⁴⁰Ar-³⁹Ar geochronology and petrogenesis of postcollisional trachytic volcanism along the İzmir-Ankara-Erzincan Suture Zone (NE, Turkey)

The obliteration of the Neo-Tethyan Ocean and collision of the microplates along the northern part of Turkey led to the development of the İzmir-Ankara-Erzincan suture zone (IAESZ). After the collision of Pontides with the Central-Anatolian Crystalline Complex (CACC) in the Paleocene, a new phase of extension and volcanism concomitantly developed along the northern (Almus; Pontides) and southern (Yıldızeli; CACC) sides and along the IAESZ during the Middle Eocene time interval. The first products of the Middle Eocene volcanism in these areas are represented by calc-alkaline to alkaline (basic-intermediate) volcanic and volcanoclastic units together with late-stage trachytic dikes, plugs, and stocks. The mantle source area of both volcanic units displays a metasomatized character, which was dominantly fluxed by sediment-sourced melts. The partial melting of the metasomatized source area gave rise to first-stage basic-intermediate volcanism in the crustal levels. Simultaneously with the generation of the first-stage volcanism, basaltic trachyandesitic shallow-seated magma mushes were also developed. The reactivation of these shallow-seated mushes by latestage extensional tectonics gave rise to the development of trachytic volcanism in both regions, which have a high-K to shoshonitic character. Almus trachytic lavas are phenocryst-poor and have differentiated Mg# numbers (avg. 26). On the other hand, Yıldızeli trachytic lavas have a broad compositional range (benmoreite to latite); they are phenocryst-rich and show more basic character (Mg# avg. 40). Trachytic volcanism in both areas is largely controlled by fractional crystallization of similar basaltic trachyandesitic parental magma with minor assimilation of the upper crustal lithologies.⁴⁰Ar-³⁹Ar ages from sanidine phenocrysts from both areas also confirm that trachytic volcanism in both regions developed nearly coevally in different tectonic blocks (~41–40 Ma). Generation of similar volcanism on the different tectonic blocks during the postcollisional stage was probably governed by a regional-scale delamination and/ or lithospheric removal-related tectonomagmatic processes.