First find of serpentinite in the cliffs of the Heracleian Peninsula of Southwestern Crimea

Ophiolite association of Cape Fiolent (western part of the Mountainous Crimea) – the upper age constraint according to the U-Pb isotope dating of plagiorhyolites (Monakh Cliff)

“…Its stratigraphic section begins with a gently dipping terrigenous-argillaceous-carbonate sequence of the Sarmatian (Middle Miocene) regional stage of the Peri-Thetic Region [23], corresponding to the upper parts of the Serrovalian and Tartonian stages [24]. This sequence, with a pronounced structural unconformity, overlies weathered and deeply eroded heterogeneous igneous formations, usually attributed to the Middle Jurassic [18] and combined [25][26][27][28][29] into the ophiolite association of Cape Fiolent.…”

“…4. Apoperidotite serpentinites, gabbroids, basalts, dolerites, and plagiorhyolites exposed in coastal rocks in the area of Cape Fiolent [25][26][27][28][29] and, moreover, penetrated by boreholes on the Heraclea Plateau [18] (Fiolent-Heraclea igneous area). Attempts to obtain the U-Pb isotopic age from three zircon crystals from a dolerite dike in the centre of the exposed part of the Fiolent-Heraclea area using SHRIMP-II gave estimates of 1771±28 Ma [18].…”

“…Fiolent-Heraclea igneous area. Igneous formations of the Fiolent-Heraclea area are known in the literature as: 1) heterogeneous and diverse (from rhyolites to mafic rocks) igneous formations that compose the so-called Heraclean volcano-tectonic structure [36]; 2) ophiolite association of Cape Fiolent or ophiolites of the Heraclea Peninsula [25][26][27][28][29]. These formations are exposed in steep (reaching a height of 200 m to the east of Cape Fiolent) coastal cliffs of the southern part of the Heraclea Peninsula (Fig.…”

“…In the work by E.E.Shnyukova [18], the part of the field of igneous formations distribution in the Fiolent-Heraclea area exposed in the coastal band is divided into a series of areas, within which igneous rocks were formed during separate stages of magmatic activity. The works [25][26][27][28][29] developed ideas according to which the igneous formations of the Fiolent-Heraclea area, together with associated rocks, form an ophiolite association.…”