Tectonic evolution of the Khoy ophiolitic complex, NW Iran

The Khoy Ophiolitic Complex (KOC) as a part of Tethyan, Izmir-Ankara- Erzincan and Bitlis-Zagros sutures of South East (SE) Turkey is broadly exposed around Khoy region (NW Iran). This complex comprises dismembered fragments of mantle lithosphere, obducted oceanic lithosphere and parts of volcanic arc remnants. The Khoy Ophiolitic Complex can be structurally divided into two major eastern and western blocks which is by NW-SE trending Khoy Faults with right-lateral strike slip kinematics. Also, with regard to heterogeneous crustal properties, KOC can be divided into accreted (stacks of imbricated thrusts) and obducted sections in the tectonic framework. The main tectonic events after opening of South Neotethys Ocean in Mid-Late Triassic include subduction, accretion, obduction and collision in KOC. Therefore, KOC can be regarded as one of the South Neotethyan oceanic relicts (similar to SE Anatolian ophiolites), and it has two distinct types of ophiolite, such that, each type has individual tectonic history related to accretion and obduction processes.