Abstract
Isotopic-geochronological study of the Pliocene magmatic activity in western part of the Dzhavakheti Highland (northwestern region of the Lesser Caucasus) is carried out. The results obtained imply that the Pliocene magmatic activity lasted in this part of the highland approximately 2 million years from 3.75 to 1.75–1.55 Ma. As is established, the studied volcanic rocks correspond in composition mostly to K-Na subalkaline and more abundant normal basalts. Time constraints of main phases in development of basic volcanism within the study region are figured out. We assume that individual pulses of silicic to moderately silicic volcanism presumably took place in the Dzhavakheti Highland about 3.2 and 2.5 Ma ago.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
E. Aydar, A. Gourgaud, I. Ulusoy, et al., “Morphological Analysis of Active Mount Nemrut Stratovolcano, Eastern Turkey: Evidences and Possible Impact Areas of Future Eruption,” J. Volcanol. Geotherm. Res. 123, 301–312 (2003).
W. A. Berggren, D. V. Kent, C. C. Swisher, et al., “A Revised Cenozoic Geochronology and Chronostratigraphy,” Spec. Publ. SEPM 54, 129–212 (1995).
A. M. Borsuk, Mesozoic and Cenozoic magmatic Formations of the Greater Caucasus (Nauka, Moscow, 1979) [in Russian].
S. N. Bubnov, Candidate’s Dissertation in Geology and Mineralogy (IGEM RAS, Moscow, 2003).
P. Camps, P. Ruffer, V. Shcherbakova, et al., “Direction, Intensity and Ar-Ar Age of Pliocene Geomagnetic Field Reversal or Excursion Recorded in Georgia,” Phys. Earth Planet. Inter. 96, 41–59 (1996).
I. V. Chernyshev, V. A. Lebedev, and M. M. Arakelyants, “K-Ar Dating of Quaternary Volcanics: Methodology and Interpretation of Results,” Petrologiya 14(1), 69–89 (2006) [Petrology 14 (1), 62–80 (2006)].
I. V. Chernyshev, V. A. Lebedev, M. M. Arakelyants, et al., “Quaternary Geochronology of the Aragats Volcanic Center, Armenia: Evidence from K-Ar Dating,” Dokl. Akad. Nauk 384(1), 95–102 (2002b) [Dokl. Earth Sci. 384 (4), 393–398 (2002b)].
I. V. Chernyshev, V. A. Lebedev, S. N. Bubnov, et al., “Stages of Magmatic Activity in the Elbrus Volcanic Center (Greater Caucasus): Evidence from Isotope-Geochronological Data,” Dokl. Akad. Nauk 380(3), 384–389 (2001) [Dokl. Earth Sci. 380 (7), 848–852 (2001)].
I. V. Chernyshev, V. A. Lebedev, S. N. Bubnov, et al., “Isotopic Geochronology of Quaternary Volcanic Eruptions in the Greater Caucasus,” Geokhimiya, No. 11, 1–16 (2002a) [Geochem. Int. 40 (11), 1042–1055 (2002a)].
D. G. Dzhigauri, “South Georgian Highland,” in Georgia in the Anthropogene (Sakartvelo, Tbilisi, 1991), pp. 91–125 [in Russian].
N. M. Dzotsenidze and S. I. Kuloshvili, “Some Problems Concerning Geological Structure of the South Georgian Volcanic Plateau,” in Geological Problems of Georgia (Metsniereba, Tbilisi, 1978), pp. 258–264 [in Russian].
C. Ferring, N. Swisher, G. Bosinski, et al., “Progress Report on the Geology of the Plio-Pleistocene Dmanisi and the Diliska Gorge, Republic of Georgia,” Paleoanthropology Soc. New Orleans, 5–6 (1996).
C. A. Gazis, M. Lanphere, H. P. Taylor, et al., “40Ar/39Ar and 18O/16O Studies of the Chegem Ash-Flow Caldera and the Eldjurta Granite: Cooling of Two Pliocene Igneous Bodies in the Greater Caucasus Mountains, Russia,” Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 134, 377–391 (1995).
A. M. Glevasskaya, N. P. Mikhailova, and V. N. Tsykora, “Magnetism of Volcanics in Alpine Geosynclinal Zone of the USSR and Some Peculiarities of the Late Cenozoic Geomagnetic Field,” in Paleomagnetism, Magnetism, Geomagnetic Field (Naukova Dumka, Kiev, 1976), pp. 3–18 [in Russian].
A. T. Goguitchaishvili, D. Z. Sologachvili, M. Prevot, et al., “Palaeomagnetic and Rock-Magnetic Study of a Pliocene Volcanic Section in Southern Georgia (Caucasus),” Geol. Mijnbouw 76, 135–143 (1997).
V. A. Lebedev, S. N. Bubnov, I. V. Chernyshev, et al., “Geochronology and Genesis of Subalkaline Basaltic Lava Rivers at the Dzhavakheti Highland, Lesser Caucasus: K-Ar and Sr-Nd Isotopic Data,” Geokhimiya, No. 3, 243–258 (2007) [Geochem. Int. 45 (3), 211–225 (2007)].
V. A. Lebedev, I. V. Chernyshev, M. M. Arakelyants, et al., “Geochronology of the Neogene-Quaternary Dacitic Volcanism in the Northwestern Lesser Caucasus (Georgia),” Stratigr. Geol. Korrelyatsiya 12(1), 96–115 (2004c) [Stratigr. Geol. Correlation 12 (1), 85–101 (2004c)].
V. A. Lebedev, I. V. Chernyshev, E. V. Arutyunyan, et al., “Chronology of Quaternary Volcanism of the Keli Highland, Greater Caucasus: Evidence from K-Ar Isotopic Dating,” Dokl. Akad. Nauk 399(3), 378–383 (2004b) [Dokl. 399A (9), 1227–1231 (2004b)].
V. A. Lebedev, I. V. Chernyshev, A. V. Chugaev, et al., “Duration of Young (Pliocene) Intrusive Magmatism in the Tyrnyauz Ore Field, Northern Caucasus: New K-Ar and Rb-Sr Data,” Dokl. Akad. Nauk 396(2), 244–248 (2004a) [Dokl. 394 (4), 529–533 (2004a)].
V. A. Lebedev, I. V. Chernyshev, O. Z. Dudauri, et al., “The Samsari Volcanic Center as an Example of Recent Volcanism in the Lesser Caucasus: K-Ar Geochronological and Sr-Nd Isotopic Data,” Dokl. Akad. Nauk 393(6), 802–808 (2003) [Dokl. 393A (9), 1323–1328 (2003)].
V. A. Lebedev, I. V. Chernyshev, O. Z. Dudauri, et al., “Geochronology of the Neogene-Quaternary Dacitic Volcanism in the Dzhavakheti Upland (Lesser Caucasus, Southern Georgia),” Tr. GIN AN Gruzii., Nov. Ser. 119, 535–544 (2004d).
G. M. Maisuradze, Anthropogene of the Caucasus (Metsniereba, Tbilisi, 1990) [in Russian].
G. M. Maisuradze and S. I. Kuloshvili, “Some Geological Problems of Late Volcanism in the Dzhavakheti Upland,” Tr. GIN AN Gruzii. Nov. Ser. 114, 220–228 (1999).
I. McDougall and T. M. Harrison, Geochronology and Termochronology by the 40 Ar/39 Ar Method (Oxford: Oxford University Press, New York, 1988).
E. E. Milanovskii and N. V. Koronovskii, Orogenic Volcanism and Tectonics of the Alpine Belt in Eurasia (Nedra, Moscow, 1973) [in Russian].
M. M. Rubinstein, Sh. A. Adamiya, D. I. Devnozashvili, et al., “Dating of Some Upper Neogene and Quaternary Volcanics from Transcaucasia: Geological, Radiological and Paleomagnetic Data,” Izv. Akad. Nauk SSSR, Ser. Geol., No. 4, 13–16 (1972).
H. Schmincke and P. Van den Bogaard, “Die Datierung des Mashavera-Basalt lavastroms,” Jahrb. RGZM 42, 75–76 (1995).
N. N. Skhirtladze, Post-Paleogene Volcanism in Georgia (Izd-vo AN GruzSSR, Tbilisi, 1958) [in Russian].
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Original Russian Text © V.A. Lebedev, S.N. Bubnov, O.Z. Dudauri, G.T. Vashakidze, 2008, published in Stratigrafiya. Geologicheskaya Korrelyatsiya, 2008, Vol. 16, No. 2, pp. 104–126.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Lebedev, V.A., Bubnov, S.N., Dudauri, O.Z. et al. Geochronology of Pliocene volcanism in the Dzhavakheti Highland (the Lesser Caucasus). Part 1: Western part of the Dzhavakheti Highland. Stratigr. Geol. Correl. 16, 204–224 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1134/S0869593808020081
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1134/S0869593808020081