The Geodynamic Implications of Passive Margin Subduction in Northwest Turkey

The number of subduction zones that facilitated the northward translation Anatolide-Tauride continental terrane derived from Gondwana to southern margin Eurasia at longitude western Turkey is debated. We hypothesized if two north dipping incipient collision in Turkey, a late Cretaceous arc would have formed within Neotethys and along Eurasia. To determine an island we investigated sedimentary record Central Sakarya basin, which was deposited 85 45 million years ago. Detrital zircon lower levels basin (the Değirmenözü Formation) are associated with south north-directed paleocurrents exhibit unimodal age peak sourced isotopically juvenile mantle melts. Zircon maximum depositional ages Formation cluster between 95 90 Ma 5–10 Myr older than biostratigraphic ages. Between 80 Ma, 12-unit shift crustal εHf values occurs overlying Yenipazar Formation. explain absence Paleozoic, Eurasian-sourced detrital zircon, rapid values, lag time terms passive isolated intra-oceanic zone, whose reworked into during collision. Thus, widely outcropping plutonic rocks must belonged additional convergent margin.