The Van Microplate: A New Microcontinent at the Junction of Iran, Turkey, and Armenia

In northwestern Iran, magmatic activity occurred during three main intervals: The Cretaceous, Eocene, and Miocene-Quaternary. first two phases of are more consistent with arc-type magmatism on an active continental margin; whereas the last phase, which has calc-alkaline alkaline affinities, shows similarity to postcollisional magmatism. Magmatic belts mostly situated in northern eastern parts Oshnavieh–Salmas–Khoy ophiolite belt (OSK-Ophiolite) Iran. OSK-Ophiolite is known as Neotethys, ocean remnant extends Turkey surrounds Van area. This configuration that microplate surrounding have played important role evolution Turkey, Caucasus since Cretaceous. among Arabian plate south, Iran east, Armenia north. subduction branch Neotethys oceanic lithosphere beneath southern Eurasia been critical flare-up Late Considering area a new makes understanding geodynamic this easier than many tectonic models suggested before. When regarding microplate, suture zone, Bitlis–Zagros should be changed Zagros–Khoy–Sevan–Akera western