(U-Th)/He geochronology of supergene iron ores from Attepe, Eastern Taurides, Türkiye: Evidence for early Pleistocene aridification

Yıl 2025, Cilt: 178 Sayı: 178, 1 - 2

Serdar Keskin , Taner Ünlü

Öz

The Taurus Mountains form the southern boundary of the Central Anatolian Plateau in Türkiye and represent part of the broader Himalayan-Tibetan orogenic system. Today, they act as a climatic divide, separating the dry, semi-arid interior to the north from the more temperate Mediterranean climate to the south. However, their formation history and climatic impacts remain unclear. In this study, we apply multiple aliquot (U-Th)/He dating to supergene iron-oxide phases from the Attepe iron deposits in the Eastern Taurides to investigate Cenozoic climatic conditions. The ages obtained from four deposits range from ~5.2 to 0.95 Ma, indicating sustained hot and humid conditions conductive to supergene mineralization during the Plio-Pleistocene. The observed decrease in age with depth, reflect a progressive deepening of the weathering front at rates of 6.4 to 18 meters per million years between 5 and 1 Ma. The preservation of supergene iron minerals formed during a stable, warm, and humid period between the late Miocene and middle Pliocene implies an absence of rapid uplift or erosion within the past million years. Instead, the youngest goethite around 0.95 Ma supports the hypothesis that regional climate change, rather than tectonic uplift, was the primary factor of increasing aridity around ~1 Ma.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Attepe , U-Th/He , uplift , iron deposit , aridification

Teşekkür

We are very thankful to Isotope Geosciences, Scottish Universities Environmental Research Centre for analyses. Peter Chung, Marli de Jongh, Dr. Claire Wilson, Dr. Luigia de Nicola, and Dr. Valerie Olive are thanked for their assistance with SEM, XRD, He and ICP-MS analysis. We are grateful to Dr. Domokos Gyore and Dr. Marta Zurakowska for day-to-day discussion and practical assistance with laboratory matters. Dr. John Faithfull is thanked for discussions regarding mineralogy. We are also grateful to MTA (project number:2008-32-13-02.a) for supporting to this study. I dedicate this article to my PhD supervisor, Prof. Dr. Taner Ünlü (Ankara University), who passed away one year ago. I am deeply indebted to my professor, who has made significant contributions to my academic and personal development. His memory will remain with me forever, and his principles will be passed on to future generations through me. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Dr. David Currie and Prof. Dr. Finlay M. Stuart for conducting most of the analyses in this study and for their contributions throughout the entire process. We had to publish this in memory of my supervisor. I am truly grateful to them.

Kaynakça

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