SHRIMP zircon study of a micromonzodiorite dyke in the Karkonosze Granite, Sudetes (SW Poland): age constraints for late Variscan magmatism in Central Europe

Abstract

AbstractThe large Variscan Karkonosze Granite in the West Sudetes, representative of the vast Variscan granite plutonism in Central Europe and located adjacent to regional tectonic suture and strike-slip-zones, has been difficult to date precisely; a range of published data varies between c. 304 and 328 Ma. However, the granite is cut by locally numerous lamprophyre and other dykes. Dating of the dyke rocks, emplaced shortly after the granite intrusion and cooled more rapidly, provides a promising tool for the verification of published SHRIMP results on the granite itself. SHRIMP zircon geochronology of a studied micromonzodiorite dyke indicates substantial admixture of inherited zircons of c. 2.0, 1.4 Ga (207Pb–206Pb minimum ages), and c. 570 (and 500?) Ma. The average concordia age of the main magmatic population of the zircons in the dyke is 313 ± 3 Ma (2σ); however, the true magmatic age might be older, around 318 Ma. This would constrain the age of the hypabyssal magmatism in the Karkonosze Massif and the minimum age of the host Karkonosze Granite. Thus, the Karkonosze Granite is confirmed as representative of an early phase of Variscan granite plutonic activity in the central-European Variscides.