TY - JOUR A1 - Scheffler, Franziska A1 - Oberhänsli, Roland A1 - Pourteau, Amaury A1 - Immenhauser, A. A1 - Candan, O. T1 - Sedimentologic to metamorphic processes recorded in the high-pressure/low-temperature Mesozoic Rosetta Marble of Anatolia JF - International journal of earth sciences N2 - Anatolia’s high-pressure metamorphic belts are characterized in part by a Neotethyan stratigraphic succession that includes a mid-Cretaceous hemi-pelagic marble sequence. This unit contains, towards its stratigraphic top, dm-to-m-long radiating calcitic rods forming rosette-like textures. Here, we refer to these features as “Rosetta Marble”. The remarkable textural similarity of non-metamorphic selenite crystals and radiating calcite rods in the Rosetta Marble strongly suggests that these textures represent pseudomorphs after selenites. Metamorphosed hemi-pelagic limestones, dominated by Rosetta selenite pseudomorphs, are alternating with siliceous meta-sediments containing relictic radiolaria tests. This stratigraphic pattern is indicative of transient phases characterized by evaporites precipitated from basinal brines alternating with non-evaporative hemi-pelagic deposition from normal-marine seawater. The regional distribution of Rosetta Marble exposures over 600 km is indicative of basin-scale evaporitic intervals. High-pressure, low-temperature metamorphism of these rocks is witnessed by Sr-rich (up to 3500 ppm), fibrous calcite pseudomorphs after aragonite and isolated aragonite inclusions in quartz. Peak metamorphic conditions of 1.2 GPa and 300–350 °C are attested by high-Si white mica thermobarometry. The Rosetta Marble case example examines the potential to unravel the complete history from deposition to diagenesis and metamorphism of meta-sedimentary rocks. KW - Gypsum KW - High-pressure metamorphism KW - Neotethys KW - Anatolia Y1 - 2016 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1007/s00531-015-1214-y SN - 1437-3254 SN - 1437-3262 VL - 105 SP - 225 EP - 246 PB - Springer CY - New York ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Scheffler, Franziska A1 - Immenhauser, Adrian A1 - Pourteau, Amaury A1 - Natalicchio, Marcello A1 - Candan, Osman A1 - Oberhänsli, Roland T1 - A lost Tethyan evaporitic basin BT - Evidence from a Cretaceous hemipelagic meta-selenite - red chert association in the Eastern Mediterranean realm JF - Sedimentology : the journal of the International Association of Sedimentologists N2 - Ancient evaporite deposits are geological archives of depositional environments characterized by a long‐term negative precipitation balance and bear evidence for global ocean element mass balance calculations. Here, Cretaceous selenite pseudomorphs from western Anatolia (‘Rosetta Marble’) — characterized by their exceptional morphological preservation — and their ‘marine’ geochemical signatures are described and interpreted in a process‐oriented context. These rocks recorded Late Cretaceous high‐pressure/low‐temperature, subduction‐related metamorphism with peak conditions of 1·0 to 1·2 GPa and 300 to 400°C. Metre‐scale, rock‐forming radiating rods, now present as fibrous calcite marble, clearly point to selenitic gypsum as the precursor mineral. Stratigraphic successions are recorded along a reconstructed proximal to distal transect. The cyclical alternation of selenite beds and radiolarian ribbon‐bedded cherts in the distal portions are interpreted as a two type of seawater system. During arid intervals, shallow marine brines cascaded downward into basinal settings and induced precipitation. During more humid times, upwelling‐induced radiolarian blooms caused the deposition of radiolarite facies. Interestingly, there is no comparable depositional setting known from the Cenozoic world. Meta‐selenite geochemical data (δ13C, δ18O and 87Sr/86Sr) plot within the range of reconstructed middle Cretaceous seawater signatures. Possible sources for the 13C‐enriched (mean 2·2‰) values include methanogenesis, gas hydrates and cold seep fluid exhalation. Spatially resolved component‐specific analysis of a rock slab displays isotopic variances between meta‐selenite crystals (mean δ13C 2·2‰) and host matrix (mean δ13C 1·3‰). The Cretaceous evaporite‐pseudomorphs of Anatolia represent a basin wide event coeval with the Aptian evaporites of the Proto‐Atlantic and the pseudomorphs share many attributes, including lateral distribution of 600 km and stratigraphic thickness of 1·5 to 2·0 km, with the evaporites formed during the younger Messinian salinity crisis. The Rosetta Marble of Anatolia may represent the best‐preserved selenite pseudomorphs worldwide and have a clear potential to act as a template for the study of meta‐selenite in deep time. KW - Blueschist metamorphism KW - depositional environment KW - evaporites KW - Neotethys KW - pseudomorphism KW - sedimentology Y1 - 2019 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1111/sed.12606 SN - 0037-0746 SN - 1365-3091 VL - 66 IS - 7 SP - 2627 EP - 2660 PB - Wiley CY - Hoboken ER -