Occurrences of Chert in Jurassic-Cretaceous Calciturbidites (SW Turkey)
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Open Geosci. 2015; 7:446–464 Research Article Open Access Murat Gül* Occurrences of Chert in Jurassic-Cretaceous Calciturbidites (SW Turkey) DOI 10.1515/geo-2015-0029 ubility controls silica precipitation, it increases with tem- perature and pH values (especially pH>9) [2]. Received November 25, 2013; accepted February 20, 2015 Chert can be deposited via organic and inorganic path- Abstract: The Lycian Nappes, containing ophiolite and ways [3]. Silica-secreting organisms play an important sedimentary rocks sequences, crop out in the southwest role in organic chert deposition and silica precipitation, Turkey. The Tavas Nappe is a part of the Lycian Nappes. in water undersaturated with silica [2]. These organisms It includes the Lower Jurassic-Upper Cretaceous calcitur- are the radiolarians, diatoms, silicoagellates and opa- bidites. Chert occurrences were observed in the lower part line silica-shelled microplankton [2]. Many studies have of this calciturbidite. These cherts can be classied on the focused on these organisms, especially on the radiolar- basis of length, internal structure and host rock. Chert ians [4–6]. The inorganic chert formation requires over- bands are 3.20-35.0 m in length and 7.0-35.0 cm thick. Chert saturated solutions with silica and silica replacement [3]. lenses are 5.0-175.0 cm in length and 1.0-33.0 cm thick. Ac- The silica may be sourced from rivers, mid-ocean ridge vol- cording to its internal structure, granular chert (bladed- canic products that reacted with sea water, and silica par- large equitant quartz minerals replaced the big calcite ticles on the sea oor [2]. The enrichment of silica is also mineral of fossil shell) and porcelanious chert (microcrys- related to diagenetic eects and replacement of older min- talline silica replaced micrite) have been separated. Cherts erals [2, 3, 7–11]. Chert formation-chertication during di- are generally associated with calcarenite-calcirudite, the agenesis aects the porosity, strength and density of the others with calcilutite. Micritic calcite patches of cherts rocks, and these in turn control reservoir characteristics point out an uncompleted silicication. The source of sil- [3, 8, 12]. ica was dominantly quartz-rich, older, basal rocks and to Most of the chert was found in the key stratigraphic a lesser extent radiolarians. The coarse-grained calcitur- level or in the structurally allochthonous packages [13]. bidites act as a way for silica transportation. Some calcite Cherts form in small nodules, lenses or thin discontinu- veins (formed during transportation and emplacement of ous and continuous beds [1, 2, 7]. Relict structures of chert nappes) cut both calciturbidites and cherts. Thus, chert oc- nodules inside limestone point out the replacement dur- currences evolved before emplacement of nappes (the lat- ing diagenesis [2, 3]. Therefore, studies on chert formation est Cretaceous-Late Miocene period) during the epigenetic provide data about the general geological and paleogeo- phase. graphic evolution [3, 5–7, 13–15]. Keywords: Chert band; Chert lens; Radiolaria; Calcitur- Chert developments, found in various aged limestones bidite; silicication crop out in the dierent part of world [10]. Detailed sed- imentological and geochemical aimed studies of cherts have determined that they may have been deposited under dierent environmental conditions [2, 3, 5–8, 10, 13–15]. 1 Introduction The examined cherts are situated in structural unit called the Lycian Nappes (Figures 1 and 2) [16–19]. The Lycian Chert is a dense, extremely hard, microcrystalline and Nappes contain ophiolite and sedimentary rock bearing cryptocrystalline quartz bearing siliceous sedimentary nappes [16–19]. Each nappe has been called dierent rock [1]. The silica ratio and environmental conditions are names [16–19]. One is the Tavas Nappe, which contains the main controlling factors of silicication. The silica sol- calciturbitides. These calciturbidites contain calcilutite, calcarenite and calcirudite, and a great number of chert occurrences in lower part [16, 19]. The Paleozoic quartz bearing detrital rocks were seen at the bottom of chert lev- *Corresponding Author: Murat Gül: Mugla Sıtkı Kocman Univer- els, while basic volcanic and clastics located at the top of sity, Engineering Faculty, Department of Geological Engineering, chert levels (Figure 3) [16, 19]. 48000, Kotekli, Mugla, Turkey, E-mail: [email protected] © 2015 M. Gül, licensee De Gruyter Open. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 License. The article is published with open access at www.degruyter.com. Occurrences of Chert in Jurassic-Cretaceous Calciturbidites (SW Turkey) Ë 447 Cherts of the Tavas Nappe form bands and lenses of Jurassic bioclastic limestone, Middle Jurassic-Upper Creta- various lengths and widths. Their internal structures and ceous carbonate debris-ow deposits, turbidites and mi- lower-upper surface characteristic are also variable. The crite and lithic turbidites in its upper part. calcite mineral structure of calciturbidites had a certain ef- S˛enel (1997, 2007) separated the C˛enger Formation fect on chert internal structure. Another important issue: at the bottom of Tavas Nappe. It contains Triassic-Lower the silicication was not complete, even in chert bodies. Jurassic sandstone, conglomerate and mudstone (0.2-350 The aim of this study is to investigate the sedimentological m thick; uvial-alluvial fan, back shore at the top). Then, and petrographic characteristics of chert to determine the the Liassic Ağac˛lı Formation (products of shallow sta- controlling factors of silicication and types of chert based ble carbonate shelf) consists of 450 m thick algae and on eld observations and detailed petrographic analysis. coral bearing limestone and dolomitic limestone [16]. The Babadağ Formation (650-1020 m) starts with Toarcian red- colored Ammonitica Rosso bearing limestone that uncon- 1.1 Geological background formably overlies the Ağac˛lı Formation. Then, it contin- ues with Dogger-Maastrichtian cherty micrite, radiolarite, The southwest Turkey contains the Menderes Metamor- chert and shale. In some areas, the Babadağ Formation in- phic Massif, the Lycian Nappes, and the Beydağları Au- cludes Lower Cretaceous cherty micrites (examined in this tochthon from north to south (Figure 1) [16–23]. The Ly- study), radiolarite, chert, shale, and then calcarenite and cian Nappes consist of many nappe slices. They have been calcirudite. The Globotruncana sp. bearing micrites and separated by faults and called by dierent names (Fig- rudist bearing calciturbidites are located at the top. The ure 2) [16–19, 21]. The examined cherty limestone is a part Babadağ Formation was interpreted as a product of conti- of the Tavas Nappe, which is surrounded by the Bodrum nental slope and basin margin [16, 19]. It is unconformably Nappe (Figure 2) [16, 19]. These two nappes were also ex- overlain by Upper Paleocene-Lutetian Ölüdeniz volcanics amined under the name of Köyceğiz Thrust Slabs [17, 18]. (including basalt and red colored micrites) and the Faralya The ophiolitic mélange and peridotite slabs tectonically Formation (cherty micrite, clayey limestone, calcarenites- overlie them [16–19, 21]. calciturbidites, basic volcanics; Figure 3) [16, 19]. The Tavas Nappe unconformably overlies the Paleo- The Tavas Nappe is surrounded by the Bodrum zoic Karadağ and Tekedere Series [16, 19]. The Karadağ Nappe-C˛ökek Units. These units consist of Upper Triassic- Series contains Upper Paleozoic quartzite, shale, shale- Jurassic dolomites (the Kayaköy Dolomite), limestone limestone alternations, and dolomitic limestone that are and dolomitic limestones (the Sandak Formation), Up- unconformably overlain by Triassic quartzite, limestone, per Jurassic-Cretaceous calciturbidite and cherty biomi- and sandstone-shale. The Tekedere Series consists of crites (the Göc˛gediği Formation), and Upper Senonian Lower Carboniferous volcanic rocks, chert, limestone, sandstone, conglomerate, claystone and limestone (the sandstone-siltstone-claystone, Upper Permian limestone Karaböğürtlen Formation; Figures 2 and 3) [16, 19]. and dolomite (Figure 2). However, Collins and Robertson (1998, 1999) reported that the Karadağ Series is composed of Upper Paleo- 2 Methods zoic limestone, Lower Triassic quartz arenite and lime- stone, Upper Triassic limestone, lithicarenite and shale. It is tectonically overlain by the Teke Dere Thrust Sheet. Cherty levels of the Bozburun Hill I Section (30 m; Fig- Collins and Robertson (1998, 1999) described the con- ure 4) and Bozburun Hill II Section (15 m; Figure 5; ini- tents of the Teke Dere Thrust Sheet broadly than S˛enel tially presented in Gül et al., 2013) were analyzed in detail. (1997, 2007). The Teke Dere Thrust Sheet contains Per- These two sections are separated by normal faults [22]. The mian basalt, radiolarite and limestone in its lower part; basements of sections consist of cherty calcilutite alter- unconformably Triassic sandstones, Lower-Middle Juras- nated with calcarenite, and calcirudite (Figures 3, 4 and 5). sic bioclastic limestones, Upper Jurassic-Upper Cretaceous The Bozburun Hill I Section includes more calciturbidite pelagic micrite and distal calciturbidite in the middle; and in its upper part. The length and thickness of cherts were Upper Paleocene-Eocene basalt, radiolarite and debris measured in detail. Cherts have been classied as a band ow deposit in its upper part. It is tectonically overlain by (length > 3m) and lens (Table 1). The