Thermochronology of the Miocene Arabia-Eurasia collision zone of southeastern Turkey

• DOI: 10.1130/ges01637.1
• Publication Date: 2018-08-07T15:19:12Z
• Authors: William Cavazza; Silvia Cattò; Massimiliano Zattin; Aral I. Okay; Peter Reiners
• Keywords: Thermochronology; Basement; Accretionary wedge; Massif; Forearc; Neogene; Obduction; continental collision

The Bitlis-Pütürge collision zone of SE Turkey is the area maximum indentation along >2400-km-long Assyrian-Zagros suture between Arabia and Eurasia. integration (i) fission-track analyses on apatites, (ii) (U-Th)/He zircons, (iii) field observations stratigraphic structural relationships, (iv) preexisting U-Pb Ar-Ar age determinations amphiboles, micas provides for first time an overall picture thermochronometric evolution this collisional orogen. data set points to ubiquitous latest Cretaceous metamorphism a passive margin sedimentary sequence its igneous basement not only but across entire width Anatolia-Tauride block north suture. During early Paleogene complex Bitlis Pütürge massifs was rapidly exhumed due extensional tectonics in back-arc setting eventually overlain by Eocene shallow-marine sediments. Oligocene characterized rather flat orogenic wedge, contrary widely held belief that epoch marked inception Arabia-Eurasia widespread deformation. Deposition thick succession Muş-Hınıs basin occurred retroarc foreland unrelated continental collision. Middle Miocene, wedge underwent significant discrete phase rapid growth both frontal accretion, as shown cooling/exhumation deposits sides prism, underplating, central metamorphic core wedge. We conclude started mid-Miocene, also coeval syntectonic clastic wedges deposited flexural basins Arabian plate northern contractional reactivation number structures European foreland.