Origin and timing of spilitic alterations in volcanic rocks from Głuszyca Górna in the Intra-Sudetic Basin, Poland

Abstract

The formation of spilitic assemblages (i.e. chlorite and albite) has been ubiquitously involved during the evolution of continental early-Permian volcanics from the Intra-Sudetic Basin (ISB). Based on the investigation of laccolith-type and variably-altered trachyandesite exposure in the vicinity of Głuszyca Górna (Lower Silesia, Poland), we have demonstrated that apatite fission-track dating (AFT), coupled with chlorite geothermometry, can be successfully applied to denote the timing of low-temperature alterations within volcanic rocks. The primary magmatic assemblages of the trachyandesites (i.e. augite and andesine-labradorite) have been affected by chloritization and alblitization respectively, followed by the formation of secondary titanite, celadonite, and calcite. The chlorite species have crystallized in the range of 106–170 °C, that exceeds Apatite Partial Annealing Zone (70–110 °C). The secondary, nearly pure albite (Ab ~ 99 mol.%) with weak to dark-brown cathodoluminescence replaces primary plagioclase (~ An37–50Ab47–58Or2–4) along the cleavage and/or twinning planes during Al3+–conservative reaction. The accessory apatite is marked by swallow-tail terminations indicative of rapid cooling formation conditions. It shows homogenous chemical composition, high F− content, and pink to yellow (REE3+ and Mn2+-activated, respectively) cathodoluminescence. Based on the AFT dating, the development of spilitic alterations within the early-Permian (ca 290 Ma) laccolith from Głuszyca could not only span the range of 182–161 Ma (Middle Jurassic), but also occurred prior to large-scale geological events in the ISB, such as burial under late-Mesozoic sediments, as well as tectonic inversion and exhumation. Whole-rock geochemistry of trachyandesites altered to various extent, indicates that original trace elements concentrations, except for i.e. Sr, Cs, and Ba, could be preserved during low-temperature alteration (spilitization). Meanwhile, geochemical fingerprint of the volcanics (i.e. humped-shaped mantle normalized trace element diagrams and positive Zr–Hf anomaly) points to the crustal contamination during magma evolution, combined with the mantle metasomatism in the source via subduction-derived components (i.e. fluids), as shown by i.e. low Nb/Th and Nb/LREE ratios.