Late Jurassic Paleotethyan oceanic slab break-off revealed by Sr-Nd-Hf isotopes of Na-rich adakitic granites from northwestern Turkey

The Mesozoic geodynamic evolution of the Paleotethys Ocean is critical but a poorly known piece of the geological history of the Sakarya Zone, north Turkey. Here, we describe new integrated research of zircon U-Pb geochronology, bulk-rock major-trace element and Sr-Nd isotopes as well as Hf isotope of zircons from the granitic rocks of the Demirkoy and Kizildamlar plutons located in Bilecik area along the western Sakarya Zone, northwestern Turkey. Zircon U-Pb ages obtained by LA-ICP-MS reveal that the granitic magma intruded into the basement rocks during the Late Jurassic (ca. 162-157 Ma). The granites are tholeiitic and show slightly metaluminous to peraluminous geochemical affinities. The granite samples are adakitic, having relatively high Na2O (6.35-7.58 wt%) and Sr (172-580 ppm), and low K2O (0.39-1.13 wt%) and Y (3.2-5.3 ppm), and thus have high Sr/Y (70-250). The samples exhibit enrichment of light rare earth elements (REE) and large ion lithophile elements (LILE) and depletion in heavy REE and the high field strength elements (HFSE; e.g., Nb, Ti, Ta). The samples possess low Sr-87/Sr-86(t) values of 0.70313 to 0.70372, and eNd(t) of-0.66 to +9.24. Zircon grains exhibit positive eHf (t) values of 5.0 to 12.8 and depleted mantle model ages of Hf (TDM1 = 0.24 to 0.68 Ga). These geochemical features and Sr-Nd-Hf radiogenic isotope systematics reveal that the adakitic rocks were likely formed by low degree melting (<10%) of the eclogitic part of an oceanic slab and subsequent melt fractionation and crustal contamination. An ongoing subduction scenario cannot explain the formation of the investigated adakitic rocks. We suggest that the adakitic plutons were generated through slab break-off after the final closure of the Paleotethys Ocean throughout the Late Jurassic (ca. 162-157 Ma). Considering the previous data, the continental back-arc basin system, leading to the opening of Neotethys Ocean at the southern margin of the continent, has been put forward to decipher the Late Jurassic tectonic evolution of the Paleotethys Ocean and the western Sakarya Zone. (c) 2021 International Association for Gondwana Research. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

This study provides new insights into the Late Jurassic granitic magmatism in the Sakarya Zone in northwestern Turkey. The granitic rocks were likely formed by low degree melting of the eclogitic part of an oceanic slab, followed by magma fractionation and crustal contamination. The findings suggest that the continental back-arc basin system played a significant role in the Late Jurassic tectonic evolution of the Paleotethys Ocean and the western Sakarya Zone.