Petrogenesis of oligocene plutonic rocks in western Anatolia (NW Turkey): Insights from mineral and rock chemistry, Sr-Nd isotopes, and U-Pb, Ar-Ar and (U-Th)/He geochronology

Northwestern Anatolia is characterized by voluminous Paleozoic to Cenozoic granitoid bodies with varying compositions. Most of them are composite plutons emplaced into western Anatolia orogenic crust during the Eocene, Oligocene and Miocene along the Izmir-Ankara-Erzincan suture zone. This paper reports systematic good quality mineral and bulk-rock chemistry, Sr-Nd isotope data, honblend Ar-Ar, zircon U-Pb and first apatite (UTh)/He (AHe) ages to reveal possible source compositions of the Evciler and Eybek granitoids and petrogenetic/ geodynamic processes involved during their genesis, and thermochronology of Oligocene magmatism in the NW Anatolia. The Evciler and Eybek granitoids are mainly granodiorite and composed of K-feldspar (usually orthoclase and rarely microcline), plagioclase (albite, oligoclase), hornblende, biotite, quartz and accessory minerals (e.g., titanite, zircon, apatite, opaque), and secondary minerals such as chlorite, sericite and clay minerals. Estimated temperature-pressure conditions are 690-770 degrees C at 1.6-2.7 kbar for the Evciler granitoid and 690-760 degrees C at 3.2-4.01 kbar for the Eybek granitoid. These two granitoids enriched in LILEs (e.g., U, Th, Rb, and K), LREEs and Pb, and depleted in HREEs (e.g., Nb, Ti) and Sr, Ba and P relative to LILEs, and display small negative Eu anomalies. They belong to calc-alkaline, high-K calc-alkaline and minor shoshonite series, and display metaluminous and I-type character. Their REE patterns show a large fractionation between LREE and HREE ((La/Yb)N = 4.6-21.4) and a small negative Eu anomaly (Eu* = 0.2-0.3). The Evciler granitoid has homogeneous Sr-87/Sr-86 = 0.7060-0.7063 and Nd-143/Nd-144 = 0.51259-0.51262, and the Eybek granitoid has Sr-87/Sr-86 = 0.7060-0.7080 and Nd-143/Nd-144 = 0.51243-0.51263. New precise 40Ar/39Ar age data of hornblende and Pb-206-U-238 ages of zircons and (U-Th)/He ages of apatites from the plutons allow a more accurate temporal reconstruction of the Cenozoic magmatism of the western Anatolia. 40Ar/39Ar dating of hornblendes from the Evciler and Eybek granitoids gave plateau ages of between ca. 28 Ma and 25 Ma. Laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (LA-ICP-MS) Pb-206-Pb-238 ages of euhdral magmatic zircons from the samples of these granitoids yield between ca. 28 and 26 Ma. The new high-temperature age constraints indicate Oligocene emplacement ages for the two intrusive bodies. The closeness of the zircon U-Pb and the hornblende Ar-Ar ages show that they experienced quick post-crystallization cooling. However, the significant difference between the apatite (U-Th)/He ages of 19.8 Ma and 7.6 Ma obtained on the Evciler and Eybek granitoids warns that in the post-Oligocene times the two structural blocks had different exhumation histories.

Automated summary

The study provides detailed mineralogical and geochemical data of Evciler and Eybek granitoids, revealing their source compositions and petrogenetic processes. These granitoids have similar compositions and formation conditions, belonging to calc-alkaline rocks. Using precise dating methods, the study unveils the Cenozoic magmatic history of these rocks in the Northwestern Anatolia.