Timing of late- to post Variscan magmatic rocks of the Erzgebirge
The Erzgebirge/Krušné Hory is one of Europe’s most important regions for lithium, tin, and tungsten mineralization. During the Late Carboniferous and Early Permian, numerous granites intruded the Variscan mountain belt and played a key role in the formation of economically important ore deposits.
Using high-precision zircon U–Pb CA-ID-TIMS geochronology, we determined the ages of late- to post-Variscan granites across the Erzgebirge and the Lausitz and reconstructed the timing of magmatic activity. Our results show that granite emplacement occurred in several distinct pulses between approximately 340 and 290 Ma. We also demonstrated that the eastern and western Erzgebirge followed different evolutionary paths, providing new insights into the geological development of the Variscan orogen and the timing of ore-forming processes.
Figure 1: Reconstruction of magmatic activity in the Saxothuringian Zone of the Bohemian Massif through time. The maps show the distribution of active magmatic centres and volcano-sedimentary basins for successive time intervals. Variations in the occurrence of volcanic and sub-volcanic rocks were used to reconstruct the erosion history of the region. Abbreviations: MGCH = Mid-German Crystalline High; TBZ = Teplá–Barrandian Zone; Moldan. = Moldanubian Zone. Abbreviations for magmatic complexes: ATVC Altenberg–Teplice volcanic complex, FG - Fichtelgebirge, GM granulite massif, K Koenigshainer granite, KGP Karkonosze granite pluton, MM Meißner Massif, NSVC North Saxon volcanic complex, SAC Schönfeld Altenberg complex, St Stolpen granite, TFC Tharandt Forest caldera. Abbreviations for fault zones: EFZ Elbe Fault zone, Fz Flöha zone, ISF Intra-Sudetic fault. Volcano-sedimentary basins: CB Chemnitz basin, DB - Döhlen basin, ISB Intra-Sudetic basin, KPB Krkonose-Piedmont basin, KRB Kladno–Rakovník basin, MHB Mnichovo-Hradiste basin, MRB Mseno-Roudnice basin, NSB North Sudetic basin, SB Saale basin, TFB Thuringian Forest basin. (from Tichomirowa et al. (2025),CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
Figure 2: Compilation of ages for magmatic and ore-forming events in the Erzgebirge. The diagram reveals that Late Carboniferous–Early Permian magmatism and mineralization occurred in several distinct pulses rather than as a single continuous event. Comparison of the eastern and western Erzgebirge highlights differences in the timing and duration of magmatic activity, providing new insights into the evolution of the Variscan orogen and the formation of economically important Li–Sn–W deposits. (Sources: compiled from published U–Pb zircon ages, geochronological data for volcanic rocks, granites, rhyolite dykes, and ore-forming events. References available upon request. (from Tichomirowa et al. (2025), CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
Collaboration and Funding
This project was funded by the Geological Survey of Saxony (Landesamt für Umwelt, Landwirtschaft und Geologie) during several FuE-projects since 2016.
