U-Pb-Hf isotopic data from detrital zircons in late Carboniferous and Mid-Late Triassic sandstones, and also Carboniferous granites from the Tauride and Anatolide continental units in S Turkey: implications for Tethyan palaeogeography

ABSTRACT

Zircons from Carboniferous sandstones (three samples) and Mid-Late Triassic sandstones (four samples) from the Tauride and Anatolide continental units were analysed for U-Pb-Hf isotopes. For comparison, zircons were also analysed from Carboniferous granites of the Afyon Zone, Anatolides (three samples). A NE African/Arabian source is inferred for both the Carboniferous sandstones of the Taurides (Aladağ) and the Anatolides (Konya Complex). In contrast, the Carboniferous Karaburun Melange is characterised by a NW African provenance. A prominent Devonian population occurs in the Carboniferous Karaburun Melange, characterised by mainly positive ε_Hf(t) values that differ significantly from those of the Devonian granites of the Sakarya continental crustal unit (Pontides). Middle-Late Triassic Tauride sandstones include minor Palaeozoic and Early Mesozoic zircons. In contrast, Devonian and Carboniferous zircons are relatively abundant in Late Triassic sandstones of the Karaburun Peninsula. The Hf isotopic compositions of 25 Carboniferous-aged zircons from three samples of Mid-Late Triassic sandstone and one of Late Carboniferous age (one sample) overlap with the ε_Hf(t) values of Carboniferous arc-type granites in the Anatolides. Taking account of the available U-Pb and Lu-Hf isotopic data from comparative crustal units, the Devonian zircon populations from the melanges in the Karaburun Peninsula and the Konya Complex are inferred to have a westerly source (e.g. granitic rocks of Aegean region or central Europe). A tectonic model is proposed in which Palaeozoic Tethys sutured during the late Carboniferous in the west (Aegean region westwards), leaving an eastward-widening oceanic gulf in which sandstone turbidites accumulated, including Devonian zircons.

KEYWORDS:

• Provenance
• sandstone
• detrital zircon
• U-Pb & Lu-Hf isotopes
• Taurides
• Anatolides
• Gondwana
• late Carboniferous
• Late Triassic
• Tethys

Acknowledgments

This study was supported by TÜBİTAK research Grants No. 111R015 and 115Y213. Partial support was provided by the Istanbul University Research Fund (Projects No. 4087, BEK-20839 and YÖP-45681). We thank Linda Marko (Frankfurt) for assistance with the laboratory processing of zircons at Frankfurt. TU and PAU thank Gernold and Janet Zulauf for their continuing help and logistical support during their five visits to Frankfurt to carry out the isotopic analysis. Esen Arpat and Necdet Özgül are thanked for their help and support during the fieldwork in the Aladağ region. Necdet Özgül made valuable suggestions concerning the Late Triassic units sampled in the Tauride Autochthon. Constructive comments that were provided by Aral Okay and two anonymous reviewers were greatly appreciated. We also thank Robert Stern for his comments on and editorial handling of the manuscript.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Supplementary material

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed here.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the TÜBİTAK [Project Numbers: 111R015 and 115Y213]; Partial support was provided by the Istanbul University Research Fund [Projects No. 4087, BEK-20839 and YÖP-45681].