Subduction-related Late Cretaceous high-K volcanism in the Central Pontides orogenic belt: constraints on geodynamic implications

Abstract

Mineral chemistry, major and trace elements, Ar-40/Ar-39 age and Sr-Nd-Pb isotopic data are presented for the Late Cretaceous Hamsilos volcanic rocks in the Central Pontides, Turkey. The Hamsilos volcanic rocks mainly consist of basalt, andesite and associated pyroclastics (volcanic breccia, vitric tuff and crystal tuff). They display shoshonitic and high-K calc-alkaline affinities. The shoshonitic rocks contain plagioclase, clinopyroxene, alkali feldspar, phlogopite, analcime, sanidine, olivine, apatite and titanomagnetite, whereas the high-K calc-alkaline rocks contain plagioclase, clinopyroxene, orthopyroxene, magnetite / titanomagnetite in microgranular porphyritic, hyalo-microlitic porphyritic and glomeroporphyritic matrix. Mineral chemistry data reveal that the pressure condition of the clinopyroxene crystallisation for the shoshonitic rocks are between 1.4 and 6.3kbar corresponds to 6-18-km depth and the high-K calc-alkaline rocks are between 5 and 12km. Ar-40/Ar-39 age data changing between 72 +/-.5Ma and 79.0 +/-.3Ma (Campanian) were determined for the Late Cretaceous Hamsilos volcanic rocks, contemporaneous with the subduction of the Neo-Tethyan Ocean beneath the Pontides. The studied volcanic rocks were enriched in the large-ion lithophile and light rare earth element contents, with pronounced depletion in the contents of high-field-strength elements. Chondrite-normalised rare earth element patterns (La-N/Lu-N=6-17) show low to medium enrichment, indicating similar sources of the rock suite. Initial Sr-87/Sr-86 values vary between .70615 and .70796, whereas initial Nd-143/Nd-144 values change between .51228 and .51249. Initial Pb-206/Pb-204 values vary between 18.001 and 18.349, Pb-207/Pb-204 values between 15.611 and 15.629 and Pb-208/Pb-204 values between 37.839 and 38.427. The main solidification processes involved in the evolution of the volcanic rocks consist of fractional crystallisation, with minor amounts of crustal contamination +/- magma mixing. According to geochemical evidence, the shoshonitic melts in the Hamsilos volcanic rocks were possibly derived from the low degree of partial melting of a subcontinental lithospheric mantle (SCLM), while the high-K calc-alkaline melts were derived from relatively high degree of partial melting of SCLM that was enriched by fluids and/or sediments from a subduction of oceanic crust.