During the Late Cretaceous in the Eastern Mediterranean, the northern branch of the southern Neotethys was closed by multiple northward subductions. Of these, the most northerly located subduction created the Baskil continental arc at around 82–84 Ma. The more southerly and intra‐oceanic subduction, on the other hand, produced an arc‐basin system, the Yüksekova Complex, as early as the late Cenomanian–early Turonian. The abundant and relatively well‐studied basaltic rocks of this complex were intruded by dykes, sills and small stocks of felsic–intermediate rocks, not previously studied in detail. The intrusives collected from five different localities in the Elazığ region of eastern Turkey are all subalkaline, with low Nb/Y values. Most of them have been chemically classified as rhyodacites/dacites, whereas a small number appear to be andesites. In normal mid‐ocean‐ridge basalt (N‐MORB)‐normalised plots, the intrusives are characterised by relative enrichments in Th and La over Nb, Zr, Hf, Ti and high field strength elements (HREEs), indicating their derivation from a subduction‐modified source. While their relatively high, positive εNd(i) values (+6.4 and +7.2) might suggest a depleted mantle source for their ultimate origin, somewhat radiogenic Pb values indicate a sedimentary contribution to the source of the rocks. The overall geochemical characteristics indicate their generation in an oceanic arc setting. The zircon U‐Pb Laser ablation‐inductively coupled plasma‐mass spectrometry (LA‐ICP‐MS) data obtained from five felsic‐intermediate rock samples yielded intrusion dates of 80–88 Ma. This suggests that the Elazığ oceanic arc‐related intrusives are slightly younger than those of the Yüksekova arc‐basin system, but coeval with the Baskil continental arc. However, the felsic–intermediate intrusives show different geochemical characteristics (oceanic arc‐type, with a lack of crustal contamination) to those of the Baskil continental arc. This indicates that these two igneous systems are unrelated and likely developed in different tectonic settings. This, in turn, supports a geodynamic model in which the northern strand of the southern Neotethys was consumed by multiple northward subductions.
The Yüksekova Complex is one of the parts of oceanic crust representing the Bitlis-Zagros suture zone in the eastern Turkey. The volcanosedimentary rocks of the unit, which is widely exposed around the Elaziğ (E-NE Turkey) province are located in the Seki-Hacihasan district (E Elazığ) and Asker Mountains (NE of Elazığ). In this area, the planktonic foraminifera bearing pink-red micritic limestones and related volcanogenic rocks were examined and aged. The volcanogenic rocks related to the micritic limestones are mainly spilitic and pillow shaped basalts. The volcanogenic rocks contain mainly of plagioclase ± pyroxene ± partly olivine set in amygdaloidal, intersertal, hyalo-microlitic porphyric textures. The sediments consist mainly of thin- to- medium-bedded muddy limestones. The pelagic red limestones are represented mostly by biomicrite and contain a large quantity of planktonic foraminifera and slight amount of thin shelled bivalve fragments, radiolaria, and echinoderm fragments. The planktonic foraminifera are composed mainly of Globotruncana arca, G. gagnebini, G. lapparenti, G. cf. falsostuarti, Globotruncanita stuarti, Gt. stuartiformis, Gt. conica, Globotruncanella citae and Rosita fornicata scattered into a micritic matrix. Small amounts of silt and sandsized quartz grains are also observed in some thin sections. Accordingly, based on planktonic foraminifera bearing micritic limestones, the age of the Yüksekova Complex is proposed Late Campanian-Late Maastrichtian. Thus, the Late Campanian-Late Maastrichtian aged red pelagic limestones of the Yüksekova Complex were deposited in the deeper parts of the Late Cretaceous Ocean, probably a deep shelf edge.
The Pertek granitoid consisting dominantly of diorite, quartz diorite, quartz monzodiorite, tonalite and lesser granite, adamellite and syenite, is considered to form the easternmost continuation of the Central Anatolian Crystalline Complex. Diorite and monzonites of this granitoid complex are cut by the granitic dykes. The Pertek granitoid, in the study area, is found in the Permo-Triassic Keban metamorphic sequence along intrusive and tectonic contacts. Along the intrusive contacts metasomatic mineralizations are common. Granitoids are, depending on the mineralogical composition, low-, middle- high-K subalkaline features. Major oxide-SiO<sub>2</sub> variation diagrams show that fractionation (particularly plagioclase, hornblend, pyroxene and olivine fractionation) played an important role on the granitoid formation during a continuous crystallization process. Distribution of the samples from the Pertek granitoid in the tectonic setting diagrams, and their chondrite- and primordial mantle-normalized trace element patterns resemble to the of arc-type granitoids. Trace element and rare earth element compositions indicate that the magma, from which the Pertek granitoid crystallized, derived from a mantle that was enriched by the fluids derived from the subducted slab, however this magma was contaminated by the crust during its intrusion. These geochemical characteristics are also supported by the field observations. The field and geochemical characteristics of the Pertek Granitiod suggest that they are similar to the other granitoids cropping out in the central and eastern Anatolia and they form the lateral continuation of the same magmatic belt
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