(click the project names for explanation)
Thermochronological activity in Europe
(click the project names for explanation)
Bergen
The Norwegian margin in the Bergen area is strongly dissected by roughly coast-parallel
faults as well as several Caledonian shear zones. Many of these structure have
been active repeatedly since the Caledonian Orogeny but the exact time and amount
of movement are difficult to constrain. With the help of fission-track-, He-
and K-Ar-geochronology, we try to unravel the post-Caledonian history of the
Bergen area.
Simple geological map of area around Bergen, Haugesund and the Hardangerfjord,
showing major faults (black), Caledonian shear zones (green) and profile locations
of the present study (blue boxes). Figure modified from Fossen and Hurich (2005).
In co-operation
with University of Bergen
Harz
Mountains & North German Basin
The thick epicontinetal Permo-Mesozoic sequence covering the European basement
experienced a complex subsidence history and basin inversion at several times.
By low-T thermochronology we aim to describe the areal distribution of thermal
reset caused by the sedimentary burial. The major inversion took place in Late
Cretaceous. Beyond datings we also aim to quantify the exhumation along the
major reverse faults of the North German Basin.
Geological sketch map
showing the major sampling sites.
Methods:
Apatite FT and
apatite and zircon He thermochronology, organic maturation, basin modelling
In co-operation with University of Jena
Alps / Ivrea Zone
The
Ivrea-Verbano Zone of the Western Alps exposes a tilted block of the entire
contintal crust. This unit was always attracting the geologists, but the mechanism
and the timing of exhumation is not properly described.
Former study:
Siegesmund, S., Layer, P., Dunkl, I., Vollbrecht, A., Steenken, A., Wemmer, K., and Ahrendt, H. (2008): Exhumation and deformation history of the lower crustal section of the Valstrona di Omegna in the Ivrea Zone, Southern Alps. Geological Society, London, Special Publications v. 298; p. 45-68, doi:10.1144/SP298.3 pdf (1.2 Mb)
Monazite U-Pb, hornblende
Ar/Ar, biotite K/Ar and zircon FT ages across the Ivrea-Verbano zone.
Current study: We have performed > 100 single grain ZHe datings from 24 samples and ca. 20 ZFT datings from different structural units.
Dated sites of the current
study on low-T evolution of the Ivrea body
Methods:
Zircon FT and
He thermochronology, mica K/Ar and amphibole Ar/Ar geochronology, structural
geology
Alps / Dolomiti
The Dolomites form a part of the Southern Alps, which had a rather passive,
upper plate position in Alpine collision, but experienced several Tertiary deformation
events. We aim to date and quantify these exhumation pulses.
Methods:
Apatite FT and
He thermochronology
In co-operation with University
of Bologna
Alps / Pohorje
Mountains
Former study:
The Pohorje Mountains are situated in a key-position of the Alps: between the
Eastern and Southerns Alps and the Pannonian Basin along huge transform faults.
We have dated the emplacement age of the tonalitic-dioritic body situated in
the core of the basement high and the covering dacitic stratovolcano by zircon
U-Pb and the cooling of the basement by biotite K/Ar and zircon FT methods.
Cooling history of the
Pohorje pluton and surrounding metamorphic rocks (from Fodor et al., 2008).
Fodor, L., Gerdes, A., Dunkl, I., Koroknai, B., Pécskay, Z., Trajanova, M., Horváth, P., Vrabec, M., Jelen, B., Balogh, K. and Frisch, W. (2008): Miocene emplacement and rapid cooling of the Pohorje pluton at the Alpine-Pannonian-Dinaridic junction, Slovenia. Swiss Journal of Geosciences. DOI 10.1007/s00015-008-1286-9 pdf (3.0 Mb)
Current study: Low-T cooling history of the basement.
Methods:
Apatite and zircon
FT and He thermochronology
In co-operation with the Geological Survey of Hungary and University of Ljubljana
Western
Carpathians
Former studies (completed partly in Tübingen):
Danišík, M., Kohút, M., Dunkl, I. and Frisch, W. (2008): Thermal evolution of the Žiar Mountains basement (Inner Western Carpathians, Slovakia) constrained by fission track data. Geologica Carpathica, 59, 19-30. pdf (1.4 Mb)
Danišík, M. Kohút, M., Dunkl, I., Hraško, L. and Frisch, W. (2008): Apatite fission track and (U-Th)/He thermochronology of the Rochovce granite (Slovakia) - implications for the thermal evolution of the Western Carpathian-Pannonian region. Swiss Journal of Geosciences. DOI 10.1007/s00015-008-1279-8 pdf (5.2 Mb)
Danišík, M., Pánek, T., Matysek, D., Dunkl, I. and Frisch, W. (2008): Apatite fission track and (U-Th)/He dating of teschenite intrusions gives time constraints on accretionary processes and development of planation surfaces in the Outer Western Carpathians. Z. Geomorph. N. F. 52(3) 273-289.
Kissová, D., Dunkl, I., Plašienka, D., Frisch, W. and Marschalko, R. (2005): The Pieninic exotic cordillera (Andrusov Ridge) revisited: new zircon FT ages of granitic pebbles from Cretaceous flysch conglomerates of the Pieniny Klippen Belt (Western Carpathians, Slovakia). Slovak Geol. Mag., 11, 17-28.
Danišík, M., Dunkl, I., Putiš, M., Frisch, W. and Král, J. (2004): Tertiary burial and exhumation history of basement highs along the NW margin of the Pannonian Basin - an apatite fission track study. Austrian Journal of Earth Sciences, 95/96, 60-70, Vienna. pdf (1.5 Mb)
Current study: Thermochronology of volcanic ash layers of the Magura Flysch in order to reconstruct the subsidence and accretion history of the Carpathian flysch belt.
Schematic accretion and
exhumation history of the flysch slabs of extern Western Carpathians.
Methods: Apatite FT and He thermochronology, stratigraphy, basin analysis
In co-operation
with University of Cracow
Pannonian
Basin
Former activity: Compilation
of post-Miocene inversion along the margin of the Pannonian basin.
Dunkl, I. and Frisch, W. (2002): Thermochronologic constraints on the Late Cenozoic exhumation along the Alpine and West Carpathian margins of the Pannonian basin. In: Cloething, S. A . P. L., Horváth, F., Bada, G. and Lankreijer, A. C. (eds.): Neotectonics and surface processes: the Pannonian Basin and Alpine/Carpathian System. EGU Stephan Mueller Special Publication Series, 3, 135-147. pdf (2.9 Mb)
Current study: Some Plio-Pleistocene gravel bodies contain huge exotic boulders of extremely variable lithological composition. These blocks are typically 'the wrong stones not in the right place and not at the right time'. Beyond the petrographical analysis we perform multi-method geochronology to clear their obscure provenance.
Methods: Zircon U-Pb, Monacite Th-U/Pb, zircon and apatite FT and He thermochronology, petrography
In co-operation
with Eötvös University, Budapest and GEUS, Copenhagen
Eastern
Carpathians
Former activity - Ph.D study of V. Schuller: Sedimentary
provenance analyis of Gosau sediments of Apuseni Mountains by zircon FT chronology
and basin analysis based on new
organic maturation and sedimentological data.
Ph.D study of F. Moser:
Exhumation history of Cozia
and Cibin crystalline blocks and the response of this process in the detrital
age spectrum of the Carpathian intramontane basins.
Age populations isolated from the detrital zircon fission track ages of the
Gosau
and post-Gosau sequences of Apuseni Mountains (from Schuller et al., 2009).
Schuller, V., Frisch, W., Danišík, M., Dunkl, I. and Melinte, M. C. (2009): Upper Cretaceous Gosau deposits of the Apuseni Mountains (Romania) - similarities and differences to the Eastern Alps. Austrian Journal of Earth Sciences, 102, 133-145. pdf (2.7 Mb)
Moser, F., Hann, H.P., Dunkl, I. and Frisch, W. (2005): Exhumation and relief history of the Southern Carpathians (Romania) as evaluated from apatite fission track chronology in crystalline basement and intramontane sedimentary rocks. Int. J. Earth Sciences, 94, 218-230. pdf (1.3 Mb)
Current study: Dating of the youngest volcanic activity of the Carpathians by zircon and sphene (U-Th)/He and zircon SIMS U-Pb methods.
In co-operation
with Eötvös University, Budapest
Dinarides
Former activity (Ph.D studies of T. Mikes and B. Lužar-Oberiter):
Provenance of the Bosnian and Dalmatian Flysh sequences by mineralogical and
geochronological methods.
Mikes, T., Baresel, B., Kronz, A. Frei, D. Dunkl, I., Tolosana-Delgado, R. and von Eynatten, H. (in press): Jurassic granitoid magmatism in the Dinaride Neotethys: geochronological constraints from detrital minerals. Terra Nova.
Mikes, T., Dunkl, I., von Eynatten, H., Báldi-Beke, M. and Kázmér, M. (2008): Calcareous nannofossil age constraints on Miocene flysch sedimentation of the Outer Dinarides (Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzogovina, Montenegro). In: S. Siegesmund, B. Fügenschuh & N. Froitzheim (eds.), Tectonic Aspects of the Alpine-Dinaride-Carpathian System, Geological Society of London, Special Publication 298, 335-363 pdf (3.3 Mb)
Mikes, T., Christ, D., Petri, D., Dunkl, I., Frei, D., Báldi-Beke, M., Reitner, J., Wemmer, K., Hrvatovic, H., and von Eynatten, H. (2008): Provenance of the Bosnian Flysch. Swiss Journal of Geosciences, DOI: 10.1007/s00015-008-1291-z pdf (2.0 Mb)
Mikes, T., Dunkl, I., Frisch, W. and H. von Eynatten (2006): Geochemistry of Eocene flysch sandstones in the NW External Dinarides. Acta Geologica Hungarica, 49/2, 103-124. pdf (3.6 Mb)
Lužar-Oberiter, B., Mikes, T., and von Eynatten, H. and Babic, L. (2009): Ophiolitic detritus in Cretaceous clastic formations of the Dinarides (NW Croatia): evidence from Cr-spinel chemistry. International Journal of Earth Sciences, 98, 1097-1108.
Sketch summarizing the new provenance
data for the Vranduk
and Ugar formations of Bosnian Flysch (from Mikes et al., 2008)
Current
study: Exhumation history of basement slabs of the Dinarides by low-T thermochronological
methods.
In co-operation with University
of Zagreb and Geological Survey of Bosnia-Herzegovina