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Late orogenic magmatism and sedimentation within Late Carboniferous to Early Permian basins in the Balkan terrane (Bulgaria): geodynamic implications

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Abstract

The orogenic Balkanid belt, which developed between the Moesian Plate and the Moravian-Rhodopi-Thracian Massifs, was affected by the Late Carboniferous and Early Permian opening of W-E oriented graben structures. The progressive tectonic rejuvenation of the basins is demonstrated by the deposition of repeated regional sedimentary cycles, associated with volcanism that was mostly localised along the tectonic boundaries, in an intramontane setting.

The Late Carboniferous volcanism is represented by rhyodacitic explosive products and hyaloclastites, and by andesitic flows. During the Early Permian, subvolcanic rhyodacitic and rhyolitic bodies and the explosive products prevailed in the western sectors, whereas rhyolitic ignimbrites occur to the east.

The tectonically active basins are interpreted due to late orogenic collapse, and the alternation of extensional tectonics and minor compressional phases is consistent with the regional transtensional regime, active along the Variscan suture of Pangaea. The volcanic activity associated with the evolution of the basins matches the petrogenetic features and the evolution from early dacitic – andesitic to late rhyolitic activity in the Southern European segment of the Variscan system.

These Late Carboniferous-Early Permian sedimentary and tectono-magmatic events in Bulgaria are characterized, and compared with the homologous Permo-Carboniferous sequences along some western European segments of the Variscan belt.

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Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank National Science Fund of Bulgaria and the Italian CNR (bilateral project CNR-BAN) for their financial support, and Giuseppe Cassinis for his constructive suggestions. The critical reading by N.T. Arndt, B. Bonin and an anonymous referee greatly improved the manuscript. P. Nixon kindly helped us in the editing of the English version.

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  1. Department for the Study of the Territory and its Resources, University of Genova, Corso Europa 26, 16132 , Genova, Italy

    Luciano Cortesogno & Laura Gaggero

  2. Department of Earth Sciences, University of Pavia, Via Ferrata 1, 27100, Pavia, Italy

    Ausonio Ronchi

  3. Geological Institute of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, “Acad. Georgi Bontchev” Str, Block 24, 1113 , Sofia, Bulgaria

    Slavcho Yanev

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  1. Luciano Cortesogno
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Correspondence to Laura Gaggero.

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Cortesogno, L., Gaggero, L., Ronchi, A. et al. Late orogenic magmatism and sedimentation within Late Carboniferous to Early Permian basins in the Balkan terrane (Bulgaria): geodynamic implications. Int J Earth Sci (Geol Rundsch) 93, 500–520 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00531-004-0410-y

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