Maden, Nafiz

The numerical results of thermal modeling studies indicate that the lithosphere is cold and strong beneath the Black Sea basin. The thermal lithospheric thickness increases southward from the eastern Pontides orogenic belt (49.4 km) to Black Sea basin (152.2 km). The Moho temperature increases from 367 C in the trench to 978 C in the arc region. The heat flow values for the Moho surface change between 16.4 mW m-2 in the Black Sea basin and 56.9 mW m-2 in the eastern Pontides orogenic belt. Along the southern Black Sea coast, the trench region has a relatively low geothermal potential with respect to the arc and back-arc region. The numerical studies support the existence of southward subduction beneath the Pontides during the late Mesozoic-Cenozoic.

Akaryali, Enver; Tüysüz, Necati

The Arzular mineralization is one of the best examples of epithermal gold deposits in the eastern Pontides orogenic belt. The mineralization is hosted by the subduction-related basaltic andesites and is mainly controlled by E-W and NE-SW trending fracture zones. The main ore minerals are galena, sphalerite, pyrite, chalcopyrite, tetrahedrite and gold. Homogenization temperatures of fluid inclusions are between 130 and 295 C for quartz and between 90 and 133 C for sphalerite. Sulphur isotope values obtained from pyrite, galena and sphalerite vary between -1.2‰ and 3‰, indicating that sulphur belongs to magmatic origin and was derived from the Lutetian non-adakitic granitic intrusions in the region. Oxygen isotope values are between 15.0‰ and 16.7‰, and hydrogen isotope values are between -87‰ and -91‰. The sulphur isotope thermometer yielded temperatures in the range of 244-291 C for the ore formation. Our results support the hypothesis that the Arzular mineralization is a low-sulfidation epithermal gold deposit associated with non-adakitic subduction-related granitic magmas that were generated by slab window-related processes in a south-dipping subduction zone during the Lutetian.

Kaygusuz, Abdullah; Sipahi, Ferkan; Ilbeyli, Nurdane; Arslan, Mehmet; Chen, Bin; Aydinçakir, Emre

A series of Cretaceous plutons is present in the eastern Pontides of northeastern Turkey. The Turnagöl 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 (Eu/Eu* = 0.69-0.82), but are deficient in high-field-strength elements. They have a small range of ( 87Sr/86Sr)i (0.7060-0.7063), ÉNdi(-2.6 to -3.1), and δ18O (+8.1 to +9.1) values. Their Pb isotopic ratios are 206Pb/204Pb = 18.63-18.65, 207Pb/ 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 Turnagöl intrusion. The crystallization temperatures of the melts ranged from 758 to 885 C as determined by zircon and apatite saturation thermometry. All these characteristics, combined with the low values of K2O/Na2O and (Na 2O + K2O)/(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.

Eyuboglu, Yener; Santosh, M.; Dudas, Francis O.; Akaryali, Enver; Chung, Sun-Lin; Akdaǧ, Kemal; Bektaş, Osman

The eastern Pontides orogenic belt provides a window into continental arc magmatism in the Alpine-Himalayan belt. The late Mesozoic-Cenozoic geodynamic evolution of this belt remains controversial. Here we focus on the nature of the transition from the adakitic to non-adakitic magmatism in the Kale area of Gumushane region in NE Turkey where this transition is best preserved. The adakitic lithologies comprise porphyries and hyaloclastites. The porphyries are represented by biotite-rich andesites, hornblende-rich andesite and dacite. The hayaloclastites represent the final stage of adakitic activity and they were generated by eruption/intrusion of adakitic andesitic magma into soft carbonate mud. The non-adakitic lithologies include basaltic-andesitic volcanic and associated pyroclastic rocks. Both rock groups are cutting by basaltic dikes representing the final stage of the Cenozoic magmatism in the study area. We report zircon U-Pb ages of 48.71 ± 0.74 Ma for the adakitic rocks, and 44.68 ± 0.84 Ma for the non-adakitic type, suggesting that there is no significant time gap during the transition from adakitic to non-adakitic magmatism. We evaluate the origin, magma processes and tectonic setting of the magmatism in the southern part of the eastern Pontides orogenic belt. Our results have important bearing on the late Mesozoic-Cenozoic geodynamic evolution of the eastern Mediterranean region.

Eyuboglu, Yener; Santosh, M.; Bektas, Osman; Ayhan, Seda

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 existence 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 illustrates the importance of arc magmatism in evaluating the geodynamic milieu associated with convergent margin processes.