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High-resolution 40Ar/39Ar geochronology of volcanic rocks from the Siebengebirge (Central Germany)—Implications for eruption timescales and petrogenetic evolution of intraplate volcanic fields

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Abstract

A key parameter in understanding mantle dynamics beneath continents is the temporal evolution of intraplate volcanism in response to lithospheric thinning and asthenospheric uplift. To contribute to a better understanding of how intraplate volcanic fields evolve through time, we present a high precision 40Ar/39Ar age dataset for volcanic rocks from the Siebengebirge volcanic field (SVF) from central Germany, one of the best studied and compositionally most diverse intraplate volcanic fields of the Cenozoic Central European Volcanic Province (CEVP). Petrological and geochemical investigations suggest that the formation of the different rock types that occur in the SVF can be explained by a combination of assimilation and fractional crystallisation processes, starting from at least two different parental magmas with different levels of silica saturation (alkali basaltic and basanitic), and originating from different mantle sources. These evolved along two differentiation trends to latites and trachytes, and to tephrites and tephriphonolites, respectively. In contrast to their petrogenesis, the temporal evolution of the different SVF suites is poorly constrained. Previous K/Ar ages suggested a time of formation between about 28 and 19 Ma for the mafic rocks, and of about 27 to 24 Ma for the differentiated rocks. Our results confirm at high precision that the differentiated lithologies of both alkaline suites (40Ar/39Ar ages from 25.3 ± 0.2 Ma to 25.9 ± 0.3 Ma) erupted contemporaneously within a very short time period of ~ 0.6 Ma, whereas the eruption of mafic rocks (basanites) lasted at least 8 Ma (40Ar/39Ar ages from 22.2 ± 0.2 Ma to 29.5 ± 0.3 Ma). This implies that felsic magmatism in the central SVF was likely a single event, possibly triggered by an intense phase of rifting, and that ongoing melting and eruption of mostly undifferentiated mafic lavas dominate the > 8 Ma long magmatic history of this region. Among the mafic lavas, most basanites and tephrites predate the alkali basalts and hawaiites, suggesting an overall temporal evolution towards less SiO2-undersaturated primary melts and increasing degrees of melting over time. The peak in alkali basaltic to hawaiitic magmatism slightly post dates the flare-up of genetically related felsic magmatism, by no more than ~ 1 Ma. This is consistent with a model in which the magmatic plumbing system erupted successively from upper to lower levels, i.e. from more evolved to more primitive compositions. One young age for a basanitic sample suggests that silica saturation decreased again towards the end of volcanic activity. This chronology of volcanic events is in good agreement with previous models, suggesting continuous lithospheric thinning beneath the SVF as a response to an extensional regime and asthenospheric uplift in the northern alpine realm.

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Fig. 1

(modified from Buchmann and Connolly 2007); LRE lower rhine embayment, SVF Siebengebirge volcanic field, WW Westerwald, HG Hessian Grabens, VB Vogelsberg, RH Rhön, EG Eger Graben, UR Urach, KS Kaiserstuhl, URG upper Rhine Graben, BG Bresse Graben, LG Limagne Graben. b Map of the central part of the Siebengebirge volcanic field with selected location names and new 40Ar/39Ar ages (in Ma, errors are 1σ). Note the prevailing occurrence of differentiated volcanic rocks. The age of the Godesburg basanite is from Linthout et al. (2009)

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Acknowledgements

Comments by Stefan Jung, Jan Wijbrans and an anonymous reviewer markedly improved the manuscript and are greatly appreciated. Thanks to the ALF team in Freiberg, Anja Obst and Blanka Sperner, who supported the 40Ar/39Ar analyses. Michal Koleška and the team from the Reactor Services Division of the Nuclear Research Centre in Řež, Czech Republic, is appreciated for performing the neutron irradiation of the samples.

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  1. Melanie Kolb

    Present address: Omya International AG, Baslerstr. 42, 4665, Oftringen, Switzerland

  2. Maike Becker

    Present address: Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e. V. (DLR), Institut für Materialphysik im Weltraum, 51147, Cologne, Germany

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Universität zu Köln, Institut für Geologie und Mineralogie, Zülpicher Str. 49b, 50674, Cologne, Germany

    Thomas Przybyla, Carsten Münker, Maike Becker & Uli Hamacher

  2. Technische Universität Freiberg, Institut für Geologie, Bernhard-von-Cotta-Str. 2, 09599, Freiberg, Germany

    Jörg A. Pfänder

  3. Universität Bonn, Steinmann-Institut, Poppelsdorfer Schloss, 53115, Bonn, Germany

    Carsten Münker & Melanie Kolb

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Correspondence to Thomas Przybyla.

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Przybyla, T., Pfänder, J.A., Münker, C. et al. High-resolution 40Ar/39Ar geochronology of volcanic rocks from the Siebengebirge (Central Germany)—Implications for eruption timescales and petrogenetic evolution of intraplate volcanic fields. Int J Earth Sci (Geol Rundsch) 107, 1465–1484 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00531-017-1553-y

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