PALEOZOIC ROCKS IN INFRASTRUCTURE OF THE METAMORPHIC CORE, THE GREATER CAUCASUS MAIN RANGE ZONE

Abstract

Granitoid orthogneisses and migmatites are widespread in the lower, deeply metamorphosed gneiss-migmatite complex of the pre-Alpine basement (infrastructure) exposed within northern part of the Greater Caucasus Main Range zone. Like the other rocks of the complex, they have been traditionally attributed to the Proterozoic, but the U-Pb dating revealed the Late Paleozoic age of migmatites and Devonian age of orthogneiss protolith. Bodies of blastomylonitic apogranite gneisses, which are confined to boundary between gneiss-migmatite complex and overlying Makera Complex of supracrustal rocks, turned out to be of the Late Paleozoic age as well. The dating results suggest synchronism and, apparently, genetic interrelations between the high-T/low-P metamorphism and granite formation in the Main Range zone of the Greater Caucasus. © MAIK Nauka/Interperiodica 2006.