Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
BULLETIN OF THE MINERAL RESEARCH AND EXPLORATION, cilt.170, ss.57-85, 2023 (ESCI)
Metamorphites of Niğde Massif, which form the basis of study area covering the Niğde vicinity
in Central Anatolia, are composed of Late Devonian Gümüşler, Carboniferous-early Permian
Kaleboynu late Permian Kızıldağ formation and unconformable Triassic-Late Cretaceous cover
units from bottom to the top, which are separated from each other with unconformities. The Triassic
succession (Söğütlüdere formation) of phyllite-marble-schist alternations with common amphibolite
levels is first distinguished in this study, unconformably overlies the Paleozoic succession.
Thick homogeneous marbles of Jurassic-Cretaceous period, is defined by quartzite at the bottom
representing the unconformity at the base, is defined as the Kırtepe formation. The succession
probably ends with the Late Cretaceous metaflysch (Kırkpınar formation) constituting metaophiolite
blocks with unconformable contact relationships. Amphibolite sample of the Söğütlüdere formation
gives 239 Ma (Middle Triassic) age, which is interpreted as the crystallization age of the primary
basic magmatism. The youngest detrital zircon ages (223-224 Ma) obtained from the metaclastics of
the same formation shows that the primary deposition age of the formation is probably Late Triassic,
which is consistent with this data. Geochemical data indicate an extensional environment of the
alkaline composition and anorogenic originated basic volcanism developed on the continental crust.
When these results evaluated together with the regional data, the metabasites of the Söğütlüdere
formation can be interpreted as the first phase products of rifting, which commenced with the rifting
process of the Tauride-Anatolide Platform in the Triassic period and resulted in the opening of the
Inner Tauride Ocean and the break off the Kırşehir Block.