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The age of volcanic tuffs from the Upper Freshwater Molasse (North Alpine Foreland Basin) and their possible use for tephrostratigraphic correlations across Europe for the Middle Miocene

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Abstract

The Middle Miocene Upper Freshwater Molasse sediments represent the last cycle of clastic sedimentation during the evolution of the North Alpine Foreland Basin. They are characterized by small-scale lateral and temporal facies changes that make intra-basin stratigraphic correlations at regional scale difficult. This study provides new U–Pb zircon ages as well as revised 40Ar/39Ar data of volcanic ash horizons in the Upper Freshwater Molasse sediments from southern Germany and Switzerland. In a first and preliminary attempt, we propose their possible correlation to other European tephra deposits. The U–Pb zircon data of one Swiss (Bischofszell) and seven southern German (Zahling, Hachelstuhl, Laimering, Unterneul, Krumbad, Ponholz) tuff horizons indicate eruption ages between roughly 13.0 and 15.5 Ma. The stratigraphic position of the Unterneul and Laimering tuffs, bracketing the ejecta of the Ries impact (Brockhorizon), suggests that the Ries impact occurred between 14.93 and 15.00 Ma, thus assigning the event to the reversed chron C5Bn1r (15.032–14.870 Ma) which is in accordance with paleomagnetic evidence. We combine our data with published ages of tuff horizons from Italy, Switzerland, Bavaria, Styria, Hungary, and Romania to derive a preliminary tephrochronological scheme for the Middle Miocene in Central Europe in the age window from 13.2 to 15.5 Ma. The scheme is based on the current state of knowledge that the Carpathian–Pannonian volcanic field was the only area in the region producing explosive calc-alkaline felsic volcanism. This preliminary scheme will require verification by more high-quality ages complemented by isotopic, geochemical and paleomagnetic data.

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Acknowledgements

All samples, except that from Ponholz, were provided by A. Ulbig. The analytical work of M. Ovtcharova (University of Geneva) in the laboratory at University of Geneva is highly appreciated. We are grateful for the very helpful comments and constructive criticism by Ioan Seghedi, Wilfried Winkler and Jörn-Frederik Wotzlaw and wish to acknowledge editorial handling by Christian Dullo. Initial financial support was provided by the German Science Foundation project BO1550/7.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Helmholtz Centre Potsdam, German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ), Telegrafenberg 1, 14473, Potsdam, Germany

    Alexander Rocholl

  2. Department of Earth Sciences, University of Geneva, rue des Maraîchers 13, 1205, Geneva, Switzerland

    Urs Schaltegger

  3. Lehrstuhl für Ingenieurgeologie, Technische Universität München, Arcisstr. 21, 80333, Munich, Germany

    H. Albert Gilg

  4. Faculty of Earth and Life Sciences, VU University Amsterdam, De Boelelan 1085, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    Jan Wijbrans

  5. Terrestrische Paläoklimatologie, Senckenberg Center for Human Evolution and Palaeoenvironment, HEP Tübingen, Sigwartstr. 10, 72076, Tübingen, Germany

    Madelaine Böhme

  6. Department of Geoscience, University of Tübingen, Sigwartstr. 10, 72076, Tübingen, Germany

    Madelaine Böhme

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  1. Alexander Rocholl
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  2. Urs Schaltegger
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  3. H. Albert Gilg
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  5. Madelaine Böhme
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Correspondence to Alexander Rocholl.

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Rocholl, A., Schaltegger, U., Gilg, H. et al. The age of volcanic tuffs from the Upper Freshwater Molasse (North Alpine Foreland Basin) and their possible use for tephrostratigraphic correlations across Europe for the Middle Miocene. Int J Earth Sci (Geol Rundsch) 107, 387–407 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00531-017-1499-0

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