Structure and deformation history of the Bitlis suture near Lake Hazar, southeastern Turkey

Research Article| February 01, 1985 Structure and deformation history of the Bitlis suture near Lake Hazar, southeastern Turkey MARK R. HEMPTON MARK R. HEMPTON 1Department of Geological Sciences, State University of New York at Albany, Albany, New York 12222 Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Author and Article Information MARK R. HEMPTON 1Department of Geological Sciences, State University of New York at Albany, Albany, New York 12222 Publisher: Geological Society of America First Online: 01 Jun 2017 Online ISSN: 1943-2674 Print ISSN: 0016-7606 Geological Society of America GSA Bulletin (1985) 96 (2): 233–243. https://doi.org/10.1130/0016-7606(1985)96<233:SADHOT>2.0.CO;2 Article history First Online: 01 Jun 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation MARK R. HEMPTON; Structure and deformation history of the Bitlis suture near Lake Hazar, southeastern Turkey. GSA Bulletin 1985;; 96 (2): 233–243. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/0016-7606(1985)96<233:SADHOT>2.0.CO;2 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyGSA Bulletin Search Advanced Search Abstract Detailed mapping of the Bitlis suture zone near Lake Hazar shows that it is composed of three tectonostratigraphic units which crop out as distinct north-dipping thrust slices. From south to north, these are the Puturge Metamorphic Complex, the Maden Mélange, and the Elazig Igneous Complex. The Puturge Metamorphic Complex consists of pre-Tertiary, continental-margin sediments metamorphosed to the greenschist facies during the Campanian-Maastrichtian and deformed by four generations of structures. These are, in sequence (1) isoclinal folds and a transposition foliation, (2) open folds, crenulation cleavage, and north-dipping thrust faults, (3) kink bands, and (4) small-displacement faults. The Maden Mélange represents middle Eocene, back-arc-basin sediments and volcanics metamorphosed to the greenschist facies and deformed by three generations of structures: (1) a north-dipping cleavage, (2) kink bands, and (3) small-displacement faults. The Elazig Igneous Complex comprises an imbricated Maastrichtian-early Eocene island arc and young marginal-basin terrain. Thrust faults between units are north-dipping, listric, and form a thin-skinned system.These features suggest the following deformational and tectonic history. The Puturge Metamorphic Complex was generated by isoclinal folding and metamorphism of sediments composing the Arabian continental margin during Campanian-Maastrichtian ophiolite obduction to the south. The Elazig arc developed on the deformed margin because of subsequent southward subduction of oceanic lithosphere. The arc migrated to the north, opening a back-arc basin. By the early Eocene, the back-arc basin was filling with volcaniclastics of the Maden Mélange, and the Elazig arc collided with a continent to the north. During middle to late Eocene, convergence caused thrust stacking of the Elazig, Maden, and Puturge Complexes; second-generation deformation in the Puturge Complex; and first-generation deformation in the Maden Mélange. Continued convergence with the Arabian plate in the late Miocene caused kink banding in the Puturge and Maden Complexes. Since the late Miocene, this convergence has been accommodated by shortening and thickening along numerous internal faults. This content is PDF only. Please click on the PDF icon to access. First Page Preview Close Modal You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.