Timing of the subduction initiation and ophiolite emplacement of the inner Tauride Ocean: Insight from the Pınarbaşı ophiolite in Central Türkiye

Abstract

Late Cretaceous ophiolites are widespread in southern Türkiye, including the Tauride Belt Ophiolites and the Central Anatolian Ophiolites. Here, we report new geological, geochemical, geochronological, and zircon isotopic data from ophiolitic rocks of the Pınarbaşı ophiolite (Eastern Tauride Belt). The Pınarbaşı ophiolite forms incomplete sequences, with its mantle section dominated by serpentinized harzburgite and chromitites, while the crustal section comprises ultramafic and mafic cumulates. Whole-rock and mineral chemistry data suggest a supra-subduction zone origin. LA-ICP-MS zircon U-Pb age of 88.2 ± 0.4 Ma (MSWD = 0.84) was obtained from a plagiogranite dyke cutting serpentinized peridotite of the Pınarbaşı ophiolite. Another, U-Pb zircon crystallization age of 96.8 ± 0.6 Ma (MSWD = 1.53) was obtained from a plagiogranite dyke within the mélange of the Pınarbaşı ophiolite. Hafnium isotope compositions of these zircons (εHf(t) = +26.4 to +3.1) suggest a depleted to slightly enriched mantle source. The formation ages of the crustal rocks (gabbro, plagiogranite, and dolerite) of the Cretaceous ophiolites in the Tauride Belt from this and previous ophiolite occurrences, suggest that supra-subduction zone ophiolites in the Inner Tauride Ocean formed during the period ∼101–87 Ma. On the other hand, the peak metamorphism of the metamorphic sole rocks is reported to have occurred around ∼104 Ma. According to all available petrogenetic and geochronological data, it is considered that the supra-subduction zone crust developed shortly (∼ 3–4 Myr) after the initiation of intra-oceanic subduction and this lasted ∼10–15 Myr.