Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Elsevier
Résumé : International audience
Plio-Pleistocene diatomitic sequences in the Shamb paleo-lake (South Armenia, Lesser Caucasus) offer a rare opportunity to give new insights on the paleo-climate of Western Asia. We present an integrated palynological, 40Ar/39Ar geochronologic and magnetostratigraphic study for the most complete section in the sedimentary deposits of the Shamb paleo-lake. 40Ar/39Ar dating of two volcaniclastic layers provided ages of 1.24 ± 0.03 and 1.16 ± 0.02 Ma (2. Magnetostratigraphic data show that the entire Shamb section is of reversed polarity which, combined with 40Ar/39Ar dating, suggests that the entire section correlates with part of the Matuyama period (1.785-1.070 Ma). Pollen assemblages and macroremains diversity clearly show an alternation of glacial and interglacial phases. Age calibrations and accumulation rate extrapolation allow a direct correlation of climate changes with the global isotopic curve, and show that the Shamb section probably ranges from approximately 1.300 to 1.080 Ma (marine isotopic stages 40 to 31). The vegetation of the Lesser Caucasus developed in a mosaic pattern in a Pleistocene continental, mostly arid climate, comparable to the present-day climate. The observed vegetation changes record a dominant climate response to the obliquity orbital parameter, but the influence of precession could not be established from the Shamb data. Pollen and macroflora both indicate that glacial periods were cold and dry and that interglacials were warm with local humidity. The early Pleistocene climatic model for Western Asia is thus similar to the climatic model for the Mediterranean area.
ISSN: 0012-821X

hal-00470353
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00470353
DOI : 10.1016/j.epsl.2010.01.007

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Elsevier
Résumé : International audience
The identification of a large OIB-type volcanic sequence on top of an obducted nappe in the Lesser Caucaus of Armenia helps us explain the obduction processes in the Caucasus region that are related to dramatic change in the global tectonics of the Tethyan region in the late Lower Cretaceous. The ophiolitic nappe preserves three distinct magmatic series, obducted in a single tectonic slice over the South Armenian Block during the Coniacian-Santonian (88-83 Ma), the same time as the Oman ophiolite. Similar geological, petrological, geochemical and age features for various Armenian ophiolitic massifs (Sevan, Stepanavan, and Vedi) argue for the presence of a single large obducted ophiolite unit. The ophiolite, shows evidence for a slow-spreading oceanic environment in Lower to Middle Jurassic. Serpentinites, gabbros and plagiogranites were exhumed by normal faults, and covered by radiolarites. Few pillow-lava flows have infilled the rift grabens. The ophiolite lavas have hybrid geochemical composition intermediate between Arc and MORB signatures: (La/Yb)(N) = 0.6-0.9: (Nb/Th)(N) = 0.17-0.57; (Nd-143/Nd-144)(i) = 0.51273-0.51291; (Sr-87/Sr-86)(i) = 0.70370-0.70565; (Pb-207/Pb-204)(i) = 15.4587-15.5411; (Pb-208/Pb-204)(i) = 37.4053-38.2336; (Pb-206/Pb-204)(i) = 17.9195-18.4594. These compositions suggest they were probably formed in a back-arc basin by melting of a shallow asthenosphere source contaminated by a deeper mantle source modified by subducted slab-derived products. Sr-87/Sr-86 ratios and petrological evidence show that these lavas have been intensely altered by mid-oceanic hydrothermalism as well as by serpentinites, which are interpreted as exhumed mantle peridotites. The gabbros have almost the same geochemical composition as related pillow-lavas: (La/Yb)(N) = 0.2-2.3; (Nb/Th)(N) = 0.1-2.8; (Nd-143/Nd-144)(i) = 0.51264-0.51276: (Sr-87/Sr-86)(i) = 0.70386-0.70557; (Pb-207/Pb-204)(i) = 15.4888-15.5391; (Pb-208/Pb-204)(i) = 37.2729-37.8713; (Pb-206/Pb-204)(i) = 17.6296-17.9683. Plagiogranites show major and trace element features similar to other Neo-Tethyan plagiogranites (La/Yb)(N) = 1.10-7.92; (Nb/Th)(N) = 0.10-0.94; but display a less radiogenic Nd isotopic composition than basalts [(Nd-143/Nd-144)(i) = 0.51263] and more radiogenic (Sr-87/Sr-86)(i) ratios. This oceanic crust sequence is covered by variable thicknesses of unaltered pillowed OIB alkaline lavas emplaced in marine conditions. Ar-40/Ar-39 dating of a single-grain amphibole phenocryst provides a Lower Cretaceous age of 117.3 +/- 0.9 Ma, which confirms a distinct formation age of the OIB lavas. The geochemical composition of these alkaline lavas is similar to plateau-lavas [(La/Yb)(N) = 6-14; (Nb/Th)(N) = 0.23-0.76; (Nd-143/Nd-144)(i) = 0.51262-0.51271; (Sr-87/Sr-86)(i) = 0.70338-0.70551; (Pb-207/Pb-204)(i) = 15.5439-15.6158; (Pb-208/Pb-204)(i) = 38.3724-39.3623; (Pb-206/Pb-204)(i) = 18.4024-19.6744].;They have significantly more radiogenic lead isotopic compositions than phiolitic rocks, and fit the geochemical compositions of hot-spot derived lavas mixed with various proportions of oceanic mantle. In addition, this oceanic + plateau sequence is covered by Upper Cretaceous calc-alkaline lavas: (La/Yb)(N) = 2.07-2.31; (Nb/Th)(N) = 0.08-0.15; (Nd-144/Nd-143)(i) = 0.51271-0.51282; (Sr-117/Sr-116)(i) = 0.70452-0.70478), which were likely formed in a supra-subduction zone environment. During the late Lower to early Upper Cretaceous period, hot-spot related magmatism related to plateau events may have led to significant crustal thickening in various zones of the Middle-eastern Neotethys. These processes have likely hindered subduction of some of the hot and thickened oceanic crust segments, and allowed them to be obducted over small continental blocks such as the South Armenian Block.
ISSN: 0024-4937

hal-00443855
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00443855
DOI : 10.1016/j.lithos.2009.02.006

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD
Résumé : Poster
The Lesser Caucasus in Armenia is an active volcanic and tectonic zone which resulted from the collision of the Arabian and the Eurasian plates since Neogene times. The During Quaternary, Lesser Caucasus was uplifted (0.3 mm/yr; Mitchell and Westaway, 1999) and experienced extensional tectonics times. Large lakes developed in graben structures. The diatomitic sequences of the Shamb paleo-lake (South Armenia) offer a rare opportunity to give new insights of Western Asia paleo-climate. Based on macroflora analysis, Bruch and Gabrielyan (2002) proposed a cooling and drying general climate trend through Pleistocene times in relation with a general uplift of the chain. Several questions have to be answer for this poorly investigated region. Did the climate record humid glacials and arid interglacials as suggested northward in Kazakhstan? What are the vegetation and climate responses to orbital parameters and to the monsoon? Moreover the lesser Caucasus is known as the entrance way used by the first hominids in Eurasia during Pleistocene time. How was the environment at this time? We present an integrated palynological, 40Ar/39Ar isotopic and magnetostratigraphic study for the most complete section (Joannin et al., in press). 40Ar/39Ar dating of two volcaniclastic layers provided ages of 1.24 ± 0.03 and 1.16 ± 0.02 Ma (2. Magnetostratigraphic data show that the entire Shamb section is of reversed polarity which correlates with part of the Matuyama period (1.785-1.070 Ma). Pollen assemblages and macroremains diversity revealed an alternation of glacial and interglacial phases that are compared with climate changes inferred from the global isotopic curve. The Shamb section ranges from approximately 1.300 to 1.080 Ma in age (marine isotopic stages 40 to 31). The vegetation of the Lesser Caucasus developed in a mosaic pattern in a Pleistocene continental, mostly arid climate, similar to the present-day climate. The vegetation changes record a dominant climate response to the obliquity orbital parameter. The influence of precession could not be established from the Shamb data. Pollen and macroflora both indicate that glacial periods were cold and dry and that interglacials were warm with local humidity. The early Pleistocene climatic model for Western Asia is thus similar to the climatic model for the Mediterranean area. Bruch, A., Gabrielyan, I.G., 2002. Quantitative data of the Neogene climatic development in Armenia and Nakhichevan. Acta Universitatis Carolinae – Geologica 46, 41–48. Joannin, S., Cornée, J.J., Münch, P., Fornari, M., Vasiliev, J., Krijgsman, W., Nahapetyan, S., Gabrielyan, Y., Ollivier, V., Roiron, P., Chataîgnier, C. In press. Early Pleistocene climatic cycles in continental deposits of the Lesser Caucasus of Armenia inferred from palynology, magnetostratigraphy, and 40Ar/39Ar dating. Earth and Planetary Science Letters. Mitchell, J., Westaway, R., 1999. Chronology of Neogene and Quaternary uplift and magmatism in the Caucasus: constraints from K-Ar dating of volcanism in Armenia. Tectonophysics 304, 157–186.
EGU Eurasian Climate and Tectonics
Vienne, Austria

hal-00481799
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00481799