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No 3 (2024)
Articles
Neoproterozoic volcanosedimentary and plutonic complexes of Northern Ulutau (Central Kazakhstan)
Abstract
The article presents the results of studying and substantiating the age of Late Precambrian volcanogenic sedimentary and plutonic complexes of the northern part of the Ulutau terrane (Northern Ulutau) in the west of Central Kazakhstan. The age estimates obtained (SHRIMP II, ID-TIMS, LA-ICP-MS) indicate the formation of acidic effusions and granitoids in the second half of the Tonian Neoproterozoic period ~835‒747 million years ago. Geochronological and isotope-geochemical data allow us to consider these formations as analogues of stratified and plutonic complexes of Southern Ulutau, formed in various parts of the lateral series of structures of the late precambrian active continental margin.
3-29
Geological position of the Junggar terrane (Southern Kazakhstan) in the structure of Rodinia supercontinent: results of research of the late-precambrian metasedimentary complexes
Abstract
The results of studying of the Precambrian metasedimentary sequences of the Junggar terrane located in South Kazakhstan are given in the article. In the structure of the Junggar terrane, we studied the rocks of the Sarychebyn group and Kosagash formation. Petrogeochemical data combined with the results of U‒Pb and Lu‒Hf isotope-geochronological studies of the detrital zircons showed that the Sarychebyn Group and the Kosagash formation represent a similar stratigraphic level that accumulation occurred in the Late Mesoproterozoic to Early Neoproterozoic (~1026‒~920 Ma). The main sources of the detrital zircon age populations were the Mesoproterozoic and Paleoproterozoic complexes. Among these complexes can be identified metabasites and metapelites of intermediate and high metamorphic grades, as well as felsic igneous rocks formed with the participation of various sources, can be distinguished. The Junggar terrane exhibits a close tectonic affinity with the Aktau-Mointy, Yili, Issyk-Kul, Chinese Central Tien-Shan, and the Northern Kazakhstan terranes in the Late Precambrian. They were probably located near the Sveconorwegian orogen in the western Baltica within the Rodinia supercontinent structure.
30-54
Evolution of the northeastern margin of the Kazakhstan paleocontinent: results of petro-geochemical study of sedimentary and volcanogenic-sedimentary rocks of the Zharma-Saur island arc zone
Abstract
We carried out studies of petrography, petrochemistry, geochemistry and Nd-isotopy of sedimentary and volcanic rocks, as well as U‒Pb dating of detrital zircons from sandstones and tuff sandstones of four stratigraphic units of the Zharma-Saur island arc zone, located in the Middle-Late Paleozoic near the north eastern (in modern coordinates) edge of the Kazakhstan paleocontinent. The data obtained, geological structure and analysis of discriminant diagrams indicate that the formation of sandstones of the Givetian‒Frasnian sequence was the result of erosion and destruction of the Early Paleozoic igneous complexes of the Chingiz-Tarbagatai zone of the Kazakhstan paleocontinent. Tuff sandstones of the Koyanda formation of the Tournaisian stage and the Tersairyk formation of the Visean stage, distributed within the Vorontsov-Saur subzone, are mainly a product of rock destruction and volcanic activity of the Zharma-Saur volcanic arc. The feeding provinces for the sedimentary rocks of the Kokon formation of the Visean stage, which occupies most of the Zharma-Sarsazan subzone, were simultaneously the Caledonides of the Chingiz-Tarbagatai zone and the Early Carboniferous volcanogenic complexes of the Zharma-Saur volcanic arc. Our data show that the Zharma-Saur arc developed near the northeastern margin of the Kazakhstan paleocontinent at the end of the Late Devonian‒in the Early Carboniferous period.
55-79
Comparison of neotectonic intermontane basins of Northern Armenia and Eastern Türkiye
Abstract
The results of comparative analysis of the structure and history of the Neogene-Quaternary development of 18 inrermontane basins in Northern Armenia and Eastern Türkiye are presented. The research is based on expeditionary work carried out by the authors in 2012–2023, and supplemented by published materials from other researchers. Palaeontological, magnetostratigraphic and radioisotope data on the stratigraphy of the basins are analyzed. The comparison made it possible to identify four stages of basin development, expressed by the nature of sedimentation: (i) marine sedimentation; (ii) predominantly lacustrine accumulation of fine-grained clastic material transported from low uplifts; (iii) lacustrine-alluvial sedimentation with a significant proportion of coarse material carried down from neighboring uplifts: (iv) involvement of the basins in the total rise of the region, which in most depressions is expressed by increased incision of watercourses into previously emerged landforms, and in the Sevan depression is combined with ongoing lacustrine-alluvial sedimentation.
A consistent rejuvenation of stages (i)–(iii) of the basin development in the northern direction is revealed. It is caused with the growth and expansion to the north of the uplift of the Taurus Ridge in the process of its thrusting onto the Arabian Plate. At the same time, the development of the basins revealed the impact of tectonic events in the Middle and South Caspian. It was expressed in the Early Pliocene by the unconformity and the appearance of coarse clastic rocks, reflecting the increasing contrast of vertical movements between the Caucasian and Caspian regions, and at the end of the Late Pliocene by the penetration of waters of the Akchagylian transgression of the Caspian Sea into some basins. These features of the development of the basins did not depend on differences in their origin, which was determined by the influence of several factors. Among them, the main ones were movements on faults as a result of the interaction of lithospheric blocks and subsidence, caused by movements of sublithospheric masses, expressed by volcanism. Secondary roles were played by the behavior of the ophiolitic substrate and the tectono-volcanic damming of river valleys.
80-107
Geological position, structural manifestations of the Elbistan earthquake and tectonic comparison of two strongest seismic events 06.02.2023 in Eastern Türkiye
Abstract
The Elbistan (Ҫardak) earthquake with magnitude Mw = 7.5 or 7.6 happened in Eastern Anatolia on 06.02.2023 at 10:24 UTC, following the strongest in the region of East Anatolian (Pazarçik) earthquake with Mw = 7.8 which occurred on the same day at 1:17 UTC to the south of the region. The Elbistan earthquake activated adjacent segments of the Ҫardak and Uluova faults with Quaternary left-lateral strike-slip displacements. The resulting seismic ruptures have a total length of 190 km, of which 148 km are represented by sinistral lateral slip. Their maximum amplitude of 7.84 m was recorded 8 km east of the epicenter. The strike-slip seismic ruptures of the Elbistan and East Anatolian earthquakes represent exposure of their focal zones on the land surface. Both earthquakes exceed average values of these parameters for continental earthquakes of strike-slip type in terms of focal zone sizes and amplitudes of seismic displacements. At the same time, both sources do not propagate deeper than the upper part of the crust (16–20 km).
Ophiolite complexes covering the same depths are widely spread in the area of focal zones of both earthquakes. Two maxima were found in the distribution of seismic strike-slip displacement along the epicentral zone of the Elbistan earthquake (i) amplitudes of 5.7–7.84 m in the Ҫardak fault zone and (ii) amplitudes of 3.5–5.1 m in the Uluova fault zone. Both maxima coincide to the areas of ophiolites or their contacts with basement rocks. In crystalline basement rocks, the sinistral strike-slip amplitudes are significantly reduced. We attribute the increased values of focal zone sizes and displacement amplitudes of both earthquakes to the rheological features of ophiolites, which increase a possibility of slip of rocks during seismic movements. We explain the fact that the sources of both earthquakes cover only the upper part of the crust, by the uplift of the top of rocks with reduced P-wave velocities, including the upper mantle and the lower part of the crust and interpreted as heated rocks with reduced strength.
108-126