New structural and petrological data on the Amasia ophiolites (NW Sevan–Akera suture zone, Lesser Caucasus): Insights for a large-scale obduction in Armenia and NE Turkey

The ophiolites of Amasia in the northwestern part of the Sevan–Akera suture zone (Lesser Caucasus, NW Armenia) correspond to a well-preserved example of a major obduction of oceanic lithosphere over the South Armenian continental block. Our mapping evidenced a series of (1) un-metamorphosed gabbroic oceanic crust, (2) serpentinites and a greenschist grade tectonic melange composed of deformed pillow-basalts, radiolarites and cherts, and (3) a basal slice of garnet amphibolites bearing similar compositional features as the ophiolite. These units are sliced and deformed by post-Eocene thrusting related to the shortening of the suture zone after the collision of the South Armenian Block with Eurasia. 40Ar/39Ar dating on gabbro amphiboles yielded ages of 169.0 ± 4.6 to 175.8 ± 3.9 Ma. This age and geochemical composition of ophiolite rocks are similar to those of other ophiolite outcrops in Armenia and NE Turkey. Structural and geochemical analyses undertaken on the garnet amphibolites suggest it to represent the obducted ophiolite metamorphic sole. All these data are in agreement with the presence of a unique ophiolite nappe at the scale of NE Turkey–Armenia originating from a Jurassic intra-oceanic back-arc basin, obducted onto the Armenian–Taurides–Anatolides microblocks in the early Late Cretaceous (c. 90 Ma).

► Large-scale obduction of Anatolia ophiolites is evidenced by similar age + geochemistry.
► Gabbro amphiboles dated by the 40Ar/39Ar method give 170 Ma.
► Back-arc tendency is found in all Armenian and NE Turkey ophiolites.