New conodont and palynological data from the Lower Palaeozoic in Northern Çamdağ, NW Anatolia, Turkey

Authors

  • Iliana Boncheva Geological Institute, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. G. Bonchev St., Bl. 24, 1113 Sofia
  • M. Cemal Goncuoglu Middle East Technical University, Department of Geological Engineering, 06531 Ankara
  • Stephen A. Leslie Department of Geology and Environmental Science James Madison University, MSC 6903 Harrisonburg, VA 22807
  • Iskra Lakova Geological Institute, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. G. Bonchev St., Bl. 24, 1113 Sofia
  • Valeri Sachanski Geological Institute, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. G. Bonchev St., Bl. 24, 1113 Sofia
  • Gulnur Saydam Middle East Technical University, Department of Geological Engineering, 06531 Ankara
  • Ibrahim Gedik General Directorate of Mineral Research and Exploration, Department of Geological Research, 06520
  • Peter Konigshof Forschungsinstitut und Naturmuseum Senckenberg Senckenberganlage 25 D-60325 Frankfurt am Main

Keywords:

Lower Palaeozoic, Stratigraphy, conodonts, Palynomorphs, NW Turkey, Çamdağ

Abstract

Two main thrust slices in the camdag area (NW Anatolia), were informally named the Southern and Northern Çamdağ units. New micropaleontological and palynological data about the ordovician, Silurian and devonian in the Northern Çamdağ have allowed a better understanding of the early Palaeozoic evolution of this critical area between the Istanbul Terrane in the west and the Zonguldak Terrane in the east. The Middle ordovician age obtained from the conodont-bearing limestone band within the Aydos formation in this study is in agreement with the data from the Zonguldag Terrane. Acritarch evidence suggests a Late ordovician age of the upper part of Aydos formation. This paper concerns the Northern unit. Three members are distinguished in the fındıklı formation and dated biostratigraphically. The lower member (Black Shale Member) of the findiklı formation is absent from the kabalak dere section, but was assigned elsewhere to the Llandovery on the basis of graptolites. The middle member (Shale–Siltstone Member) is dated as Wenlock and Ludlow on the basis of acritarchs. The upper member (Shale–Limestones Member) spans a continuous upper Silurian – Lower devonian succession. The overlaying ferizli formation is assigned to the Middle devonian on the basis of conodonts. The new stratigraphic data indicate that the Southern Çamdağ unit corresponds to the Istanbul Terrane and the Northern Çamdağ unit to the Zonguldak Terrane. The tectonic contact between the Northern and the Southern units is a steep south-verging thrust-fault.

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Published

2009-06-10

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