AGE OF THE VOLCANOCLASTIC SEDIMENTARY ROCKS OF THE VITAČEVO VOLCANIC PLATEAU (KOŽUF MOUNTAIN), NORTH MACEDONIA

Abstract

The paper presents the results of the petrological, geochemical and isotopic investigations of the age of the volcanoclastic sedimentary rocks from the Vitačevo volcanic plateau. The volcanoclastic sedimentary rocks overlie the Upper Pliocene lacustrine sediments of the Tikveš basin and occur at an elevation of about 450 meters above sea level through the upper parts of the lacustrine sediments which are represented by clays and a small horizon of limestones. The volcanoclastic sediments are represented by lacustrine tuffs in which there are rounded pieces of strat-ified volcanic rocks, which by their character represent intermediate rocks from the group of latites and trachytes. The isotopic age of these rocks is 5.8 million years and corresponds to the Lower Pliocene.