Mafic Volcanic and Subvolcanic Rocks from the Yüksekova Complex in the İçme-Kesikköprü Province (East of Elaziğ, Eastern Turkey): Whole-Rock Geochemistry and Confocal Raman Spectroscopy Characterization

Abstract

Abstract The Late Cretaceous Yüksekova Complex within the southeastern Anatolia orogenic belt consists of mafic volcanic and subvolcanic rocks representing oceanic crustal products, which are the main focus of this study. The studied mafic lithologies from the İçme-Kesikköprü province east of Elaziğ are characterized by a primary mineral assemblage of olivine, pyroxene, and plagioclase, and mainly display porphyric, intergranular, intersertal, vesicular, and amygdaloidal textures. Based on Raman peak positions, the pyroxenes of these mafic lithologies from Aşaği Igme, Pirimezartepe and Yolüstü were determined as augite. The studied mafic rocks are chemically classified as basalt and display tholeiitic-calc-alkaline transitional characteristics. In spider diagrams, they show prominent negative Nb anomalies, while their chondrite-normalized rare earth element patterns are LREE-depleted to almost horizontal [(La/Sm)N: 0.54-1.42, (La/Lu)N: 0.54-1.85]. The immobile trace element systematics suggests that these mafic volcanic and subvolcanic rocks have originated from a metasomatized mantle source fluxed by slab-derived fluids/melts. Overall geochemical features are consistent with their generation in an oceanic arc environment.