, on the other hand, were likely derived from melting of lower crustal materials consisting of meta-basalts/andesites and lesser amount of meta-sediments. Subsequently, these melts experienced FC ± AFC and mixing processes during their ascent and emplacement to generate high-silica (rhyolitic) melts. Our data, combined with previous studies, suggest that two-stage bimodal volcanic rocks of the Late Cretaceous in the ESZ were formed in the transition from an extensional continental intra-arc to a back-arc setting during the northward subduction of the northern branch of Neotethys Ocean. [Display omitted] • Late Cretaceous two-stage (92–85 and 83–67 Ma) bimodal volcanism in the ESZ. • Bimodality is characterized by basaltic and dacitic-rhyolitic rocks in both stages. • Basaltic rocks were derived from mantle metasomatized by slab/sediment fluids±melts. • Dacite-rhyolites were originated from the melting of a heterogeneous crustal source. • Two-stage bimodal volcanism formed in an extensional arc/back-arc setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cadomian realms have recently received much attention in the Alpine–Mediterranean orogenic belts, with discontinuous outcrops extending from the Alps to the İstanbul Zone, Menderes Massif, Taurides in Turkey and Iran as well. However, they have not been identified in the Sakarya Zone, northern Turkey to date. Here, we present, for the first time, zircon U Pb geochronology, zircon Hf-isotopes and trace elements as well as whole-rock geochemistry and Nd-isotopes from the Karameşe metagranitoid in the Yusufeli (Artvin) area, NE Turkey. The zircon U Pb age data demonstrate that the Karameşe metagranitoid intruded into the Precambrian basement units in the Early Cambrian (ca. 534–530 Ma). Zircon overgrowths in the Karameşe metagranitoid interpreted as a result of metamorphic overprint yielded ages of 328 Ma. This age indicates that the Sakarya Zone experienced the Variscan metamorphic events at 328 Ma. The Early Cambrian metagranitoid shows that some rocks in the basement of the Sakarya Zone date back to Precambrian in age. The Karameşe metagranitoid is an S-type granite, with high modal content of muscovite (~10%). The samples show highly peraluminous [A/CNK = molar Al 2 O 3 /(CaO + K 2 O + Na 2 O) = 1.34–1.58] and medium-K calc-alkaline geochemical affinities. The Karameşe metagranitoid displays low REE concentrations and a slight positive Eu anomaly and show slightly light REEs and LILEs enrichments, and HFSEs depletions. The samples have negative ε Nd (t) of −4.76 to −2.90 and ε Hf (t) of −4.75 to −1.08 values. These geochemical-isotopic characteristics reveal that the Karamaşe metagranitoid originated through fluid-absent muscovite dehydration melting of heterogeneous metasedimentary source rocks (mostly greywacke), with a minor input of juvenile mafic melt. We argue that the Early Paleozoic metagranitoids along the eastern Sakarya Zone is an expression of crustal thinning in the Cadomian orogenic belt in northern Gondwana, with the tectonic turnover from convergent margin to crustal extension possibly induced by break-off of Tornquist oceanic lithosphere which is a branch of Iapetus Ocean during Early Cambrian. [Display omitted] • Cambrian S-type granites have been reported for the first time in Sakarya Zone. • The S-type granites originated from the melting of a metasedimentary source. • Variscan metamorphism overprinted the Early Cambrian magmatism. • Our data reveal that the S-type granites were formed in a post-collision setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The Eastern Pontides in NE Turkey is one of the major orogenic belts in Anatolia. In this paper, we report our new 40Ar/39Ar dating, mineral chemistry, major and trace elements and Sr–Nd–Pb isotopic analyses of the lamprophyre intrusions in this region. The lamprophyres are widely scattered and intrude Late Carboniferous granitoid rocks. The lamprophyres exhibit fine-grained textures and are mineralogically uniform. Hornblende 40Ar/39Ar dating yielded a plateau age of 216.01±10.64Ma. Based on their geochemistry, mineral compositions and paragenesis, the lamprophyres are classified as calc-alkaline lamprophyres in general and spessartites in particular, which are rich in large ion lithophile elements (e.g., Rb, Ba, K) but depleted in Nb and Ti. Our samples exhibit moderate fractionation in LREE patterns approximately 100 times that of chondrite but HREE abundances less than 10 times that of chondrite. These calc-alkaline lamprophyres display a range of ISr (216Ma) values from 0.70619 to 0.71291 and εNd (216Ma) values from −1.4 to 4.1, with T DM =1.11 to 2.20Ga. Their Pb isotopic ratios indicate an enriched mantle source. The enrichment process is related to metasomatism of a subcontinental lithospheric mantle source, which is caused by a large quantity of H2O-rich fluids, rather than sediments released from oceanic crust at depth during the closure of the Paleotethys Ocean in Triassic times. All of the geochemical data and the trace element modeling suggest that the primary magma of the calc-alkaline to high-K calc-alkaline spessartites was generated at depth by a low degree of partial melting (~1–10%) of a previously enriched lithospheric mantle wedge consisting of phlogopite-bearing spinel peridotite. The ascendance of a hot asthenosphere triggered by extensional events caused partial melting of mantle material. The rising melts were accompanied by fractional crystallization and crustal contamination en route to the surface. All of the geochemical features combined with regional data suggest that the Eastern Pontides calc-alkaline lamprophyres originated in an extensional environment along an active continental margin throughout the Late Triassic. Such an extensional event, causing upwelling of hot asthenosphere, led to the opening of the northern branch of the Neotethys as a back-arc basin farther south of the Eastern Pontides. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Large-scale late Mesozoic to early Cenozoic plutons in the Eastern Pontide orogenic belt mostly show calc-alkaline and I-type geochemical features. However, we identify the Sisdaği pluton that has shoshonitic affinity and I-type character in the region. The pluton was emplaced at shallow depths (<5km), revealed by Al-in hornblende barometry, in the northern margin of the orogenic belt, with SHRIMP zircon U–Pb age of 41.55±0.31Ma, interpreted as dating magma crystallization. It is composed of monzonite, monzodiorite and monzogabbro. The samples show low zircon saturation temperature (T Zr) ranging from 603 to 769°C compared to A-type rocks. They exhibit SiO2 contents of 47.6–61.4wt.%, and high K2O+Na2O (5.0–8.8wt.%) and K2O/Na2O (0.8–1.8). All the samples are characterized by low Mg# (<47) and relatively high but variable Al2O3 content (16.9–22.2wt.%). They are also enriched in light rare earth elements (LREE), large ion lithophile elements (LILE) and depleted in high field strength elements (HFSE), with a weak negative Eu anomaly (Eu/Eu* =0.58–1.26) in mantle-normalized trace element patterns. The samples possess homogeneous initial Sr and Nd isotopic compositions, marked with low I Sr =0.70376–0.70408 and ε Nd (42Ma)=+1.3 to +2.4. T DM ages of the samples range from 0.70 to 0.85Ga. The Pb isotopic ratios are (206Pb/204Pb)=18.64–18.72, (207Pb/204Pb)=15.51–15.58 and (208Pb/204Pb)=38.31–38.65. These geochemical features imply that the parental magma resulted from melting of chemically enriched lithospheric mantle source. In such a case, a hot upwelling asthenosphere is necessary to partially melt the lithospheric mantle in order to form the parental magma. The pluton is considered to be a post-orogenic intrusion that was emplaced in an environment of lithospheric extension, triggering asthenospheric upwelling. The thermal anomaly induced by asthenospheric upwelling resulted in partial fusion of chemically enriched subcontinental lithospheric mantle beneath the region. Then, the shoshonitic melt, which subsequently underwent fractional crystallization with minor crustal contamination, ascent to shallower crustal levels to generate a monzonitic rock series ranging from monzogabbro to monzonite. All these data combined with the regional geology suggest that the crustal thickening as a consequence of regional compression during the Paleocene changed into a lithospheric extension and thinning throughout the early Cenozoic (at ∼42Ma) in the Eastern Pontides. Hence, the middle Eocene shoshonitic I-type magmatism is a unique pluton, signifying initiation of lithospheric thinning and thus of hot asthenospheric upwelling in the region. These interpretations also argue against the presence of an early Cenozoic subduction of oceanic slab in the Eastern Pontides. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The Eastern Pontides is characterized by the many of intrusive bodies formed throughout the late Mesozoic–early Cenozoic. Most of these are I-type granitoids, but here, we present for the first time an A-type pluton from the region to assess source characteristics and geodynamic implications. The A-type Pirnalli pluton has a SHRIMP zircon U–Pb age of 81.2±1Ma. It is composed of granite, syenite and quartz monzonite, and its enclaves are monzonitic in composition with elevated Ga/Al ratios and low Mg# (<42). The pluton is dominantly metaluminous (A/CNK=0.88 to 1.00) and belong to shoshonitic and ultra-potassic series. The samples are highly enriched in LREE and show significant negative Eu (Eu/Eu*=0.33 to 0.92), Ba, Nb, Sr and Ti anomalies in the spidergrams. The host rocks and their enclaves posses quite similar Sr–Nd isotopic compositions (I Sr =0.70693 to 0.70736, εNd (81Ma)=−2.6 to −2.0, T DM =0.94 to 1.12Ga), pointing to a lower crustal parental magma with a minor contribution of lithospheric mantle. We hypothesize that upwelling of asthenosphere triggered melting of chemically enriched upper mantle and basic magma formed. Melting of lower crust was provided by the underplating of this basic magma. Mixing between lower crust- and mantle-derived melts at depths of lower crust appears to be most reasonable petrogenetic process responsible for generation of the pluton. Sr–Nd isotope modeling suggests mixing of 82–90% of the lower crustal-derived melt with ~10–18% of the mantle-derived melt. Then the hybrid melt ascended to shallower crustal level and underwent a limited fractionation process to generate a variety of rock types. Our data also suggest that the A-type Pirnalli pluton likely formed at an extensional environment of active continental margin throughout the late Cretaceous. Ongoing extension then led to opening of Black Sea as a back-arc basin further north of the Eastern Pontides. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

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]

Abstract: The boundary between the Gondwana and Laurussia, or a terrane separated from it, is traced by a suture recording the closure of the Rheic ocean in the Pulur, Beyçam and Kurtoğlu areas of the eastern Sakarya Zone of Turkey. Pulur lherzolite has a lower Cr# [100Cr/(Cr+Al)=5−37] of the spinel and slightly enriched flat medium-heavy rare earth element (M-HREE) whole-rock pattern typical for those of the fertile abyssal-type lherzolite. By contrast, the Beyçam harzburgite displays the mineralogical and geochemical features of a moderately depleted residue at a supra subduction zone (SSZ). Some of spinels from the Beyçam peridotites show TiO2 contents (0.15–0.48wt.%) identical to a later interaction with a melt of island-arc tholeiite (IAT) composition. Meta-basalt from the Beyçam area is the representative of such a melt and displays the whole-rock M-HREE pattern of a complementary product of the Beyçam harzburgite. Data presented in this study support the primarily northward directed closure of the Rheic ocean, but suggest that the Variscan basement in the eastern part of the Sakarya Zone consists of mantle peridotites formed in a south-vergent SSZ. This dual polarity of subduction in the Rheic ocean, at least in the second half of its closure, is also favored by the geological structure and lithological diversity of the Variscan rocks. These are: (1) spatial distribution of the peridotites, e.g., SSZ-type harzburgites to the north and abyssal-type lherzolites to the south, (2) lack of high-pressure metamorphic rocks, (3) decrease in the degree of Variscan metamorphism toward the north, and (4) emplacement of Variscan syn-collisional magmatism into the low grade metamorphic rocks to the north. Paleotethys was the other ocean of the region created in the Late Paleozoic. Northward subduction of the Rheic ocean from Early Devonian to Early Carboniferous appears to be the most plausible mechanism responsible for the opening of Paleotethys. In this scenario the Paleotethys is envisaged as a back-arc basin opened to the north in the wake of separated terranes from Laurussia. Onset of trench-Rheic mid-ocean ridge collision in the Early Devonian along the northern margin of Laurussia has been proposed to account for the initiation of SSZ-type subduction to the south. The short duration of this subduction appears insufficient to open a fully developed back-arc basin to the south because the elimination of Rheic mid-ocean ridge to the north accelerated the oceanic closure. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Early Cenozoic (48–50 Ma) adakitic volcanic rocks from the Eastern Pontides, NE Turkey, consist of calc-alkaline and high-K calc-alkaline andesite and dacite, with SiO2 contents ranging from 56.01 to 65.44 wt.%. This is the first time that Early Eocene volcanism and adakites have been reported from the region. The rocks are composed of plagioclase, amphibole, quartz, and Mg-rich biotite. They have high and low-Mg# values ranging from 55 to 62 and 13 to 42, respectively. High-Mg# rocks have higher Ni and Co contents than low-Mg# samples. The rocks exhibit enrichments in large ion lithophile elements including the light rare earth elements, depletions in Nb, Ta and Ti and have high La/Yb and Sr/Y ratios. Their relative high I Sr (0.70474–0.70640) and low ε Nd (50 Ma) values (−2.3 to 0.8) are inconsistent with an origin as partial melts of a subducted oceanic slab. Combined major- and trace element and Sr–Nd isotope data suggest that the adakitic magmas are related to the unique tectonic setting of this region, where a transition from a collision to an extension stage has created thickening and delamination of the Pontide mafic lower crust at 50 Ma. The high-Mg adakitic magmas resulted from partial melting of the delaminated eclogitic mafic lower crust that sank into the relatively hot subcrustal mantle, and its subsequent interaction with the mantle peridotite during upward transport, leaving garnet as the residual phase, elevates the MgO content and Mg# of the magmas, whereas low-Mg# magmas formed by the melting of newly exposed lower crustal rocks caused by asthenospheric upwelling, which supplies heat flux to the lower crust. The data also suggest that the mafic lower continental crust beneath the region was thickened between the Late Cretaceous and the Late Paleocene and delaminated during Late Paleocene to Early Eocene time, which coincides with the initial stage of crustal thinning caused by crustal extensional events in the Eastern Pontides and rules out the possibility of an extensional regime before ~50 Ma in the region during the Late Mesozoic to Early Cenozoic. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

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]

• 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]

• Late Cretaceous volcanism of the ESZ erupted in two successive stages. • The successive stages are characterized by mafic and felsic volcanic rocks. • Mafic rocks of both stages were derived from underplated basaltic melts. • Composition of the felsic rocks was controlled by MASH and crustal processes. • Volcanism took place during northward subduction of the northern Neotethys Ocean. The Late Cretaceous Artvin volcanic rocks (LCAVs) from the eastern Sakarya zone (ESZ) of NE Turkey are composed of mafic/basaltic (S1-Çatak and S2-Çağlayan) and felsic/acidic (S1-Kızılkaya and S2-Tirebolu) rock types that occurred in two successive stages: (i) first stage (S1: Turonian–Early Santonian) and (ii) second stage (S2: Late Santonian–Campanian). Clinopyroxene thermobarometric results point that the S2-Çağlayan basaltic rocks have crystallised at higher temperatures and under deeper crustal conditions than those of the S1-Çatak basaltic rocks. The LCAVs show a wide compositional spectrum, ranging from tholeiite to calc-alkaline/shoshonite and are typically represented by a geochemical composition resembling subduction-related arc rocks although the 87Sr/86Sr (i) (0.7044–0.7071) and ɛNd (i) values (−0.63 to + 3.47) as well as 206Pb/204Pb (i) (18.07–18.56), 207Pb/204Pb (i) (15.57–15.62) and 208Pb/204Pb (i) (37.12–38.55) ratios show very limited variation. The parent magmas of the S1-Çatak and S2-Çağlayan mafic volcanic rocks were derived from underplated basaltic melts that originated by partial melting of metasomatised spinel lherzolite and spinel-garnet lherzolite, respectively. It is proposed that the compositions of the S1-Kızılkaya (mainly dacitic) and S2-Tirebolu (rhyolitic to trachytic) felsic rocks were particularly controlled by metasomatised mantle–crust interaction and MASH zone + shallow crustal fractionation processes. Our data, together with data from previous studies, suggest that the S1- and S2-mafic and felsic rocks of the LCAVs (~95–75 Ma) are the products of two-stage volcanic event that took place during the northward subduction of the northern Neotethys Ocean (NNO). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Granier (2019) questioned the identification of a number of foraminifer species within the study of Vincent et al. (2018). We dispute his findings and provide supporting evidence for our original identifications. Our biostratigraphic work was carried out to support the strontium isotope stratigraphy study of an Upper Jurassic – Lower Cretaceous carbonate succession in the eastern Pontides, northeast Turkey. This was undertaken to constrain the age and duration of a number of hiatal surfaces within the succession that we proposed have geodynamic significance for the Black Sea region. Even if Granier's identifications are correct, they do not impact upon the conclusions of our study. Thus, rather than being a 'disappointing application of [a] geochemical tool', our study illustrates the utility of the powerful strontium isotope stratigraphy approach. • We dispute Granier's revision of our foraminifer identifications from NE Turkey. • We support our original interpretations with additional annotated illustrations. • The major stratigraphic gap in the section does not correspond to the Berriasian. • A Hauterivian age for the top of the section is compatible with our SIS data. • Granier's intervention does not affect the regional implications of our study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]