Uranium-lead isotopic ages of plagiogranites from the Troodos ophiolite, Cyprus, and their tectonic significance

Journal Article · Tue Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 1987 · Geology; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(1987)15<825:UIAOPF>2.0.CO;2· OSTI ID:5334802

Mukasa, S B; Ludden, J N

Zircon populations from two plagiogranites in the plutonic section of the Troodos ophiolite yield U-Pb dates between 90.3 +/- 0.7 and 9.24 +/- 0.7 Ma. Zircons from one of the two samples yield U-Pb dates of 90.3 +/- 0.7 and 92.1 +/- 0.7 Ma. This difference is greater than their analytical error, and the zircons are therefore considered to be slightly discordant. Two fractions from another sample are internally and externally concordant and have an average date of 91.6 +/- 1.4 Ma. This date is adopted as the age of plagiogranite crystallization. The plutonic section of the Troodos ophiolite is complex in that several generations of intrusion can be identified. The plagiogranites occur at the top of the intrusive section and represent fractionated residua of magma chambers related to the lower pillow lavas. They are possibly slightly older than small ultramafic layered complexes that represent the final intrusive episode within the Troodos ophiolite. There is good agreement between their results and the ages of radiolaria which occur in umbers intercalated with the upper pillow lavas of Troodos. This shows that the 75 to 85 Ma K-Ar dates on the lavas and sheeted dikes represent age resetting unrelated to ophiolite formation. The Troodos U-Pb zircon ages are slightly lower than U-Pb zircon ages from the Samail ophiolite in Oman, which vary between 93.5 and 97.9 Ma and average 95 Ma. The small difference in age between the Troodos and the Samail ophiolites and the geochemical similarities of basalts from both complexes to island-arc volcanic rocks imply that a 3000-km axis of rift-related island arcs formed between 91 and 98 Ma. Emplacement of the ophiolites followed during the early Maastrichtian.

• Research Organization: Univ of Florida, Gainesville (USA)
• OSTI ID: 5334802
• Journal Information: Geology; (United States), Journal Name: Geology; (United States) Vol. 15:9; ISSN GLGYB
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

58 GEOSCIENCES
580100* -- Geology &amp; Hydrology-- (-1989)
ACTINIDES
AGE ESTIMATION
BASALT
CYPRUS
ELEMENTS
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
GEOLOGIC HISTORY
GRANITES
IGNEOUS ROCKS
INTRUSION
ISOTOPE DATING
LEAD
METALS
MIDDLE EAST
MINERALS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PLUTONIC ROCKS
ROCKS
SILICATE MINERALS
SILICATES
SILICON COMPOUNDS
TECTONICS
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS
URANIUM
VOLCANIC ROCKS
ZIRCON
ZIRCONIUM COMPOUNDS
ZIRCONIUM SILICATES