Late Ordovician glaciation in southern Turkey

Olivier Monod (1) , H. Kozlu (2) , J.-F. Ghienne (3) , W. T. Dean (4) , Y. Günay (2) , Alain Le Hérissé (5) , Florentin Paris (6) , M. Robardet (6)

1 ISTO - Institut des Sciences de la Terre d'Orléans
2 TPAO
3 EOST - Ecole et Observatoire des sciences de la terre
4 Department of Geology
5 LDO - Domaines Océaniques
6 GR - Géosciences Rennes

We present a new survey of several Palaeozoic sections in both the Taurus range and the Border Folds that documents typical glacial features including a glacial pavement and striated dropstones (Halevikdere Formation) and demonstrates the former presence of an ice sheet in southern and south-eastern Turkey. Evidence for the late Ashgill (Hirnantian) age of this episode is provided by macro- and microfossils found within the glacial formation. The extension of ice-related deposits into the northernmost part of the Arabian Platform (Mardin region) implies a much wider distribution of the Ordovician ice sheet than was previously believed, and strongly suggests that southern Turkey lay close to Egypt during the Lower Palaeozoic.

Domains: Applied geology

Olivier Monod, H. Kozlu, J.-F. Ghienne, W. T. Dean, Y. Günay, et al.. Late Ordovician glaciation in southern Turkey. Terra Nova, 2003, 15, pp.(4) 249-257. ⟨10.1046/j.1365-3121.2003.00495.x⟩. ⟨hal-00069434⟩