RADIOLARIAN AGES FOR THE SEDIMENTARY COVER OF SEVAN OPHIOLITE (ARMENIA, LESSER CAUCASUS)

Authors

  • Gayané Asatryan Université P. & M. Curie (Paris VI), CNRS-UMR 7207 CR2P Centre de recherche sur la paléobiodiversité et les paléoenvironnements, Paris, France
  • Taniel Danelian Université de Lille 1, Dept. of Earth Sciences, CNRS-FRE 3298 Géosystèmes, Lille, France
  • Marc Sosson Université de Nice Sophia Antipolis, CNRS, OCA-UMR Géosciences AZUR, Nice, France
  • Lilit Sahakyan Institute of Geological Sciences, National Academy of Sciences of Armenia, Yerevan, Armenia
  • Alain Person Université P. & M. Curie (Paris VI), CNRS-ISTeP Institut des Sciences de la Terre, Paris, France
  • Ara Avagyan Institute of Geological Sciences, National Academy of Sciences of Armenia, Yerevan, Armenia
  • Ghazar Galoyan Institute of Geological Sciences, National Academy of Sciences of Armenia, Yerevan, Armenia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.4454/ofioliti.v35i2.388

Keywords:

Abstract

Age data of Armenian ophiolites are of great importance for understanding the palaeogeographic and geodynamic evolution of Tethys in the Caucasus area and for lateral correlations of Tethyan ophiolitic belts in the Middle East area. Moderately well-preserved radiolarian assemblages obtained during this study from the Sarinar section of eastern Armenia allow to investigate the sedimentary and volcanic history recorded in a ca. 30 m-thick radiolarite sequence associated with spilitic lavas of the Sevan ophiolitic suture zone. The latest Bajocian-early Bathonian assemblage yielded from a sample situated close to the base of the studied sequence suggests that radiolarian ooze accumulation took place on oceanic crust of late Middle Jurassic age (probably Bajocian). Several tuffite levels are intercalated within the lower to middle part of the radiolarite sequence; a late Bathonian-early Oxfordian assemblage from a sample taken just below the uppermost tuffitic bed, suggests that during this time the oceanic domain of Sevan ophiolites was close to subaerial volcanic activity.

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Published

2010-03-01

How to Cite

Asatryan, G., Danelian, T., Sosson, M., Sahakyan, L., Person, A., Avagyan, A., & Galoyan, G. (2010). RADIOLARIAN AGES FOR THE SEDIMENTARY COVER OF SEVAN OPHIOLITE (ARMENIA, LESSER CAUCASUS). Ofioliti, 35(2), 91-101. https://doi.org/10.4454/ofioliti.v35i2.388

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