A STRUCTURAL RECORD OF THE EMPLACEMENT OF THE POZANTI-KARSANTI OPHIOLITE ONTO THE MENDERES-TAURUS BLOCK IN THE LATE CRETACEOUS, EASTERN TAURIDES, TURKEY

The Aladag region of eastern Taurides, Turkey, is characterized by an imbricated thrust structure developed during late stage emplacement of the Pozanti-Karsanti ophiolite onto the Menderes-Taurus block in the late Cretaceous. The mid to late Cretaceous dynamothermal metamorphic sole and the underlying unmetamorphosed melange, here named the Aladag accretionary complex, were accreted to the base of the Pozanti-Karsan ti ophiolite during intra-oceanic subduction, transport and final obdu ction of the ophiolite onto the Menderes-Taurus block. In the dynamoth ermal metamorphic sole, intensity of deformation and degree of metamor phism increase from the base to the top, and at least three episodes o f foliation, lineation and fold development are recognized. The asymme try of quartz c-axis fabrics, tightness and asymmetry of folds of the same generation, and curvature of fold hinge lines increase from base to top, indicating that non-coaxial progressive deformation prevailed during the development of the metamorphic sole. The melange is divided into three major thrust fault-bounded tectonic slivers, each of which is characterized by distinctive types of matrix and block lithologies , structures and deformation style. Kinematic analyses of the dynamoth ermal metamorphic sole and the melange reveal that the tectonic transp ort direction of the Pozanti-Karsanti ophiolite during its emplacement was from north-northwest to south-southeast, suggesting that the Poza nti-Karsanti ophiolite was derived from a Neo-Tethyan ocean to the nor th of the Menderes-Taurus block.