Evidence of Early Cretaceous remagnetization in the Crimean Peninsula: a palaeomagnetic study from Mesozoic rocks in the Crimean and Western Pontides, conjugate margins of the Western Black Sea

• Published in: Geophysical journal international 2013-11, Vol.195 (2), p.821-843
• Main Authors: Çinku, Mualla Cengiz, Hisarli, Z. Mümtaz, Orbay, Naci, Ustaömer, Timur, Hirt, Ann M., Kravchenko, Swetlana, Rusakov, Oleg, Sayın, Nurdan
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 0956-540X; 1365-246X
• DOI: 10.1093/gji/ggt260

We report on a palaeomagnetic study from Mesozoic sedimentary and volcanic rocks from the conjugate areas of the Western Black Sea Basin; that is, the Crimean Peninsula in the north and the Western and Central Pontides in the south, to better constrain their palaeogeographic relationships within the southern margin of Eurasia. From the study of 87 sites in Crimea, we found that Triassic to Lower Jurassic sandstones and siltstones from the Tavric series, and Middle-Upper Jurassic sandstones, siltstones and limestones exhibit remagnetization. Both fold and conglomerate tests confirm a widespread remagnetization in Crimea. Comparison of palaeopoles with the expected reference apparent polar wander path (APWP) of Eurasia and results from conglomerate tests suggest that the remagnetization occurred in the Early Cretaceous. In the Central Pontides, no reliable palaeomagnetic results can be obtained from Triassic-Upper Jurassic rocks, however, a negative fold test in Upper Jurassic-Lower Cretaceous rocks from the Western Pontides shows that the palaeolatitude agrees with Lower Cretaceous data from Crimea. Our new palaeomagnetic results indicate a pervasive remagnetization in Crimea and the Western Pontides that could be attributed to the rifting phase of the Black Sea Basin during Lower Cretaceous.