TECTONOSTRATIGRAPHY OF TROPOJA (NE ALBANIA)-GJAKOVA (SW KOSOVO) OPHIOLITIC COMPLEX

Tropoja-Gjakova ophiolitic complex merges two Albanian ophiolite belts continuing towards Gjakova with a change of its strike from NW to NE normally or due to so-called Shkoder-Peje transverse. It comprises deep mantle, transition zone, cumulate and volcanic rocks, Middle Jurassic in age. According to geological data the massif is considered to be about 4 km thick whereas, based on geological measurements, about 14 km, constituting a disputable issue. Ultramafic massif hosts about 8 million tones of chromite ores averaging 32 % Cr2O3 distributed on more than 300 indications and occurrences. The massif has been affected by two orogenic events: Middle Jurassic intraoceanic obduction with formation of metamorphic sole (greenschist-amphibolite facies). The Eocene orogenic event with the thrusting of metamorphic sole, ultramafics, volcanics and melange onto Maastrichtian-Eocene flysch . The northeastern boarder of ophiolites was considered a transverse, the so-called Shkoder-Peje transverse, with about 550 strike displacing the Albanian ophiolites about 100 km NE with further continuation to Serbian ophiolite zone. The age of the transverse was considered as Late Jurassic-Early Cretaceous (Uuboin, 1970) or Palaeogene (Charowitz et al., 1981).