Source to Sink in the Easternmost Mediterranean: Insights from the
Provenance of Oligo-Miocene Turbidites in the South Turkish Basins
Guohui Chen
State Key Laboratory of Lithospheric Evolution, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Lithospheric Evolution, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Lithospheric Evolution, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Lithospheric Evolution, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Corresponding Author:guohui.chen@live.cn
Author ProfileFu-Yuan Wu
State Key Laboratory of Lithospheric Evolution, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Lithospheric Evolution, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Lithospheric Evolution, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Lithospheric Evolution, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Author ProfileAbstract
South Turkish Neogene basins record post-collisional exhumation/erosion
of Neotethyan basins. Facies and paleocurrent data indicate general
northerly derivation of siliciclastic sediments. Provenance is further
indicated by integrated detrital zircon U-Pb geochronology (29 samples;
2748 grains) of 7 mapped late Oligocene-Miocene basins (from E-W): 1.
Hatay, 2. K.Maraş, 3. Adana, 4. Misis, 5. Mut, 6. Manavgat and 7. Kopru.
1-4 and 6-7 represent two separate tectonically active depocenters,
whereas 5 was a relatively stable platform. The early-mid Miocene of
Hatay Basin contains sparse zircons with Precambrian (570-900 Ma) and
Cretaceous (73-99 Ma) populations that become prominent in the mid-late
Miocene. The early Miocene of K.Maraş Basin has abundant Pan-African,
Grenvillian and Eocene zircons; mid-Miocene exhibits scarce
Neoproterozoic-Mesoproterozoic but abundant Cretaceous-Neogene zircons.
The late Oligocene-early Miocene of Adana Basin has minor
Cretaceous-Neogene zircons, becoming more abundant in the early Miocene.
The Miocene of Misis Basin has abundant Precambrian grains, mainly
restricted to the NE. The Miocene of Mut Basin has major zircon
populations of 544-710 Ma, 730-990 Ma, and two subordinate 1700-2000 Ma
and 2400-2700 Ma clusters. Early Miocene (17-19 Ma) zircons occur in
some samples. The Manavgat Basin samples are similar to the Mut Basin
ones but with more evidence of mid-late Miocene (8-14 Ma) zircons.
Lastly, the Kopru Basin (E Isparta Angle) has Pan-African (540-640 Ma)
and Grenvillian (810-1000 Ma) populations, and small Paleozoic clusters.
The Pan-African and Grenvillian-aged material was probably supplied
directly and/or recycled from rifted Gondwanan Cadomian ‘basement’ and
its Paleozoic passive margin cover, as partly exposed in south/central
Anatolia. Sparse Permian-Triassic zircons relate to Neotethyan rifting.
Late Cretaceous-early Cenozoic grains were derived from adjacent Late
Cretaceous ophiolitic, magmatic arc and related metamorphic units. Early
Miocene zircons relate to local basaltic volcanism. The variable zircon
abundances hint at differential exhumation/erosion. Two regional
drainage system dominated, one through the K.Maraş basin system (E) and
the other through the Isparta Angle basin system (W).