Permian felsic volcanic rocks in the Pannonian Basin (Hungary): new petrographic, geochemical, and geochronological results

Máté Szemerédi,György Szakmány,István Dunkl,Mihai Tatu,Szabolcs Harangi,Sándor Józsa,Andrea Varga,Elemér Pál-Molnár,Réka Lukács,Marcel Guillong,János Szepesi

doi:10.1007/s00531-019-01791-x

Abstract

Two distinct Permian volcanic epochs were revealed in the Pannonian Basin (eastern Central Europe) by U–Pb zircon geochronology: an older one (~ 281 Ma, Cisuralian) in the ALCAPA Mega-unit (Central Transdanubia, Hungary) and a younger volcanic episode (~ 267–260 Ma, Guadalupian) in the Tisza Mega-unit (Southern Transdanubia and the eastern Pannonian Basin, Hungary). The former is represented by dacitic subvolcanic rocks (dykes) and lavas, while the latter is dominantly by crystal-rich rhyolitic–rhyodacitic/dacitic ignimbrites and subordinate rhyodacitic/dacitic lavas. Whole-rock (major and trace element) geochemical data and zircon U–Pb ages suggest close relationship between the samples of Central Transdanubia and volcanic rocks of the Northern Veporic Unit (Western Carpathians, Slovakia), both being part of the ALCAPA Mega-unit. Such correlation was also revealed between the Permian felsic volcanic rocks of the Apuseni Mts (Romania) and the observed samples of Southern Transdanubia and the eastern Pannonian Basin that are parts of the Tisza Mega-unit. The older volcanic rocks (~ 281–265 Ma) could be linked to post-orogenic tectonic movements, however, the youngest samples (~ 260 Ma, eastern Pannonian Basin, Tisza Mega-unit) could be formed in the extensional setting succeeding the post-collisional environment. On the whole, the observed Permian magmatic rocks show significant similarity with those of the Western Carpathians.

Highlights

IntroductionThe zircon U–Pb ages vary from ~ 300 Ma (Latest Carboniferous) to ~ 245–240 Ma (Latest Permian–Earliest Triassic), suggesting a long-lasting magmatic activity during the Permo-Carboniferous (Awdankiewicz 1999; Wilson et al 2004; Paulick and Breitkreuz 2005; Vozárová et al 2009, 2015, 2016; Słodczyk et al 2018; Ondrejka et al 2018)
The major goal of this study is to report new petrographic observations, geochemical, and geochronological data to summarize our knowledge on the Permian volcanic activity in the Pannonian Basin
Permo-Carboniferous volcanism controlled by a post-collisional to extensional tectonic setting is a common feature in the European Variscan Orogenic Belt

Summary

Introduction

The zircon U–Pb ages vary from ~ 300 Ma (Latest Carboniferous) to ~ 245–240 Ma (Latest Permian–Earliest Triassic), suggesting a long-lasting magmatic activity during the Permo-Carboniferous (Awdankiewicz 1999; Wilson et al 2004; Paulick and Breitkreuz 2005; Vozárová et al 2009, 2015, 2016; Słodczyk et al 2018; Ondrejka et al 2018)

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Results

Discussion

Conclusion