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Low-temperature constraints on the Cenozoic thermal evolution of the Southern Rhodope Core Complex (Northern Greece)

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Abstract

The South Rhodope Core Complex (SRCC) of Northern Greece is probably the most studied metamorphic core complex of the Rhodope Massif, and yet its geological evolution has not yet been fully unravelled, especially the later stages of its thermotectonic evolution. We applied the fission-track method on apatite and zircon and the [U–Th–(Sm)]/He method on apatite in order to reconstruct the low-temperature thermal history. The main detachments responsible for the unroofing of the core complex are the Kerdilion and the Strymon Valley detachments. The Kerdilion detachment initiated the exhumation of the SRCC at the latest at 42 Ma and controlled it until about 24 Ma. Between 24 and 12 Ma, the Strymon Valley detachment accommodated the exhumation. Since 12 Ma brittle normal faults, some of them cutting the Strymon Valley detachment were responsible for the final cooling of the basement rocks in the studied area and the formation of syn-tectonic sedimentary basins. Activity along these brittle normal faults lasted until 6 Ma or probably even until today, as indicated by recent seismic activity in the area.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by ETH research grant number TH-4 05-2. We thank Dimo Dimov, Dimitrios Sokoutis and Pieter Vermeesch for their collegial support in the field, as well as discussions and advice including that with Jean-Pierre Brun. Constructive reviews by Istvan Dunkl and Giulio Viola have helped to improve the quality of the paper.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Geology and Paleontology, Basel University, 4056, Basel, Switzerland

    Alexandre Kounov

  2. Geological Institute, ETH-Zentrum, 8092, Zurich, Switzerland

    Eliane Wüthrich & Jean-Pierre Burg

  3. School of Geography, Environment and Earth Sciences, Victoria University, Wellington, New Zealand

    Diane Seward

  4. Department of Geological Sciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA

    Daniel Stockli

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  1. Alexandre Kounov
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  2. Eliane Wüthrich
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Correspondence to Alexandre Kounov.

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Kounov, A., Wüthrich, E., Seward, D. et al. Low-temperature constraints on the Cenozoic thermal evolution of the Southern Rhodope Core Complex (Northern Greece). Int J Earth Sci (Geol Rundsch) 104, 1337–1352 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00531-015-1158-2

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