Neoproterozoic to Cenozoic magmatism in the central part of the Bohemian Massif (Czech Republic): Isotopic tracking of the evolution of the mantle through the Variscan orogeny

Jaroslav Dostal, J. Brendan Murphy, J. Gregory Shellnutt, Jaromír Ulrych, Ferry Fediuk

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    6 Citations (Scopus)


    The evolution of the mantle source beneath the Teplá-Barrandian (TBB) and the adjacent southern part of the Saxo-Thuringian (S-STB) and northern part of the Moldanubian (N-MB) blocks of the Bohemian Massif (Czech Republic) is tracked from the Late Neoproterozoic to the Cenozoic in order to examine the coupling between the crust and underlying continental lithospheric mantle (CLM) during the Late Paleozoic Variscan orogeny. In the TBB, Late Neoproterozoic mafic rocks have highly radiogenic Nd but moderately radiogenic Sr isotopes and were derived from a spinel peridotite mantle. These within-plate rocks were emplaced in an intra-oceanic back-arc basin. Early Paleozoic (Ordovician to Early Devonian) mafic rocks are rift/extension-related, enriched in LREE and Nb relative to HREE and were probably derived from a garnet peridotite mantle source. Compared to Neoproterozoic basalts, their Ɛ Nd (t) values are slightly lower but T DM model ages are indistinguishable suggesting derivation from a deeper portion of the same mantle source. Thus, the weak deformation and low-grade metamorphism associated with the Cadomian orogeny did not significantly decouple the crust from the underlying mantle source beneath the TBB. Early Paleozoic rift-related mafic rocks of the S-STB and N-MB have comparable isotopic signatures indicating a similar mantle source. Late Paleozoic mafic magmatism occurred during the extensional collapse phase of the Variscan orogen, in the aftermath of the collision between Gondwana and Laurussia. The TBB and S-STB basaltic rocks are within-plate, and transitional between alkaline and tholeiitic compositions but show a relative depletion of Nb. Their isotopic characteristics contrast with older basalts in that they have negative Ɛ Nd (t) values, high initial 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratios and older T DM model ages (1050 to 1300 Ma). Late Paleozoic mantle-derived potassic-ultrapotassic magmas occurring as lamprophyre dikes and small volume high Mg–K intrusions in N-MB, S-STB and TBB have similar isotopic characteristics suggesting that all these Late Paleozoic rocks were derived from an old CLM contaminated by fluids or silicic melts derived from subducted Precambrian crustal material or alternatively, the region was underthrust by Gondwanan mantle during the Variscan collision. Cenozoic volcanic rocks in the Bohemian Massif are local representatives of the regionally extensive Cenozoic European volcanic province. The rocks are within-plate, alkaline basalts enriched in LREE and Nb and were derived from garnet peridotite mantle. They are significantly more juvenile than Carboniferous-Early Permian mafic rocks, with higher Ɛ Nd (t) values (typically +3 to +5), lower initial 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratios and significantly younger T DM age. These data suggest significant input from upwelling asthenospheric mantle, implying that at least a part of the Permian CLM mantle was re-fertilized.

    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)358-369
    Number of pages12
    Publication statusPublished - 2019 Feb 1


    • Bohemian Massif
    • continental lithospheric mantle
    • crust
    • Nd and Sr isotopes
    • rift/extension-related mafic igneous rocks
    • Variscan orogeny

    ASJC Scopus subject areas

    • Geology
    • Geochemistry and Petrology


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