Location of the western Pontides, NW Turkey, during Triassic time: preliminary palaeomagnetic results

Abstract

This paper reports preliminary results of palaeomagnetic data obtained from the lower Triassic (Schtian) and mid‐Triassic (Anisian) rocks in the western Pontides, NW Turkey. The Triassic rocks have been studied by applying thermal and/or alternating‐field demagnetization. The characteristic magnetization has a 50d̀ mean inclination derived from 41 samples taken from three separate sites. Although the inclination values for the three sites are similar, the corresponding declination angles indicate that the Gümüşdere site, which lies to the north of Istanbul city, has undergone 68d̀ anticlockwise rotation; while the Tavşancil and Denizliköy sites, which are to the southeast of Istanbul, have rotated 40d̀ clockwise on average. The mean inclination (50d̀) places the western Pontides at the southern margin of Laurasia during lower and mid‐Triassic time. Copyright © 1989, Wiley Blackwell. All rights reserved