Pre-Cenozoic tectono-stratigraphic components of the Western Pontides and their geological evolution

Abstract

The Western Pontides of northern Turkey are a tectonic mosaic formed as a result of progressive welding of continental and oceanic fragments during the Palaeozoic and Mesozoic. In this region, three approximately east-west trending zones can be distinguished: the Pontide Zone representing the Pontides sensu stricto; the Sakarya Zone which is regarded as the southerly continental fragment; and the Armutlu-Ovacik Zone which is viewed as a tectonic mixture of the two zones.