The origin of sheeted dykes in the kızıldağ (Hatay) ophiolite

The Kızıldağ ophiolite in the Eastern Mediterranean region is characterized by a complete oceanic lithospheric remnants of the Southern Neotethys. Detailed field and laboratory studies were done on the sheeted dyke complex along Mediterranean coastline in Çevlik-Samandağ (Hatay) region in the frame of the MSc thesis. The dykes in the sheeted dyke complex range in thickness from 0.5 cm to 100 cm and includes number of gabbroic screens. The dykes are petrographically represented by diabase, microdiorite and quartz microdiorite whereas the gabbroic screens are represented by gabro and diorite. The geochemistry of dykes suggests that they were derived from a tholeiitic magma and formed in an intraoceanic subduction zone during late Cretaceous. At least three different dyke generations may be proposed on the basis of the cross-cutting relations and TiO2 contents. One-way chilling magrin statistics in the sheeted dykes suggest that the Kızıldağ (Hatay) ophiolite was formed in the northern part of an E-W trending spreading center during the Late Cretaceous in the Southern Neotethyan ocean.