The Geology and Evolution of the Tokat Massif, South-Central Pontides, Turkey

The Tokat Massif is a major metamorphic complex of the south-central Pontides, the origin and development of which have long remained unknown. Recent detailed field-based mapping has revealed the major geological features of this complex. The Tokat Massif appears to be a tectonic mosaic composed of three major components: (1) the Yesilirmak Group; (2) the Turhal Metaophiolite; and (3) the Amasya Group. The Yesilirmak Group, which consists of a coherent lithoiogical sequence involving Paleozoic basement and overlying Triassic units, represents a short-lived basin assemblage. The Turhal Metaophiolite consists of an ophiolitic melange association and slices of a stratigraphically ordered ophiolite. The Amasya Group, the highest-standing tectonic unit, is represented by a lower Paleozoic clastic succession. The different major tectonostratigraphic assemblages of the Tokat Massif record a continent-continent collision between the Laurasian Amasya Group and the Gondwanan Yesilirmak Group. The Turhal Metaophioli...