Geochemistry and biostratigraphy of Eocene sediments from Samothraki Island, NE Greece

Abstract

Elevated whole-rock concentrations in Cr, Ni and V as well as the occurrence of detrital chrome spinel suggest an input of (ultra)mafic detritus into the Eocene clastic sediments of Samothraki Island. Detrital chrome spinel chemistry indicates a mixed source of MOR-type peridotites and supra-subduction zone (SSZ) peridotites, and minor volcanic rocks, supposedly island-arc basalts and MORB-type rocks, most likely derived from Vardarian ophiolites. Wackestones from the southwest of Samothraki contain a moderately well-preserved calcareous microfossil assemblage, comprising Nummulites fabianii (PREVER), Nummulites striatus (BRUGUIÈRE), Pellatispira sp., and Operculina sp., indicating an early Priabonian age (Late Eocene). The sedimentation of the Eocene succession was influenced by regional tectonic and volcanic activity. The rocks have been deposited contemporaneous with the extensional exhumation of the eastern Rhodope Massif.

The Rhodope Zone as a primary sediment source of the southern Thrace basin (NE Greece and NW Turkey): evidence from detrital heavy minerals and implications for central-eastern Mediterranean palaeogeography

“…Meinhold and BouDagher-Fadel 2010;Caracciolo et al , 2012Caracciolo et al , 2013d'Atri et al 2012;Maravelis et al 2007;Zelilidis 2010, 2013;Cavazza et al 2014). Three main sources are generally identified as the main contributors to the infill of the Thrace basin: (1) the Rhodope-Strandja massifs (mostly for W and NW Thrace and the main depocentre), (2) the Circum-Rhodope Belt (CRB; W and (?…”

The Mesohellenic Trough and the Paleogene Thrace Basin on the Rhodope Massif, their Structural Evolution and Geotectonic Significance in the Hellenides

“…Here the deposits of the THB consistof molassic-type sedimentary rocks of Paleogene age overlain unconformably by a thick (1-2 km) NeogeneQuaternary sedimentary sequence (Figures 1 and 10) [13,17,30]. More than 90% of the total surface of the THB is covered by younger Neogene to Quaternary sediments and the Aegean Sea.…”

“…The molassic sediments of the THΒ, as well as their equivalent of the Axios Basin show an age from Middle-Upper Eocene to Oligocene [13,17,41,42]. They constitute a complicated stratigraphic sequence composed by intercalation of bedded conglomerates, breccias, conglomerates, sandstones, nummulitic limestones, turbiditic layers and shales ( Figure 10 …”

“…The Mesohellenic Trough (MHT) in NW Greece [5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12] and the Thrace Basin (THB) in NE Greece [13][14][15][16][17], including its possible continuation into the Axios Basin (AXB) [18], constitute two large late to synorogenic Tertiary molassic-type basins in the Hellenides ( Figure 1). …”

Comment on Maravelis et al. “Accretionary prism–forearc interactions as reflected in the sedimentary fill of southern Thrace Basin (Lemnos Island, NE Greece)”

“…In their introduction section, Maravelis et al (2015) summarise the results from previous provenance studies done in the whole Thrace Basin (extending through Greece, Bulgaria and Turkey). Interestingly, they do not mention the work by Meinhold and BouDagher-Fadel (2010) and Caracciolo et al (2012) for the EoceneOligocene successions exposed on the island of Samothraki (NE Greece) and in Southern Bulgaria, respectively.…”