Eocene magmatism related to postcollisional extension in the Eastern Pontides (NE Türkiye): 40Ar-39Ar geochronology, geochemistry, and whole-rock Sr-Nd-Pb-Hf isotopes

Abstract

The mineral chemistry, whole-rock geochemistry,40Ar /39Ar dating and Sr-Nd-Pb-Hf isotopes of the Eocene Narman (Erzurum) Volcanic rocks in the southeast of the Eastern Pontides Orogenic Belt (EPOB, NE Türkiye) were investigated. The Narman Volcanites consist of basaltic dyke, basaltic lava, and basaltic volcanic breccia facies. Volcanites contain plagioclase (An34-80), clinopyroxene (Wo38-47En41-50Fs5-18), and olivine (Fo68-90) as phenocrystals with magnetite/titanomagnetite microphenocrysts. New 40Ar-39Ar ages suggest that these volcanic rocks erupted between 44.5 ± 0.1 and 43.4 ± 0.1 Ma, within the Middle Eocene (Lutetian). Narman Volcanites have calc-alkaline character, with medium-high K content. Volcanites are enriched in large ion lithophile elements (LILE) and light rare earth elements (LREE), while they are depleted in terms of high field strength elements (HFSE). Chondrite-normalized rare earth element distributions have concave shape with moderate enrichment (LaN /LuN = 2.78–7.99), leading to consideration that the magmas forming the volcanics derived from similar sources. Isotopically, the rocks in the Narman Volcanites have low-medium initial87Sr/86Sr values (0.70405–0.70485), initial143Nd/144Nd values (0.512606–0.512848) and positiveƐ Ndi (+0.5 – +5.2). Depleted mantle Nd model ages were TDM1 = 0.29–0.62 Ga and TDM2 =0.43–0.83 Ga. (206Pb/204Pb)i, (207Pb/204Pb)i, and (208Pb/204Pb)i values vary in the ranges of 18.246–18.709, 15.578–15.616, and 38.225–38.791, respectively. The initial (176Hf/177Hf)i ratios for the volcanites are between 0.282770 and 0.283013, while the εHf values range from +7.6 to +9. All the evidence supports the conclusion that the parental magma for the rocks probably derived from an enriched lithospheric mantle, previously metasomatized by fluids derived from subducted slab during asthenospheric upwelling, due to fragmented asymmetric delamination in a postcollisional extensional tectonic environment. © TÜBİTAK.