Exhumation of the Rechnitz Window at the Border of the Eastern Alps and Pannonian Basin During Neogene Extension
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TECTONOPHYSICS ELSEVIER Tectonophysics 272 (1997) 197-211 Exhumation of the Rechnitz Window at the border of the Eastern Alps and Pannonian Basin during Neogene extension IstvS.n Dunkl a,b,*, Attila Dem6ny a a Laboratory for Geochemical Research, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, BudaOrsi tlt 45, H-1112 Budapest, Hungary b lnstitutfiir Geologie und Paliiontologie, Universit?it Tiibingen, Sigwartstrasse 10, D-72076 Tiibingen, Germany Abstract The Rechnitz Window is the easternmost Penninic window of the Alps and the only one that is partly covered by Neogene sediments. Zircon and apatite fission-track ages have been measured on the Penninic metasediments of the Rechnitz series to better understand the exhumation of the window at the Alpine-Pannonian border. The zircon FT ages range from 21.9 to 13.4 Ma, similar to the white mica K/Ar ages (19 and 23 Ma). The exhumation rate during the Early Miocene extension was high (~40°C/Ma). Apatite samples display Fr ages of 7.3 and 9.7 Ma, thus the cooling rate was significantly less (7-11°C/Ma) during the post-rift uplift in Late Miocene-Pliocene than in the Early Miocene escape period. Zircon FT ages decrease eastward due to the gradual southeastward slide of the Austroalpine cover along low-angle normal faults. The exhumation of the Rechnitz metamorphic core complex is younger than the unroofing of the eastern Tauern Window. Morphology of detrital zircon crystals of the Penninic metasediments was used for the differentiation of tectonic subunits and to trace the internal structure of the window. One population was probably derived from undifferentiated calc-alkaline granitoids and tholeiitic granitoid sources, while the other derived from evolved calc-alkaline granitoids and alkaline granitoids of anorogenic complexes. The areal distribution of zircon populations is in harmony with the eastward shift of zircon cooling ages. These data indicate the exhumation of deep levels of Penninic metasediments in the centre of the window. Keywords: Eastern Alps; core complex; Penninic; fission-track; zircon morphology 1. Introduction tO the Btindnerschiefer series and consist of ophiolite remnants, as well as various metasedimentary rocks. Since the fundamental paper of Schmidt (1956), Although the geotectonic environment of the mag- it is well known that the Penninic unit extends to matites and the conditions of metamorphism have the eastern termination of the Alps, cropping out in been thoroughly studied (Koller and Pahr, 1980; four small windows between Rechnitz and Ktiszeg Lelkes-Felvfiry, 1982; Koller, 1985), there are only (referred to as Rechnitz Window) (Figs. 1 and 2). a few papers that have discussed the sedimentary The polymetamorphic rocks in the windows belong rocks, and only sporadic data exist on the age of thermal evolution. * Corresponding author. Fax: +49 7071-5059; E-mail: One of the aims of the present study is to constrain dunkl @uni-tuebingen.de the exhumation of the window using fission-track 0040-1951/97/$17.00 © 1997 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved. PII S0040-1951(96)00258-2 198 1. Dunkl, A. Demdny /Tectonophysics 272 (1997) 197-211 Bohemian Massif IEN g, % Engadin Window Rechnitz Window Group Penninic units ~ . ......- -" Northern Calcareous Alps I ~a2°r I track of A - B - C Central Austroalpine units section of Fig. 9 Fig. 1. Position of the Rechnitz Window Group at the eastern termination of the Eastern Alps (tectonic units after Ratschbacher et al., 1990). age determinations. Another purpose is to reveal the ogy and petrology of the rocks were summarized internal structure of the window and its relation- by Pahr (1980) and Koller and Pahr (1980). The ship to the exhumation history. We have used the most up-to-date maps were compiled by Pahr (1984) morphology of detrital zircons as a mineralogical and Ferencz et al. (1988). Structural analyses were criterion for the distinction of quartz phyllite bodies published by Ratschbacher et al. (1990), Dudko and of similar petrography, chemistry and metamorphic Younes (1990), Wiedemann and Younes (1990), and grade. The morphology of zircons also gave informa- Neubauer et al. (1992). Koller (1985) has proved the tion on the provenance of Penninic sediments. Earlier ophiolitic origin of the mafic and ultramafic rocks; papers on the detrital components of conglomerate these are mainly serpentinites, gabbros and green- bodies in the BiJndnerschiefer dealt mainly with car- schists. Based on the geochemistry of these rocks, he bonate pebbles. Juh~isz (1965), Oravecz (1979) and correlated the metamagmatites with rocks from the Mostler and Pahr (1981) have described Permo-Car- Glockner nappe of the Tauem Window. boniferous and Triassic microfossils in the carbon- The metasediments are phyllites with variable ate pebbles of the C~k conglomerate. Zircon mor- amounts of quartz, white mica, carbonate, chlorite phometry can provide information on the origin of and albite. Graphite, zircon, rutile, tourmaline, ap- siliciclastic components, the quartzites being rather atite and opaque minerals are accessory phases. The mature and the spectrum of detrital heavy minerals organic matter was probably derived from marine being poor (Demrny, 1988). organic material and from denuded carbonate rocks (DemEny and Kreulen, 1993). The age of the sedi- 2. Geological background mentation was determined by Sch6nlaub (1973) who found middle Cretaceous sponge spiculum in calc- The first detailed maps were made by Bandat schists. (1928, 1932) and FrldvLry et al. (1948), the geol- Three metamorphic events have been recorded in I. Dunkl, A. L?em&y/Tec~onophysics 272 (1997) 197-211 199 Neogene sediment Upper Austro-Alpine Middle Au&o-Alpine Grobgneiss Lower A-A. Wechsel 1 Penninic Penninic beneath the Neogene sediment Fig. 2. Schematictectonic map of the Rechnitz Window Group (after Ratschbacher et al., 1990 and fltigel, 1988). the Rechnitz series: (1) oceanic hydrothermal activ- from Eisenberg refer to neo-Alpine events (13.5 ity; (2) subduction-related HP/LT metamorphism; Ma on albite-epidote-sphene-crossitite; 12.0 Ma and (3) late Alpine greenschist-facies metamor- on sphene-crossitite), From the western part of the phism. Lelkes-Felv&y (1982), Kubovics (1983) and Rechnitz Window ages of 19 and 22 Ma have been Keller (1985) described sporadic remnants of the determined on white mica by K/Ar measurements mineral assembIages of the oceanic hydrothermal (W. Frank, pets. commun., 1992). Preliminary zircon infiuence and relics of the HP/LT metamorphism fission-track results were presented by Demeny and (blueschists, crossitites, and greenschists with law- Dunkl(l991). sonite, glaucophane and pumpellyite). Keller (1985) determined temperature and pressure ranges with 3. Fission-track ages T r 7WC for the first, and T = 330-37O”C, P = 6-8 kbar for the second metamorphic event. Table 1 contains the analytical results and the fis- The temperature during the late Alpine metamor- sion-track ages. Only two of the investigated twenty phism ranged from 350°C to 430°C and the pressure apatite samples (2-3000 grains) contained sponta- reached 3 kbar. neous tracks. Due to the young age and the ura- Very few geochronological data have been pub- nium-poor geochemical milieu the spontaneous track lished on the Rechnitz Penninic rocks. An early densities are very low, which made measurement of stage of the metamorphic evolution was registered in the confined track length impossible. The average the K/Ar age of an amphibole sample of crossite-- age of the apatite is 8.5 Ma. riebeckite composition by W. Frank (in Keller, 1985) The zircon ages range from 21.9 to 13.4 Ma. who reported 65 f 6 Ma and interpreted it as a The oldest value was determined on the sample col- mixed age. Whole-rock K/Ar data of K. Balogh (in lected from the Bernstein Window in the north. All Kubovics, 1985) measured on metagabbroic rocks the other samples were collected from the Rechnitz 200 L Dunkl, A. Dem~ny /Tectonophysics 272 (1997) 197-211 Table 1 Fission track results from the Penninic rocks of the Rechnitz Window Code Elevation Coordinates Locality No. Spontaneous Induced P(X 2) Dosimeter FTage (m) North East cryst. Ps (Ns) Pi (Ni) (%) Pd (Nd) (Ma 4- 2or) Apatite ages KR 3 440 47018.7 ' 16o23.8 ' Rechnitz 39 0.048 (32) 0.67 (429) 11 5.23 (9969) 7.3 4- 2.7 FE 300 47o12.5 ' 16°25.5' Fels6csa~r 55 0.105 (97) 1.04 (971) - 5.23 (9969) 9.7-t-2.1 Zircon ages VE 380 47°20.9' 16029.3 ' Velem 4 21.9 (245) 35.6 (449) 10 1.48 (5826) 16.4-1-2.8 Ve 9 450 47o21.4 ' 16o29.9 ' Velem-9, 102 m 27 26.6 (1356) 26.4 (1353) 15 0.88 (4100) 16.5 + 1.7 V l/b 340 47021.5 ' 16°31.1 ' C~ikN 18 25.0 (756) 28.5 (872) 12 1.17 (2918) 19.2-t-2.3 K6 6/6 580 47°23.4 ' 16028.7 ' K6szeg-6, 6.0 m 31 22.7 (3134) 26.5 (3937) - 0.89 (4100) 13.4 4- 1.1 K6 6/120 460 47°23.3' 16028.8 ' K0szeg-6, 120 m 33 23.9 (2050) 26.7 (2350) 15 0.88 (4100) 14.3 4- 1.3 K67/40 260 47°23.3 ' 16031.9 ' K6szeg-7,40m 17 17.3 (1157) 20.3 (1411) <1 0.87 (4100) 13.54-1.4 K I 460 47O23.8' 16°31.2 ' K6szeg 20 20.5 (956) 28.0 (1294) 6 1.18 (2918) 16.04-1.8 K26 880 47021.2 ' 16026.2 ' [rottk0 20 26.2 (1209) 30.9 (1408) 95 1.17 (2918) 18.64-1.9 K7 450 47024.4' 16027.8' Hammer 20 24.6 (1231) 30.5 (1523) 56 1.18 (2918) 17.64-1.8 KR5 420 47023.2 ' 16023.2' GlashtittenN 20 26.8 (1296) 31.5 (1535) 3 1.19 (2918) 18.7+ 1.9 KR6 510 47021.9 ' 16O23.3' GlashiittenS 20 21.1 (1057) 26.1 (1307) 6 1.19 (2918) 17.74-1.9 KR18 780 47°26.5' 16°16.7 ' Bernstein 20 26.6 (1332) 27.1 (1354) 43 1.19 (2918) 21.94-2.3 A8 540 47023.7' 16°24.7' LockenhausS 20 21.6 (1060) 28.0 (1348) 2 1.17 (2918) 17.04-1.8 A94 620 47022.0 ' 16°20.6' Oberkohlstetten 20 21.0 (1052) 27.0 (1349) 32 1.17 (2918) 17.24-1.9 A 97 800 47020.8' 16o23.4 ' Hirschstein 15 25.4 (789) 30.5 (953) 81 1.18 (2918) 18.3 -4- 2.2 A 103 540 47022.1' 16024,2 ' GlashtittenE 20 24.8 (1238) 29.1 (1453) 40 1.18 (2918) 18.84-1.9 A87 460 47o23.1' 16°21,5 ' Weissenbachl 20 23.8 (974) 27.5 (1117) <1 1.18 (2918) 19.34-2.2 Track densities (P) are as measured and are (x 105 tr/cm2); number of tracks counted (N) shown in brackets, p(?2) is probability of obtaining ?2 value for n degrees of freedom (where n is no.