Granulite, Eclogite and Blueschist Relics in the Menderes Massif: An Approach to Pan-African and Tertiary Metamorphic Evolution
Abstract: Some new evidence about the metamorphic evolution of the Menderes Massif mostly obscured by the young events, has been recognized from both of the core and cover series. These can be given as i) Pan-African high-pressure and high-temperature metamorphisms under eciogite and granulite facies conditions in the core series and ii) Tertiary high-pressure/loo w temperature metamorphismunder epidote-blueschist/eclogite facies conditions in the cover series. The relics of granulite facies metamorphism which are mostlycharacterized by the orthopyroxene and pseudo-cordierite occur in most of the core units such as charnockite, orthopyroxene and/orpseudo-cordierite leptite-gneiss, orthopyrosene gneiss, metatonalite and metagabbro. The high-pressure relics in the Precambrian core series are defined by the eclogite occurrences which are related to the metagabbro stocks. These medium temperature eclogites under 650 °C and 13 kbar conditions which are made up of "omphacite (Jd20-25)+Garnet+Rutile±Kyanite" pass gradually to the garnet amphibolites resulted from the Barrowian-type overprint under upper amphibolite facies conditions. This multi stage sequence ofevents which follow a metamorphic path under eclogite, granulit and almandine-amphibolite facies conditions with migmatization and partial melting are regarded to be related to the Pan-African orogeneses similar to the Bitlis Massif. Tertiary HP/LT metamorphismunder epidote-blueschist/eclogite fades conditions which was mostly obliterated by the subsequently following Borrowian-type overprint are recognized in the Mesozoic cover units around Dilek peninsula, Selçuk and Gölmarmara, NW part of the Menderes Massif.The P-T estimations, less than 430 °C and minimum 10 kbar, and mineral assemblages mainly consisting of blue amphiboles and omphacite (jd37)+Garned, clearly reveal the subduction related character of this metamorphism. In the general evolution of the Neo-teth~yan-Vardar ocean, the Menderes Massif should have been buried dowh at about 35 km along a subduction zone during Tertiary (Eocene ?) time. Based on this new evidence about the two-fold Tertiary metamorphism, the Menderes Massif can be obviously correlated with the Cycladic Complex in terms of the metamorphic evolution and litostratigraphical rock succession.