The origin and age of the metamorphic sole from the Rogozna Mts., Western Vardar Belt: New evidence for the one-ocean model for the Balkan ophiolites

• Rogozna Mts. metamorphic sole (amphibolites, schists) Western Vardar belt
• Amphibolites: subakaline/tholeiitic (N-MORB - BAB), alkaline (E-MORB/OIB)
• Amphibolites: 685–765 °C, 4–6 kbar, 164.9 ± 1.3 to 170.0 ± 1.4 Ma
• Talc-Chlorite schists: MORB, 300–410 °C
• Synchronous closure of Dinaric and West Vardar belt — single Ocean

This study brings new geochronological and petrochemical data from the metamorphic sole beneath the Rogozna Mts., Western Vardar ophiolite belt. The Rogozna metamorphic sole is located at the base of a serpentinite nappe and consists of amphibolites and talc-chlorite schists. The Rogozna amphibolites are medium- to fine-grained rocks with nematoblastic texture and pronounced foliation. They consist of green amphibole (~ 70 vol.%) with variable silica contents (6.4 to 7.8 Si apfu), as well as Mg# (molMg/[Mg + Fetot]; 0.53 to 0.77) and variably albitized plagioclase (~ 30 vol.%; Ab24–Ab98). Amphibolites are overprinted by a retrograde assemblage containing actinolite, epidote, clinoclore, sericite, chlorite, and magnetite. The amphibolites formed due to metamorphism of two basaltic suites: subalkaline/tholeiitic and alkaline. Subalkaline/tholeiitic amphibolites possess low Zr, Nb, Y, Th, Hf, TiO2, and P2O5 values and a LREE-depleted pattern, typical for the N-MORB (normal mid ocean ridge basalt) to BAB (back-arc basalt) origin. Alkaline amphibolites show elevated concentrations of Zr, Nb, Y, Th, Hf, TiO2, and P2O5 with a LREE-enriched pattern typically displayed by OIB (ocean island basalt). Amphibolites were crystallized during intra-oceanic thrusting at temperatures between 685 °C and 765 °C and at a depth of 12–17 km. 40Ar/39Ar cooling ages of amphibole, ranging from 165 to 170 Ma, slightly postdate the sole formation. Talc-chlorite schists are related to retrograde greenschist-facies metamorphism. They consist of Fe-rich talc and Cr-rich chlorite (peninite-diabantite) pseudomorphs after amphibole and MORB-type Cr-Al spinel, surrounded by Al- and Mg-poor ferrit chromite. The occurrence of ferrit chromite is related to earlier, amphibolite facies metamorphism. Chlorite pseudomorphs after amphibole were formed at 300–410 °C.This study suggests that there is no essential difference in the emplacement age of the Dinaric and West Vardar ophiolite belts supporting the interpretation involving a single Mesozoic ocean in the Balkan sector.