2013 Society of Economic Geologists, Inc.

Economic Geology, v. 108, pp. 691718

Post-Orogenic Extension and Hydrothermal Ore Formation:

High-Precision Geochronology of the Central Rhodopian Metamorphic Core Complex
(Bulgaria-Greece)
M. KAISER ROHRMEIER,1 A. VON QUADT,1, T. DRIESNER,1 C. A. HEINRICH,1 R. HANDLER,2 M. OVTCHAROVA,3,*
Z. IVANOV,3 P. PETROV,3 ST. SAROV,4 AND I. PEYTCHEVA1,5
1 Institute of Geochemistry and Petrology, Department of Earth Sciences, ETH Zurich, Clausiusstr. 25, CH-8092 Zrich, Switzerland
2 Institute of Geology and Paleontology, University of Salzburg, Hellbrunnerstr. 34, A-5020 Salzburg, Austria
3 Department of Mineralogy, Petrology, and Economic Geology, Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridsk,
15 Tsar Osvoboditel Bd., BG-1504 Sofia, Bulgaria
4 Research Institute Geology and Geophysics, 23 Sitnyakovo Blvd., 1505 Sofia, Bulgaria
5 Geological Institute, Bulgarian Academy of Science, G. Bonchev Str., 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria

Abstract
The late Alpine evolution of the Rhodope Massif in southern Bulgaria and northern Greece involved post-
collisional extension, which generated detachment faults, syndeformational sedimentary basins, and exhuma-
tion of a large metamorphic core complex composed of gneisses and marbles: the Central Rhodopian dome.
Closely associated with this complex, subvolcanic rhyolite dikes and extrusive rocks were emplaced, shortly fol-
lowed by major swarms of epithermal to mesothermal Pb-Zn veins and carbonate replacement orebodies.
High-precision geochronology using complementary Ar-Ar, Rb-Sr, and U-Pb dating methods resolves how this
process of tectonic denudation from deep crustal metamorphism to near-surface epithermal ore formation
occurred within a period of about 12 m.y.
After an early Alpine phase of accretion, eclogite-facies metamorphism, and orogenic nappe stacking, the
late Alpine postcollisional evolution of the Central Rhodopian dome started with the intrusion of granitic
bodies at about 42 to 41 Ma, probably marking the beginning of extension and core complex formation. The
early stages of extension were characterized by normal faulting, rotation of fault blocks, and thinning that
caused cooling of the hanging wall through ~300C at about 40 to 38 Ma, as dated by Rb-Sr and Ar-Ar
geochronology of metamorphic biotite. The main extensional phase occurred between 38 and 36 Ma and led
to horizontal displacements of tens of kilometers in the hanging wall. In the footwall, high metamorphic tem-
peratures and decompression persisted and resulted in partial melting and the formation of migmatites at 37
Ma and vuggy pegmatites at about 36 Ma. Cooling of the footwall below ~300C occurred between 36 and 34
Ma, followed by emplacement of undeformed rhyolite porphyry dikes and the extrusion of volcanic products
deposited onto the surface-exposed center of the dome at about 33 to 30 Ma. The hydrothermal ores were
formed ca. 30.5 Ma in the south and ca. 29.3 Ma in the northern part of the dome during the last major event
of focused heating to 270 to 330C of near-surface rocks by hydrothermal fluid advection. Ore formation and
localized, later fluid processes caused disturbance and younging of some Rb-Sr ages in the footwall of the
dome.
Field and geochronologic constraints indicate that the formation of the Pb-Zn deposits (~3129 Ma) is up to
2 m.y. younger than the local rhyolitic magmatism, which is volumetrically minor in the mineralized core com-
plex. This contrasts with ore formation related to calc-alkaline magmatism in the Eastern Rhodopes, where
polymetallic Cu-Au-Ag-Pb-Zn mineralization was found to be coeval with the latest phases of igneous activity
(~32 Ma). The chemically simpler but considerably larger metamorphic-hosted Pb-Zn deposits of the Central
Rhodopian dome were generated by large-scale hydrothermal fluid circulation, driven by the high heat flow
attending core complex formation, exhumation, and final fracturing of a rapidly thinned crust.

Introduction Alpine-Balkan-Carpathian-Dinaride province is one of the

THE ALPINE-Balkan-Carpathian-Dinaride province is part of
the Mesozoic to Miocene Tethyan metallogenic belt of
Eurasia, which extends from the Mediterranean region
along the Alps and southeastern Europe through the Cauca-
sus and the Himalayas to Burma, where it links up with
the Circumpacific metallogenic belt (Jankovic, 1977, 1997;
Mitchell, 1996; Berza et al., 1998; Jolivet and Brun, 2010).
With its abundant base and precious metal deposits, the
Corresponding author: e-mail, vonquadt@erdw.ethz.ch
*Present address: Dpartement de Minralogie, Universit de Genve,
Rue des Marachers 13, Geneva, Switzerland.
0361-0128/13/4113/691-28
oldest mining areas in the world and was one of the key fac-
tors for the development of civilized societies in Europe.
Having always been in the focus of economic and scientific
interest, the region has a long research history. Due to politi-
cal changes in the last two decades, mineral exploration pro-
grams have been revitalized in southeastern Europe to evalu-
ate existing mineral resources and explore for new deposits.
This exploration-based research added substantial data about
the mineral deposits, but left many fundamental questions re-
garding the geodynamic origin of the ores unanswered. To ad-
dress this knowledge deficit, an international collaboration
under the heading of Geodynamics and Ore Deposition
Submitted: December 8, 2011
691 Accepted: August 6, 2012
692 ROHRMEIER ET AL.
(GEODE) was initiated, with the particular aim of bringing
together recent geodynamic data and existing knowledge
about regional geology and mineral resources in central and
southeastern Europe (Blundell et al., 2002, 2005; Heinrich
and Neubauer, 2002).
In the Alpine-Balkan-Carpathian-Dinaride province of
southeastern Europe, a formerly linear, subduction-related
porphyry-Cu-Mo-Au belt of Cretaceous age is now embed-
ded within a much wider orogenic belt of Upper Cretaceous
to Cenozoic age, composed of ophiolites, continental crustal
rocks, and cover sediments that are variably overprinted by
regional metamorphism (Heinrich and Neubauer, 2002; Lips,
2002; von Quadt et al., 2005; Schmid et al., 2008; Burg, 2012).
Mitchell (1996) and Jankovic (1997) related the numerous
ore deposits of the Carpatho-Balkan region primarily to sub-
duction and calc-alkaline magmatism. However, the orogenic
belt hosts significant ore provinces of Cu, Pb, Zn, and pre-
cious metals with a geodynamic relation to subduction that is
at best indirect, because they demonstrably postdate active
subduction. De Boorder et al. (1998) noted that an alignment
of Cenozoic ore deposits in the Balkan-Dinaride region is
oblique to major tectonic boundaries, and interpreted this ob-
servation with mantle tomographic data indicating elevated
mantle temperatures caused by delamination and break-off of
a previously subducted slab, following Tethys closure and
continental collision (von Blanckenburg and Davies, 1995;
Wortel and Spakman, 2000). Significant deposits are associ-
ated with minor magmatism only, but may be more directly
related to post-orogenic extension, similar to extension-re-
lated epithermal deposits in Canada and the southwestern
United States (Spencer and Welty, 1986; Beaudoin et al.,
1991, 1992).
This paper aims at determining the mechanisms responsi-
ble for mineralization in an environment of late-orogenic col-
lapse following accretion of continental crust, high-grade
metamorphism, extension, and exhumation. We report pre-
cise geochronologic Rb-Sr and Ar-Ar data for geologically
well constrained gneiss samples to decipher the cooling his-
tory of the Central Rhodopian dome. Combining these cool-
ing dates with U-Pb data defining the intrusion of granitic
bodies, the peak conditions of regional metamorphism, and
the emplacement of rhyolitic dike swarms, and with Ar-Ar
dates for the formation of the hydrothermal ore deposits, we
derive an integrated pressure-temperature-time evolution of
the Central Rhodopian dome within its Tertiary extensional
environment (see Appendix).
Tectonic Setting of the Rhodope Massif
The Rhodope Massif extends in an E-W direction in south-
ern Bulgaria and northern Greece (Fig. 1) and consists of high-
grade metamorphic rocks, including granitic gneisses, marbles,
and amphibolites exposed over an area of about 20,000 km2.
To the north, the Maritsa fault, a deep-penetrating subverti-
cal and dextral shear zone striking NNW-SSE (Boncev, 1946;
Ivanov, 1988), separates the Rhodope Massif from Variscan
(late Paleozoic) metamorphic basement of the Srednogorie
zone and the Balkan Mountains. During Late Cretaceous
times, the Srednogorie zone was the active continental mar-
gin of Europe, pierced by subduction-related intrusions host-
ing Europes main porphyry-style and high sulfidation Cu-Au
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deposits in Bulgaria and Serbia (Strashimirov et al., 2002; von
Quadt et al., 2005; Chambefort et al., 2007; Kouzmanov et al.,
2009).
To the southwest, the Rhodope Massif is bordered by the
Dinarides-Hellenides, which run parallel to the Adriatic
coast. To the east the Neogene sediments of the Thracian
basin cover the Rhodope Massif. To the south, the Rhodope
Massif is bounded by the Aegean Sea, a Paleogene to recent
back-arc basin characterized by extreme thinning of conti-
nental crust and magmatism related to the northward sub-
duction of the eastern Mediterranean Sea beneath the island
of Crete (e.g., Ring et al., 2010; Fig. 1, inset).
In the past, the Rhodope Massif had been interpreted as a
Precambrian to Variscan continental fragment, in the sense of
Kober (1928) and Aubouin (1959), which remained unaf-
fected by the Alpine Orogeny (Boncev, 1915; Dimitrov, 1946;
Boncev, 1971). However, remapping of the thrust contacts
(Ivanov, 1988; Burg et al., 1990; Jahn-Awe et al., 2010; Bonev
and Stampfli, 2011; Burg, 2012) revealed an Alpine nappe
stack, including several metamorphic units (Ivanov, 1988;
Burg et al., 1990). This nappe pile is overprinted by exten-
sional detachment faulting and intruded by syntectonic and
posttectonic granitoid plutons. The Rhodope is now inter-
preted as an active continental margin at the southwestern
border of the European continent, which formed by a com-
plex history of subduction and microcontinent accretion (e.g.,
Ricou et al., 1998; Jahn-Awe et al., 2010). In this scenario, the
dominant transport direction of thrusts was toward the south-
west, as documented by shear structures, although the dis-
tinction between thrusting-related shearing and extensional
shearing is still under discussion (Burg et al., 1990, 1996;
Brun and Sokoutis, 2007; Bonev and Stampfli, 2011; Burg,
2012). The Alpine history of the Rhodope has been further
constrained by petrological studies (Liati, 1986; Arnaudov et
al., 1990b; Burg et al., 1990, 1996; Dinter and Royden, 1993;
Ricou et al., 1998; Krohe and Mposkos, 2002) and radiomet-
ric dating (Arnaudov et al., 1990a; Peytcheva et al., 1993,
2008; Peytcheva and von Quadt, 1995; Liati and Gebauer,
1999; Lips et al., 2000; Singer and Marchev, 2000; Liati et al.,
2002; Jahn-Awe et al., 2010) documenting the collisional na-
ture of the orogen, which formed by accretion, nappe stack-
ing, and eclogite to amphibolite facies metamorphism in the
Late Cretaceous to Paleogene (Ricou et al., 1998).
Geologic Setting of the Central Rhodopian Dome
The present study focuses on the Central Rhodopian dome
(Fig. 2), one of several dome complexes in the Rhodope (Fig.
1), which was shown by Ivanov (1988), Ivanov et al. (2000),
and Burg et al. (1990) to share many characteristics of exten-
sional metamorphic core complexes (Wernicke, 1985; Lister
and Davis, 1989; McKenzie and Jackson, 2002).
Tectonometamorphic evolution of basement rocks
The pre-Paleogene basement of the Central Rhodopian
dome consists of high-grade metamorphosed gneisses, mica-
schists, amphibolites, and marbles. A Cretaceous compres-
sional phase induced amphibolite facies regional metamor-
phism of the basement and the formation of synmetamorphic
thrusts in the footwall of the dome (Fig. 2, Burg et al., 1990). A
major N-dipping thrust zone can be traced through Chepelare
 HIGH-PRECISION GEOCHRONOLOGY OF THE CENTRAL RHODOPIAN METAMORPHIC CORE COMPLEX (BULGARIA-GREECE) 693

25 E 26 E

N Ma
rits
a fa
ult

Rila
42 N
pluton Asenovgrad

Borovitsa
caldera Spahievo

hodopian
Madjarovo

dome
Central R
P L

Elatia
pluton
Krumov-
Madan
grad
?
e
m
Thermes r do
e bi
es
K Kimi
Bjala reka dome
Drama Drama window Xanthi

Strym
on de
tac hmen
t

Syn-meta-
morphic
thrust
Detachment fault
Aegean Sea
Fault
E CA 30
E
50 N 18 RP
Ore-bearing vein AT
A SIN HI
AN
Oligocene rhyolitic dyke 0 30km NB S
25 E NIA 26 E
N NO
Major late-Cretaceous PA
S
MT

porphyry-related Cu-Au deposits

E NI

(inset)
US

AP
Metamorphic basement
BALK
AN M Black Sea
TS
Trakia unit Neogene sediments DI
NA
R IC Z.
Rhodope mixed units AL ORIE
NOG
VA

Maastricht-Oligocene PS R
HO SRED .
RD

(Startsevo and Krumovitsa

HE

DO P
AR

sediments and pyroclastics E MASSIF

L

unit, Kimi complex)

Z.
LE
NI

Eocene-Miocene
C

Asenitsa-Boina unit 40
N
AL

volcanic rocks
Turkey
PS

40 N
Me

S
Paleocene-Miocene ERE
Madan unit ND
dite

ME ASSIF
granitoids M
rra

Gneiss-migmatite complex
nea

(Central Rhodopian, Upper Cretaceous-

nS

Kesebir and Bjala reka dome) Cenozoic granites

ea

ne

Aegean
Sea
zo

Gneiss-migmatite complex Undifferentiated Mesozoic

n

0 200 km io
rocks ct
(Drama window) du 30
E
P rese n t sub

FIG. 1. Geologic map of the Rhodope Massif depicting major tectonic units, extensional dome structures, major intrusive
bodies, volcanic areas, dike swarms, and hydrothermal ore veins of the Central Rhodopian dome. Compiled from Harkovska
et al. (1998), Ricou et al. (1998), Liati and Gebauer (1999), Ivanov et al. (2000), and Marchev et al. (2005). L = Levocevo
caldera, P = Perelik ignimbrites. Inset: The Rhodope Massif in the context of the Alpine tectonic system, after Burchfiel
(1980) and Dinter et al. (1995).

(Fig. 2) as an almost continuous band of eclogite bodies that
are partly retrograded to amphibolite. Lenses of eclogites and
amphibolites, amphibole-bearing gneisses, and some ultraba-
sites also crop out near the town of Ardino (Kolcheva et al.,
1986) and near Thermes in the Greek Central Rhodopes
(Fig. 1), and are regarded as fragments of a subducted ocean-
type lithosphere (Ivanov et al., 2000).
The present dome structure is bounded by asymmetric
graben depressions and a detachment fault system generated by
crustal extension. A prominent master detachment (Figs. 2, 3)

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694 ROHRMEIER ET AL.

Geological map of the Central Rhodopian dome Eocene granitoid

N Krichim
Parvenets complex
Northern Rhodopian
unit
Paleogene sedimentary
and volcanic rocks

Asenitsa unit
256 - ortho-
266 metamorphites

Hanging wall
Asenitsa unit
- para-
metamorphites
A 267
Madan unit
ASI
N Yugovo Y
NAB
O I Laki Startsevo unit
HV
255

Foot-
wall
208
Arda unit
254
Chepelare fault
Devin MRD
232, 233
211
253 132
Chepelare
128
Z
252
Davidkovo Kanarata
SM
OL 52 Latinka
I AN
BASIN MD
126 r.
P L 124
Ar
da
121 Madan 80
Smilian detachment
detachment Smolian 222
223

Eniovche
110
Smilian Madan
225 Startsevo
248 detachment
Syn-metamorphic V IT INY
thrust AB
AS
Detachment fault IN
249
Erma 239
reka
Fault
A KV Zlatograd
Ore-bearing vein

0 10 20km
Oligocene rhyolitic dikes

Chokmanovo
North klippen South
Laki Davidkovo Smolian
A A'
Hvoina D Smilian
basin MR granite
Smolian basin

0
Yugovo Madan Smilian
2.5 km granite detachment detachment

FIG. 2. Geologic map and N-S cross section (A-A') of the Central Rhodopian dome, modified after Burg et al. (1990) and
Ivanov et al. (2000), displaying sample locations. A-A' = line of cross section, KV = Kotili-Vitinya ignimbrites, L = Levocevo
caldera, MD = Momchilovtsi-Davidkovo dike swarm, MRD = Middle Rhodopian detachment fault, P = Perelik ignimbrites,
Y = Yugovo granite, Z = Zagrazden dike swarm.

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I
I
I I

I
I I I
I I
N

I
I
I

I
I I

I I I

I I
I

I I
I I

I I
I

I I
I

I
I I
I
I
I
I
Madan A'
I
I
I
I
I

I
I I I I I
I I

I
I I
I

I
I
I
I

I
I I I I I

I
I I

I
II I I

I
I
II I I
I

I I
A Varba I

I
I I I
I
I

I I
I I

I
0 1 km

I
I

I I I I
I
SW Varba Madan NE
A A'
m NN
750
500
250
Carbonate replacement body
0

Detachment fault Paleogene sedimentary rocks

Hanging
wall

Fault Gneisses and amphibolites

Ore-bearing vein

Carbonate replacement body Marble horizon

Foot-
wall

Oligocene rhyolitic dikes Partially migmatized orthogneisses

FIG. 3. Structural map and E-W cross section of the Madan ore field showing characteristic field relationships of the low-
angle detachment fault, volcanic bodies, and hydrothermal ore veins, based on geologic mapping by Ivanov (unpub. results)
and underground data from mining companies.

is characterized by a 3- to 20-m-wide fault zone of chloritized
cataclasite where it crosses biotite gneisses or amphibolites,
but ductile deformation is observed where local marble hori-
zons are dragged into the fault separating the hanging wall
and the footwall of the dome (e.g., Madan detachment; Fig.
3). With this definition of the master detachment, we follow
Ivanov et al. (2000) by including the high-grade metamorphic
rocks to the north of the Chepelare fault with the footwall of
the core complex (Figs. 1, 2). This definition is consistent
with a mapped discontinuity in the direction of extensional

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696 ROHRMEIER ET AL.

transport lineations, but at slight variance with the larger-
scale attribution of units to the upper and lower plate of the
Rhodopes by Burg (2012). Our map interpretation (Fig. 2)
emphasizes the truncation and likely displacement of the
early Chepelare thrust by the later dome-bounding exten-
sional detachment (Ivanov et al., 2000).
The footwall part of the dome is known as the Arda unit,
and consists of gneisses, mica-schists, amphibolites, and mar-
bles. Migmatitization and local anatexis are common and
mark the peak of upper amphibolite facies conditions (T =
620640C, P = 78 kbar to T = 680560C, P = 36 kbar,
Georgieva et al., 2002), whereas crosscutting pegmatoid dikes
in the footwall (Fig. 4A) mark the beginning of the retrograde
stage (Liati and Gebauer, 1999).
Different local expressions of the detachment and hanging-
wall rocks have led to the distinction of several detachment
segments. In the southwestern part of the dome the border
between the hanging wall and the footwall is called the
Madan detachment (Fig. 3): the hanging wall consists of the
so-called Madan unit, resembling Arda unit rocks that were
displaced by splays of the detachment faults during the early
stages of extension (Ivanov et al., 2000). In the southeast, the
hanging wall is represented by the Startsevo unit, which was
detached from the Arda unit by a deep-penetrating fault. Ac-
cording to Ivanov et al. (2000), the Startsevo detachment is
younger than the Madan detachment. In the northern part of
the Central Rhodopian dome, the hanging wall is represented
by the nonmigmatized ortho- and parametamorphites of the

A crosscutting B
dike Marble

Johannsenite

10 cm 5 cm

C D Quartz
Chalcopyrite &
Galena
Ga
len
a&
Quartz Sp
ha
le rite
Quartz Altered
host rock

1 cm 1 cm

E F

Quartz Muscovite
e

Galena
Galena
1 cm 1 mm

FIG. 4. Rocks and ore types of the Central Rhodopian dome. A. Anatectic gneiss crosscut by late-stage pegmatoid dike,
Chepelare River valley. B. Front of carbonate replacement body toward marble horizon with radial crystals of johannsenite,
Eniovche deposit. C. Massive orebody with interlayering chalcopyrite, galena, and quartz, Madan ore field. D. Ore vein
sample showing syn-ore alteration of the host rock and paragenesis of the main ore stage, Madan ore field (for explanations
see text). E. Ore vein sample with idiomorphic quartz and galena, Madan ore field. F. Ore vein sample with galena over-
grown by rosettes of white mica, Madan ore field.

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Asenitsa unit, which is separated from the footwall Arda unit
by the Middle Rhodopian detachment (Fig. 2).
Synextensional sedimentation
The late Alpine extension at the Central Rhodopian dome
was accompanied by the formation of half-graben basins (i.e.,
Hvoina, Smolian, and Vitinya basins, Fig. 2), which are placed
on the hanging wall and filled with upper Eocene-late
Oligocene continental sediments, including breccias, conglom-
erates, sandstones, argillites, and marly limestones (Ivanov et
al., 2000). Common features of the Paleogene sequences are
the occurrence of olistostromes and olistonappes due to
synsedimentary gravity sliding in the basal parts and an in-
creasing volcanic activity during the later sedimentation
stages (Harkovska, 1983; Harkovska et al., 1998).
Acid magmatism
Syn- to postmetamorphic intrusive bodies in the Central
Rhodopian dome sensu stricto comprise the Smilian and
Yugovo plutons (Fig. 2). The Smilian pluton in the south is
represented by leucocratic granites and has been affected by
(extensional) movement along the Smilian detachment (Fig.
2). The granites of the Yugovo pluton north of Laki (Fig. 2)
comprise several small bodies (Nedjalkov et al., 1998); the
southernmost ones are adjacent to the Middle Rhodopian de-
tachment and display brittle cataclasis. Both plutons have dis-
cordant and concordant contacts with the regional foliation of
the hosting metamorphites. This observation and their iden-
tical lead isotope signatures (Amov et al., 1993) imply one
common magmatic source of the plutons and relate their em-
placement to the formation of the Central Rhodopian dome
(Ivanov et al., 2000). This association is also consistent with
clasts of similar granites in the sedimentary basins.
Volcanic activity in the Central Rhodopian dome occurred
from the Eocene to early Oligocene and began with acid
phreatomagmatic eruptions at Levocevo caldera (Fig. 2),
Perelik, in the southern part of the Kotili-Vitinya basin, and in
the central part of the dome at Davidkovo, where air-fall tuffs
with accretionary lapilli mark a paleoland surface at that time.
Coeval and later acidic to intermediate dike swarms, locally
cutting the detachment, are predominantly elongated in an
E-W and NW-SE direction and are related to regional tension
zones. The most prominent Momchilovtsi-Davidkovo dike
swarm reaches 5 to 6 km in E-W extent and continues into
the sediments of Smolian basin; the 25-km-long Zagrazden
dike swarm extends into the eastern Rhodopes.
Volcanism in the Central Rhodopian dome outlasted exten-
sion and filling of the sedimentary graben basins. The dikes
cut the detachment as well as the sediments; the pyroclastics
either are deposited at the uppermost levels of the basins or
directly overlie basement rocks. Hydrothermal ore veins (see
later in this paper) crosscut the detachment faults as well as
some of the rhyolitic dikes. Mineralization is associated with
carbonate-sericite alteration, which is particularly pervasive
in overprinted rhyolitic dikes. These field relationships indi-
cate that some volcanic activity postdated the extensional
movement along the detachments and most of the exhuma-
tion and denudation of the footwall of the core complex. Min-
eralization took place even later and, at least locally, postdated
acid magmatism.
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697
Hydrothermal Pb-Zn Deposits of the
Central Rhodopian Dome
The Central Rhodopian dome hosts several important Pb-
Zn ore fields, including Madan, Eniovche, Laki, and David-
kovo in Bulgaria (Fig. 2). All of these vein and replacement
deposits occur close to the detachment fault. About 9 Mt of
zinc and lead metal were mined or are still present in at least
70 individual deposits, to which the Madan ore field con-
tributes 78% (Maneva et al., 1996). The richest and largest
orebodies were formed by hydrothermal replacement of mar-
bles, but significant resources were mined from veins (Maneva
et al., 1996). Presently, three underground mines are active
(Laki-Djurkovo, Madan-Krushev Dol, and Eniovche; pers.
comm., Director V. Gadjev), with an average production
grade of 2.90% Pb and 2.16% Zn at Laki and 2.54% Pb and
2.10% Zn at Madan (Milev et al., 1996). Higher grades were
mined in the past and still exist locally, especially in massive
replacement orebodies. Mining access to remaining poten-
tially large and high-grade orebodies is restricted by active
geothermal water flow that also gives rise to the spas at Ther-
mes in Greece (Kalogeropoulos et al., 1996) and Devin in
Bulgaria (Fig. 2).
Structural control of ore emplacement
The deposits of the Central Rhodopian dome comprise epi-
thermal to mesothermal Pb-Zn veins, stockworks, and manto-
style metasomatic replacements of marbles as the most eco-
nomic orebodies. In all ore fields, the bulk of the economic
ore is located within less than a kilometer above and below
the detachment fault. Mineralized fractures sharply crosscut
the detachment zone at Laki and Madan, where sulfide min-
eralization locally extends up into conglomerates of the over-
lying extensional basins. Most ore veins are hosted by gneisses
and are predominantly controlled by intensive brittle defor-
mation (Dragiev and Danchev, 1990; Ivanov et al., 2000). The
metasomatic orebodies (Fig. 4B) are formed by replacement
where veins intersect marble horizons, both in the footwall
and the hanging wall and locally along the detachment.
The Laki ore field is situated at the northern slope of the
Central Rhodopian dome and controlled by four planar ore-
bearing NNE-trending fault zones. The subvertical faults cut
through gneisses, schists, amphibolites, and ultrabasites of
the underlying Arda unit, cross the detachment, and then cut
through the marbles of the overlying Asenitsa unit; locally, the
veins crosscut rhyolitic dikes that also cut across the detach-
ment. The orebodies are mostly of vein type with lengths up
to 7 km, but metasomatic orebodies in marbles also occur
with a lateral extension of up to 140 m from the veins.
In the Madan ore field (Fig. 3), situated in the southwest-
ern part of the Central Rhodopian dome, the deposits are
closely related to steep NNW- (320340) and WNW-trend-
ing (280320) faults. The main vein mineralization is devel-
oped along six subparallel NNW-trending fault zones with
limited wall-rock alteration (Bonev, 1982), whereas the WNW
faults are not mineralized. Ore shoots are situated in the
NNW-SSE fractures, where open space was created by dex-
tral strike-slip along the WNW-trending faults (Bonev, 1984).
The barren WNW faults were essentially closed during ore
deposition, but were subjected to some alteration and shear
698 ROHRMEIER ET AL.
deformation with combined dextral and north-side-up dis-
placement components (Fig. 3). The most extensively devel-
oped vein mineralization is bound to the intersections be-
tween the two fault types (Ivanov et al., 2000). Mineralization
can be traced to depths of 500 to 600 m; the veins show sharp
contacts to their host rocks and reach a thickness of up to 2
m. Networks of thinner veins reach widths of 10 m and are
commonly deformed by syn- and post-ore displacement
(Bonev, 1982). The thickness of the replacement orebodies
(up to 5 m) is primarily controlled by the thickness of the
marble horizons; lateral extension away from the feeding
faults reaches 20 to 30 m, but can extend to 120 m at inter-
sections of mineralized veins with WNW faults.
The mineralization at the Eniovche deposit is localized
along WNW-trending faults, which also cross the detach-
ment. The orebodies predominantly consist of 1.5- to 1.8-m-
thick veins, but metasomatic replacement orebodies also
occur in marbles of the hanging wall (Ivanov et al., 2000).
The Davidkovo ore field in the center of the dome consists
of 10 prospects and several occurrences that were never
mined on a large scale. It is developed as stockworks and veins
of up to 1-m thickness at the intersections of three NW-, E-,
and NE-trending fault structures in the footwall of the dome.
Veins extend into rhyolitic domes, volcanic flows, and accre-
tionary lapilli tuffs, which shows that hydrothermal mineral-
ization occurred after surface exposure of the center of the
high-grade metamorphic dome.
Mineral paragenesis and wall-rock alteration
In general, the ore fields of the Central Rhodopian dome
exhibit similar characteristics of mineralization and a rela-
tively uniform and compositionally simple mineral associa-
tion. The main minerals are quartz, galena, sphalerite, pyrite,
chalcopyrite, arsenopyrite, calcite, rhodochrosite, and other
carbonates (Bonev, 1982; Kolkovski et al., 1996). Minerals in
veins and stockworks are generally coarse open-space infills,
with large crystals common in vugs, giving rise to world-
renowned collector specimens. Vein mineralization laterally
grades into variably massive to porous sulfide carbonate
quartz replacement orebodies zoned away from veins toward
unaltered marble. Distal Mn skarns, dominated by johannsen-
ite and rhodonite, consistently occur at the outer contact of
the replacement orebodies against the original marbles. Veins
cutting gneisses and rhyolite dikes show sericite chlorite
carbonate alteration halos of 0.1- to 2-m width. Regions with
abundant stockwork veinlets show more extensive alteration
of the surrounding gneisses.
Galena predominates over sphalerite in veins of the Laki
ore field, but orebodies of massive or disseminated character
hosted by Mn skarns also occur. Calcite or, more rarely,
manganocalcite crystallized as the last phase on quartz and
galena (Kolkovski et al., 1978; Krasteva and Stoynova, 1988).
The mineralogy and fluid history of the Madan ore field
and Eniovche deposit have been studied most extensively
(Bonev, 1968, 1977, 1982, 1984; Kolkovski and Petrov, 1972;
Piperov et al., 1977; Kolkovski et al., 1996; Maneva et al., 1996;
Vassileva and Bonev, 2001; Kostova et al., 2004). The main
minerals comprise quartz, galena, sphalerite, and johannsen-
ite, which are abundant in metasomatic replacement orebod-
ies, and pyrite, chalcopyrite, arsenopyrite, (Mn) carbonates,
0361-0128/98/000/000-00 $6.00
and rhodonite. The Mn skarns, only developed in the re-
placed marble horizons, show Mn-rich pre-ore mineral as-
semblages, which are represented by radial and spherulic ag-
gregates of clinopyroxenes ranging from johannsenite (Fig.
4B) to manganoan hedenbergite. The sulfide ore minerals are
developed in open veins and in the more vein-proximal parts
of the marble replacement bodies. The paragenetic sequence
in the sulfide-rich orebodies includes three main stages or up
to five substages (Kolkovski et al., 1996; Kostova et al., 2004):
(1) quartz-pyrite, (2a) galena-chalcopyrite-quartz-sericite-
chlorite (Fig. 4C), (2b) quartz-sphalerite-galena as the main
ore stage (Fig. 4D), (3a) quartz-arsenopyrite-sulfosalts, and
(3b) quartz-(Mn) calcite. In the open vein spaces, euhedral
crystals of galena (Fig. 4E), quartz, dark to yellow sphalerite,
pyrite, chalcopyrite, and carbonate are precipitated, with oc-
casional intercalations and overgrowths of chlorite and mus-
covite crystals (Fig. 4F) that are clearly precipitated into open
space. Sphalerite is texturally related to and often intergrown
with galena; pyrite and chalcopyrite occur in isolated individ-
ual crystals.
Gneiss and amphibolite wall rocks show bleached, light
green halos with quartz-sericite-carbonate-pyrite (proximal;
1100 cm) and chlorite-carbonate-epidote alteration (Tzve-
tanov, 1976). Alteration related to the quartz-galena-spha-
lerite veins also includes local silicification of the gneisses
(Bonev, 1968).
From Davidkovo, about 30 primary minerals are reported,
in four paragenetic assemblages: quartz-pyrite, quartz-
galena-sphalerite, rhodochrosite-manganocalcite-calcite, and
quartz and heulandite-stilbite. Mineralization occurs in veins
and, rarely, as planar stockworks. Some massive orebodies ex-
hibit a porous texture of partially disintegrated white mica
and quartz as pre-ore minerals; disseminated quartz, galena,
sphalerite, pyrite, and fine-grained white mica represent the
ore stage (Naphtali, 1978; Naphtali and Malinov, 1988).
Ore fluid evolution
The conditions of hydrothermal ore formation have been
studied intensively in the case of Madan ore field: homoge-
nization temperatures up to 400C of fluid inclusions from
skarns were reported by Kolkovski et al. (1978). Fluid inclu-
sions in quartz from the vein and replacement mineralization
yielded 280 to 360C for the main-stage sulfide deposition
and 200 to 280C for the postsulfide quartz-carbonate stage
(Kolkovski and Petrov, 1972; Maneva et al., 1996). The higher
temperatures in the sulfide stage (300365C) relate to the
early quartz-pyrite assemblage and temperatures of 260 to
350C are indicated for the galena-quartz and quartz-galena-
sphalerite phases (Kolkovski et al., 1996). Similar fluid data
were obtained from the Laki ore field (Kolkovski et al., 1978;
Krasteva and Stoynova, 1988). Bonev (1977) and Piperov et
al. (1977) described and analyzed macroscopic primary inclu-
sions in large galena crystals from Madan and extracted the
fluids with a syringe. Their direct chemical and O-H isotope
analyses indicate dominantly meteoric, low-salinity ore fluids
that were heterogeneously trapped in the process of separat-
ing a weakly CO2 bearing vapor phase.
Kostova et al. (2004) performed a detailed fluid inclusion
study of the main three paragenetic stages on samples taken
over a 400-m vertical depth exposure at the Yuzhna Petrovitza
698
 HIGH-PRECISION GEOCHRONOLOGY OF THE CENTRAL RHODOPIAN METAMORPHIC CORE COMPLEX (BULGARIA-GREECE)
vein in the Madan ore field. Their microthermometric results
resolve the previously observed temperature range of <270
to >330C into a distinct thermal evolution pattern of the
mineralizing hydrothermal system. In the pre-ore quartz-
pyrite stage (1), a steep thermal gradient of 40 to 50/100 m
is recorded. During the main quartz-galena-sphalerite ore
stage (2), the temperature gradient follows the boiling curve
with depth, corroborating the fluid inclusion evidence from
galena (Bonev et al., 1993). In the post-ore veining stage (3)
of carbonate and minor quartz deposition, temperatures de-
creased with depth and the temperature gradient became
negative at about 10/300 m. These data are consistent with
thermal buildup (1), main upflow of boiling fluids during ore
formation (2), and final cooling of a convective fluid plume by
lateral advective recharge of cold water (cf. Hayba and In-
gebritsen, 1997; Driesner and Geiger, 2007).
Existing Geochronologic Data on the
Central Rhodopian Dome
Before introducing new geochronologic data for the ther-
mal to hydrothermal evolution of the Pb-Znmineralized
dome (Figs. 5, 6, 7), this section compiles (Fig. 8) and sum-
marizes published absolute ages constraining the Alpine
tectonometamorphic context of the Central Rhodopian
dome.
Pre- and early Alpine crustal protoliths
Protoliths from the Arda unit in the footwall of the Central
Rhodopian dome are dated by single-zircon U-Pb method at
300 11 and 310.7 4.6 Ma (biotite and two-mica meta-
granites from the Arda river valley; Cherneva et al., 2002,
2003; Ovtcharova et al., 2003; Peytcheva et al., 2004) and at
~310 Ma (two-mica metagranites from the Chepelarska river
valley). These ages are consistent with in situ SHRIMP dating
of magmatic zircon cores from orthogneisses in the Greek
part of the central Rhodope, yielding 294 8 Ma (Liati and
Gebauer, 1999).
Protolith ages of metamorphic rocks in the hanging walls of
the Central Rhodopian dome are lower Paleozoic (Carrigan
et al., 2003; Liati, 2005; Turpaud and Reischmann, 2010) and
Jurassic (Sarov et al., 1999). In the Startsevo unit a biotite-
metagranite was dated at 151.9 2.2 Ma (U-Pb isotope dilu-
tion-thermal ionization mass spectrometry [ID-TIMS] on sin-
gle zircons, Ovtcharova et al., 2003). Metagranites in the
Asenitsa unit were dated at 153.5 4.3 Ma (Bachkovo leptitic
orthogneisses; von Quadt et al., 2006) and in the Madan unit
at 160.6 2.3 Ma (Raeva et al., 2008). Turpaud (2006) re-
ported Jurassic magmatic ages between 136 and 164 Ma from
the migmatite-orthogneiss sequence in Greece (Burg et al.,
1996).
Cenozoic Alpine metamorphism
U-Pb SHRIMP data of zircons from an early quartz vein
within paragneiss cropping out between Xanthi and Thermes
(Greek central Rhodopes) yield an age of 45.3 0.3 Ma. Liati
and Gebauer (1999) have interpreted these needle-shaped
zircons as hydrothermal growth during prograde metamor-
phic dehydration during subduction to eclogite-facies condi-
tions, and suggested that other zircon ages of 42.2 0.9 and
42 1.1 Ma from an eclogitic body and its hosting gneiss date
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699
the peak of high-pressure metamorphism. However, Burg
(2012) reinterpreted the published eclogite date at the scale
of the entire Rhodope and concluded that a protracted resi-
dence of the collisional orogen in eclogite, granulite, and
waning amphibolite facies occurred much earlier, between
170 and 50 Ma.
The Arda unit in the footwall of the dome experienced upper
amphibolite facies metamorphism conditions, causing wide-
spread migmatitization (T 650680C, Central Rhodopian
dome, Georgieva et al., 2002; T 700C, Pristavova, 2000; T
> 800C, Greek central Rhodope, Liati and Seidel, 1996).
Liati and Gebauer (1999) report a SHRIMP age on zircon of
40.0 1.0 Ma dating the formation of a leucosome from the
Greek part of the central Rhodope. Anatectic granites and
leucosomes of the Arda unit indicate partial melting dated by
U-Pb single-grain ages of 37, 37.8 1.5, and 37.08 0.38 Ma
(Ovtcharova et al., 2003). Peytcheva et al. (2004) report U-Pb
ages of 35.75 0.38 and 35.92 0.55 Ma (an average of 35.83
0.40 Ma) for monazites from metagranites of the Arda unit.
However, the authors assumed 10 to 20% recrystallization of
the monazites during subsequent Oligocene volcanism and
hydrothermal activity and suggested a corrected age of 36.6 to
37.5 Ma.
Undeformed pegmatites cutting high-grade gneissic folia-
tions yield U-Pb ages of 36.1 1.2 Ma (Greek Central
Rhodope, SHRIMP dating of zircon; Liati and Gebauer,
1999) and 35.8 0.2 and 35.31 0.25 Ma (Central
Rhodopian dome, U-Pb single-grain dating on monazite,
Ovtcharova et al., 2003; Rb-Sr mineral isochron, Peytcheva et
al., 2004).
Cooling of the Greek Central Rhodopes after amphibolite
facies metamorphism is indicated by K-Ar ages of 36.6 0.4,
36.1 0.4, 35.3 0.3, and 34.8 0.3 Ma (muscovite and bi-
otite, Liati, 1986). Rb-Sr mineral isochron ages of 35.8 0.2
and 34.51 0.68 Ma (Ovtcharova et al., 2003; Peytcheva et
al., 2004) and Ar-Ar stepwise-heating ages of 35.46 0.26 and
35.19 0.90 Ma (an average of 35.35 0.22 Ma) are defined
for the metagranites of the Arda unit, Central Rhodopian
dome (biotite, Peytcheva et al., 2004).
Low-temperature thermochronology (zircon-apatite fission
track ages) records the same cooling event between 40 and 33
Ma to an estimated closing temperature of 80 to 110C (ap-
atite fission tracks, Wuethrich, 2009). A second cooling (or
local reheating?) event affected the south-central part of the
Central Rhodopian dome between 30 and 15 Ma (Wuethrich,
2009).
Magmatism and hydrothermal ore formation
Magmatic and hydrothermal activity in the Borovitsa
caldera east of the Central Rhodopian dome (Fig. 1) has been
dated by Singer and Marchev (2000), who distinguished three
phases based on Ar-Ar total fusion ages: (1) precaldera mag-
matism with minor porphyry Cu-Mo mineralization and ad-
vanced argillic alteration at 33.0 to 32.3 Ma; (2) silicic mag-
matism, epithermal low sulfidation mineralization, and
alteration at 32.17 to 32.13 Ma; and (3) syn- and postcaldera
magmatism at 31.9 to 31.7 Ma. Precaldera magmatism in the
Borovitsa region overlaps with preliminary U-Pb zircon ages
for rhyolitic magmatism in the Central Rhodopian dome
(Ovtcharova et al., 2003, further discussed below), and with
700 ROHRMEIER ET AL.

A Ap-Ms: 59.9 1.2 Ma Ms B Bt

87Sr/86Sr = 0.712600 Bt 0.74
0.76 i
0.000050

Sr
Sr

86
86

Sr/
Sr/
0.73

87
MR 255

87
0.74
MR 267
0.72

Kfs Ap-Kfs-Bt: 39.66 0.74 Ma

0.72 87Sr/ 86Sri = 0.710583
Ap
Ap-Bt: 44.07 0.88 Ma 0.71 Ap
0.000023
87Sr/86Sr = 0.712804
i 87 86 86
87
0.000048 Rb/ Sr Rb/ Sr
0.70 0.70
0 20 40 60 80 0 20 40 60

C Bt D
0.724

Sr/ Sr
Bt
Sr/ Sr

86
86

0.722 0.76

87
87

0.720
MR 80 MR 121
0.718 0.74

0.716
Kfs-Bt: 35.31 0.79 Ma Kfs-Bt: 36.63 0.48 Ma
87Sr/ 86 Sr = 0.711798 87Sr/ 86Sr = 0.711149
0.714 Kfs i 0.72 i
0.000063 Kfs 0.000047
0.712 87 86
87
Rb/ 86Sr Rb/ Sr
0.710 0.70
0 4 8 12 16 20 24 28 0 20 40 60 80 100 120

E 0.80
F Bt
0.745 Bt
Sr/ Sr
Sr/ Sr

0.78
86
86

0.735
87

MR 124
87

MR126
0.76
0.725
Kfs-Bt: 35.2 0.1 Ma 0.74 Kfs-Bt: 35.04 0.08 Ma
87Sr/ 86Sri = 0.712483 87Sr/ 86Sr = 0.717826
Kfs Kfs i
0.715 0.000029 0.000031
0.72
87 86 87 86
Rb/ Sr Rb/ Sr
0.705 0.70
0 20 40 60 80 0 40 80 120 160

G H Footwall Hanging wall

Bt Ap-Kfs-Bt
0.730 Ap-Kfs-Bt
Sr/ Sr i

0.715
Sr/ Sr

Kfs-Bt Kfs-Bt
86
86

Ap-Bt Ap-Bt
0.725
87

WR-Bt Ap-Ms
87

0.714 MR128
Kfs-Ms
0.720

0.713
Kfs-Bt: 17.13 0.13 Ma 0.715
87Sr/ 86Sr = 0.711595
i
0.712 Kfs 0.000020 0.710
87 86
Rb/ Sr
0.705
0.711 10 20 30 40 50 60 70
0 4 8 12 16 Age (Ma)

FIG. 5. Selected Rb-Sr mineral isochron plots of gneisses of the Central Rhodopian dome. A. Three-point errorchron
from Asenitsa unit, implying disequilibrium conditions of the apatite-muscovite-biotite system. B. Three-point isochron of
Arda unit. C-G. Two-point isochrons of the center of Arda unit. H. Rb-Sr age results of the Central Rhodopian dome plot-
ted against 87Sr/86Sri initial ratios; gray arrow: range of back-calculated 87Sr/86SrT whole-rock ratios of gneisses from Arda unit
(T = 35 Ma; Peytcheva et al., 2004; for explanations see text). Abbreviations: Ap = apatite, Bt = biotite, Kfs = K-feldspar, Ms
= muscovite, WR = whole rock.

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 HIGH-PRECISION GEOCHRONOLOGY OF THE CENTRAL RHODOPIAN METAMORPHIC CORE COMPLEX (BULGARIA-GREECE) 701

A B
40 40

30 30
Age (Ma)

MR 80 MR 110
20 Biotite 20 Muscovite
Plateau age=35.23 0.33 Ma Plateau age=35.61 0.48 Ma
10
MWSD=1.11, probability=0.34 10
MWSD=1.1, probability=0.23
Includes 100% of the 39Ar Includes 72% of the 39Ar

0 0
0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0 0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0

C D
40 40

30 30
MR 121 MR 124
Biotite Biotite
Age (Ma)

20 20
Plateau age=35.61 0.41 Ma Plateau age=35.66 0.29 Ma
MWSD=0.77, probability=0.6 MWSD=0.7, probability=0.71
10 Includes 57.5% of the 39Ar 10 Includes 100% of the 39Ar

0 0
0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0 0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0

E F
40 40

30
Age (Ma)

30
MR 126 MR 128
20 Biotite 20 Biotite
Plateau age=35.31 0.27 Ma Plateau age=35.75 0.33 Ma
MWSD=1.06, probability=0.39 MWSD=1.1, probability=0.26
10 10
Includes 97.2% of the 39Ar Includes 86.4% of the 39Ar

0 0
0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0 0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0
39 39
Cumulative Ar Fraction Cumulative Ar Fraction
FIG. 6. (A-F) Ar-Ar age spectra of gneisses from the center of Arda unit; black segments are included in age calculations.

K-Ar data of volcanic dikes intruding cover sediments of the
Smolian basin (31.330.9 Ma; Harkovska et al., 1998).
The geochronology of the ore deposits has been tightly con-
strained by Ar-Ar stepwise-heating data of hydrothermal mus-
covites (Kaiser-Rohrmeier et al., 2004). Sericite from altered
gneisses adjacent to the ore veins of the Madan ore field
yields Ar-Ar ages of 31.21 0.38 and 31.55 0.46 Ma. These
sericites may be partially recrystallized metamorphic mus-
covites, products of early high-temperature alteration during
Mn skarn formation, or alteration products grown during sul-
fide mineralization, and therefore place an upper bracket on
ore formation in the Madan ore field. Ar-Ar plateau ages of
white mica crusts and globular crystals grown in open vugs,
which have been deposited contemporaneously with the main
ore stage, are the best dates for the timing of ore deposition
(Fig. 4F). Results from such samples show a small but proba-
bly significant age difference of ~1 m.y. between the Madan
(30.4 Ma) and the Laki ore field (29.3 Ma; Kaiser-Rohrmeier
et al., 2004).
Samples and Methods
Extensive fieldwork aimed at documenting time relations
between metamorphism, deformation, and hydrothermal
mineralization on the outcrop scale (Kaiser-Rohrmeier, 2005)
took advantage of larger-scale regional mapping by Z. Ivanov,
D. Dimov, and S. Sarov (unpub. maps, forming the basis of
Figs. 1, 2). Samples used for Rb-Sr and Ar-Ar dating comprise
vein and alteration samples documented in Kaiser-Rohrmeier
et al. (2004). Gneisses from the footwall and the hanging wall
of the dome were investigated to compare the cooling history

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702 ROHRMEIER ET AL.

48
0.0074 Yugovo granite A 0.014
Smilian granite
B
253 Ma 10
Intercepts at

U
0.0072 80

238
46 41.0 9.5 & 322 110 Ma
0.012 MSWD = 4.5

Pb/
1
6

0.0070

U
AvQ094

206
AvQ089

238
0.010
44 60 Mean 206Pb/238U age

Pb/
0.0068 Mean 206Pb/238U age (2, 3)
42.29 0.08 Ma

206
0.008 4
11
41.91 1.0 Ma
0.0066 3 2 (7, 8, 9, 12)
5
42 13 12
40
0.0064 0.006 7
8 9
207 235 207 235
Pb/ U Pb/ U
0.042 0.044 0.046 0.048 0.04 0.06 0.08 0.10

Laki 33.2 C 0.00502

Madan D
0.00516 rhyolite
rhyolitic dike 32.2 19
17 21
20
33 0.00498

U
U

238
0.00512
238

Pb/
31.8
0.00494
Pb/

206
14
0.00508
206

22
32.6
3 0.00490 18

MO1-4 31.4
0.00504 15
Mean 206Pb/238U age 0.00486 MO33
32.66 0.34 Ma Mean 206Pb/ 238U age
0.00482 31 31.71 0.40 Ma
32.2
2 16
0.00500 207 235 207 235
Pb/ U Pb/ U
0.0324 0.0328 0.0332 0.0336 0.024 0.028 0.032 0.036 0.040

FIG. 7. Concordia plots showing the results of single-zircon analyses from the Yugovo (A) and Smilian (B) granites and
rhyolite dikes from the Laki (C) and Madan (D) areas. Individual analyses are shown as 2 error ellipses included in weighted
mean calculation; zircons are air abraded. Given ages are mean 206Pb/238U ages at 1 standard deviation level.

after peak metamorphism by interpretation of isotopic clo-
sure ages of coarse high-temperature micas grown under am-
phibolite facies conditions (Table 1).
Ortho- and paragneiss samples from the Arda, Madan, and
Startsevo units contain biotite, K-feldspar, plagioclase, and
quartz as main constituents. Despite considerable effort to
collect unaltered rocks and process amphibolite facies min-
eral grains, detailed petrography showed that some chloriti-
zation and sericitization had affected most samples, especially
those situated in the vicinity of the ore fields, the detachment,
and the synmetamorphic thrust. Plagioclase is variably af-
fected by some sericitization and saussuritization and was
therefore not used for isotopic work. In contrast, or-
thogneisses of the Asenitsa unit in the northern part of the
dome show no or only subordinate alteration or retrograde
hydration.
Results
Data significance
Analytical Rb-Sr, Ar-Ar, and U-Pb results are listed in Tables
2, 3, and 4. Selected Rb-Sr mineral isochrons and all Ar-Ar
plateau-age spectra are displayed in Figures 5 and 6, and all
others are available in Kaiser-Rohrmeier (2005). The ages
have been calculated using ISOPLOT/EX (Ludwig, 2000). All
Ar-Ar spectra yield well-defined plateau ages with minor fluc-
tuations in the first low-temperature and some of the last gas
release steps. The plateau ages are inverse variance-weighted
averages of steps, meeting the criteria for plateau ages (Lud-
wig, 2000). The J-value can be estimated only roughly and the
uncertainties of the J-values were propagated into the overall
age uncertainties of the plateau ages.
According to Ludwig (2000), an Rb-Sr age calculation using
the algorithm of York (1969) defines an isochron if the prob-
ability of fit is higher than 15%. Rb-Sr results obtained by
three and more mineral ratios are considered as an er-
rorchron if the probability of fit is lower than 15%. In this
study, only one isochron determined by three minerals
(MR255) was obtained. All other samples comprising three
mineral fractions (MR222, MR52, MR253, MR254, MR256,
MR267) are errorchrons at face value. In these cases, two or
three isochrons per sample have been calculated, each com-
prising two minerals. Ages derived from such two-point
isochrons are subject to geologic interpretation, including dif-
ferent closing temperature of resetting, and need to be indi-
vidually assessed in light of additional data and petrographic
or geologic criteria. All initial Sr ratios (0.706820.71783)
demonstrate that the broadly granodioritic to tonalitic pro-
toliths were derived from similar crustal source material with
only moderate variations in radiogenic Sr enrichment.
Arda unit: Lower plate
Seven migmatite samplesMR80, MR52, MR110, MR121,
MR124, MR126, MR128of the Arda unit (Fig. 2) record
Rb/Sr mineral (K-feldspar-biotite) isochron ages between
35.04 0.08 and 36.63 0.48 Ma. Ar-Ar muscovite plateau

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 North South

42 Ma Ar-Ar dating
Intrusion of Yogovo Smilian U-Pb dating
Yugovo 42
Smilian Granite (Y-S) Rb-Sr dating

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Start extension 40 Ma
upper-plate cooling 40

Detachment extension
38 - 36 Ma
progressive rotation 38
& excision
Mid-crustal decompression
melting in lower plate pegmatite migmatite leucosome
36
age in Ma

Updoming, erosion 35 Ma
& cooling

703
34
32 Ma pre-ore muscovite
igneous & high T,
Subaerial volcanism hydrothermal minerals
exposed at land surface
dike cut by ore vein rhyolite porphyry dike 32

31-29 Ma
Epithermal ore formation
30
within 1 km from surface
hydrothermal muscovite

Borovitsa caldera L ak i Davidkovo Madan E n i o vch e

FIG. 8. Summary of geochronological data defining peak metamorphism, dome formation, and epithermal Pb-Zn mineralization in the Central Rhodopian dome, all
occurring within a time span of about 10 m.y. This rapid mid-crustal to near-surface evolution of the dome is resolved by zircon crystallization in migmatites, cooling
HIGH-PRECISION GEOCHRONOLOGY OF THE CENTRAL RHODOPIAN METAMORPHIC CORE COMPLEX (BULGARIA-GREECE)

ages based on Rb-Sr and Ar-Ar data from peak-metamorphic minerals recording crustal excision associated with core complex formation, and Ar-Ar ages of hydrother-
mal mica precipitation associated with hydrothermal ore formation. The green rectangles show Ar-Ar results of muscovite from the same rocks from which concordant
Rb/Sr mineral ages (yellow diamonds) have been obtained.
703
704 ROHRMEIER ET AL.

TABLE 1. Location and Description of Samples Used for Rb-Sr and Ar-Ar Dating

Sample no. Locality Unit Sample description

MR52 Davidkovska malka, Arda Creek Arda unit Biotite-gneiss containing quartz, myrmekitic and sporadically sericitized
K-feldspar, plagioclase, slightly chloritized biotite, and accessory ore
MR80 5 km north of Svetulka Gneiss containing quartz, K-feldspar, plagioclase, greenish biotite, few
muscovite crystals, and accessory ore
MR110 1 km northwest of Madan center Weakly deformed granite containing feldspar, weakly weathered biotite,
few quartz crystals, and overgrowing muscovite
MR121 5 km northeast of Podvis Migmatized gneiss containing quartz, sericitized K-feldspar, plagioclase,
biotite, and chlorite
MR124 3.5 km south of Banite Gneiss containing quartz, seriticized K-feldspar, plagioclase, chloritized
biotite, few nests of muscovite, and accessory ore
MR126 2 km west of Malka Arda Migmatitic gneiss containing quartz, K-feldspar, few plagioclase crystals,
partially chloritized biotite, and muscovite
MR128 6 km northwest of Davidkovo Gneiss containing quartz, K-feldspar, plagioclase, large flakes of biotite,
amphibole, and accessory ore
MR132 Road Manastir-Laki, 15 km south of Fine-grained gneiss containing quartz, seriticized K-feldspar, few
Laki, Krushev chatal plagioclase crystals, partially chloritized biotite, and amphibole
MR211 2.5 km southwest of Manastir Gneiss containing K-feldspar showing beginning sericitization, plagioclase,
chlorite, and biotite
MR222 Village Tarag Gneiss containing K-feldspar with myrmekitic structures, plagioclase,
partially chloritized biotite, and quartz
MR223 East end of Rawnishda Weakly deformed granite containing feldspar, weakly weathered biotite,
few quartz crystals, and muscovite crosscutting the foliation
MR225 4 km southeast of Madan Gneiss containing feldspar, muscovite, and quartz
MR232 1 km north of Chepelare, road to Sarnitsa Gneiss of mylonitic zone containing feldspar, weakly chloritized biotite,
and quartz
MR233 1 km north of Chepelare, road to Sarnitsa Gneiss of mylonitic zone containing feldspar, weakly chloritized biotite,
and quartz
MR252 4 km south of Chepelare, Gneiss containing feldspar, quartz, and biotite with thin ribbons of chlorite
Chepelare-Rozhen Road
MR253 South end of Chepelare Gneiss containing quartz, feldspar, and very weakly chloritized biotite
MR254 4 km north of Chepelare Gneiss containing quartz, feldspar, very weakly chloritized biotite,
and epidote
MR208 Village Djurkovo Asenitsa unit Gneiss containing plagioclase showing polysynthetic twinning, partially
sericitized K-feldspar, and loosely chloritized biotite
MR255 10 km north of Chepelare Gneiss containing quartz, feldspar, and biotite
MR256 500 m north of Dobrolak Gneiss containing fine-grained quartz, epidote, biotite, and muscovite
MR266 North end of Bachkovo Gneiss containing feldspar, quartz, epidote, and muscovite
MR267 5 km from Narechensky Bani Gneiss containing quartz, biotite, and muscovite
MR239 2 km southeast of Zlatograd Madan/ Undeformed granite containing quartz, feldspar, and weakly chloritized
Startsevo unit biotite
MR248 South part of Rudosem Migmatized gneiss containing quartz, plagioclase, and biotite
MR249 Southwest part of Chepintsi Gneiss containing feldspar, quartz, and weakly chloritized biotite

ages ranging from 35.32 0.27 to 36.61 0.48 Ma for the
same rocks are identical within the error. The data are listed
in Tables 2 and 3 and Figures 5 and 6; the Sri ratios range
from 0.711149 to 0.712483, except one sample with a higher
value of 0.717826. Both methods, Rb/Sr and Ar-Ar minerals,
demonstrate that the lower Arda unit cooled through the
temperature interval of ~350 to 300C within a short time
window between 36 and 34 Ma.
Rb/Sr mineral isochron ages for samples MR132, MR211,
MR252, and MR254 scatter between 27.51 0.55 and 37.91
0.84 Ma for the mineral pairs K-feldspar-biotite and ap-
atite-biotite (Fig. 5H) and were possibly disturbed by the
Chepelare thrust nearby, but one Ar-Ar plateau age reflects a
good age of 35.47 0.33 Ma (Table 3). Proximity to mineral-
ization at Laki (Figs. 1, 2) is probably responsible for younger
two-point isochron ages between 28 and 10 Ma for samples
MR232, MR233, and MR253 (Fig. 2), often discordant among
different mineral pairs (Table 2). Another group of anatectic
granite samples (MR222, MR223, MR225) was taken from
the southern part of the Central Rhodopian dome close to the
Madan detachment (Fig. 2); these rocks yielded Rb/Sr min-
eral isochron ages between 13.42 0.51 and 27.24 0.57 Ma,
depending on mineral pairs (Table 2). This is commonly asso-
ciated with a greater degree of alteration or unrealistically
high apparent 87Sr/86Sri values (0.7147720.716640).
In summary, first results obtained by Peytcheva et al. (2004)
and our new data set show that many three- and two-point
Rb-Sr isochrons that are consistent with the initial 87Sr/86Sri
reference value yield ages in the narrow range of 36 to 33 Ma.
These ages agree with clear Ar-Ar plateau ages of biotite,
where available. Ar-Ar dates seem to be more robust than the
Rb-Sr system, which is more commonly disturbed and yields
spuriously young two-point isochron ages, especially those
based on biotite near hydrothermal ore veins, where biotite is
unstable. Most Rb-Sr analyses giving such young apparent
two-point ages also show petrographic evidence for mineral
decomposition and/or indications for disturbance with anom-
alous apparent initial 87Sr/86Sri ratios (Fig. 5H).

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TABLE 2. Summary of Rb-Sr Analytical Data and Ages

Weight Rb Sr
Sample no. Mineral (g) (ppm) (ppm) 87Rb/86Sr 1 87Sr/86Sr 1 87Sr/86Sr
i 1 Age (Ma) 1

MR52 K-feldspar 0.08961 274.0 529.1 1.499 0.015 0.713055 0.000017 0.712299 0.000025 35.49 0.23
Biotite 0.00440 544.8 43.0 36.77 0.367 0.730836 0.000068
MR80 K-feldspar 0.09512 897.0 1,040 2.497 0.024 0.71305 0.000023 0.711798 0.000063 35.31 0.79
Biotite 0.00523 597.9 74.2 23.39 0.230 0.723528 0.000017
MR121 K-feldspar 0.14231 60.3 187.9 0.928 0.010 0.711632 0.000023 0.711149 0.000047 36.63 0.48
Biotite 0.01639 663.0 20.5 94.07 0.941 0.760091 0.000237
MR124 K-feldspar 0.02814 1.5 256.2 1.634 0.016 0.7133 0.000012 0.712483 0.000029 35.2 0.1
Biotite 0.01205 824.2 40.2 59.55 0.595 0.74266 0.000017
MR126 K-feldspar 0.16917 336.6 348.7 2.796 0.027 0.71922 0.000074 0.717826 0.000031 35.04 0.08
Biotite 0.01778 780.7 15.2 149.4 0.150 0.79223 0.00003
MR128 K-feldspar 0.10509 137.8 608.8 0.655 0.007 0.711793 0.000014 0.711595 0.000020 17.13 0.13
Biotite 0.01817 717.6 142.5 14.58 0.146 0.715141 0.000007
MR132 K-feldspar 0.08952 122.9 739.0 0.481 0.005 0.709565 0.000007 0.709371 0.000010 27.51 0.55
Biotite 0.02098 501.4 50.3 28.90 0.289 0.720659 0.000012
MR211 K-feldspar 0.10080 244.6 579.7 1.221 0.012 0.711954 0.000004 0.711296 0.000020 37.91 0.84
Biotite 0.03449 382.0 94.2 11.75 0.117 0.717621 0.000009
MR222 Apatite 0.02650 17.7 169.8 0.302 0.003 0.715199 0.000028 0.715082 0.000056 27.24 0.57
K-feldspar 0.25801 298.7 179.2 4.825 0.048 0.716696 0.000012 0.714772 0.000072 28.07 0.7
Biotite 0.08593 431.2 47.6 26.26 0.263 0.725224 0.000012
MR223 K-feldspar 0.39627 402.6 397.6 2.933 0.029 0.717471 0.000004 0.716417 0.000030 25.31 0.54
Muscovite 0.89110 518.7 40.6 37.08 0.371 0.729744 0.000013
MR225 K-feldspar 0.33493 113.3 273.3 1.200 0.012 0.716868 0.000140 0.716640 0.000280 13.42 0.51
Muscovite 0.18267 441.4 24.8 51.68 0.517 0.726489 0.000074
MR232 K-feldspar 0.09720 239.9 335.8 2.072 0.021 0.732702 0.000012 0.732254 0.000030 15.23 0.32
Biotite 0.02354 568.3 34.0 48.53 0.485 0.742751 0.000011
MR233 K-feldspar 0.11941 225.0 207.3 3.145 0.031 0.725327 0.000012 0.724073 0.000040 28.07 0.08
Biotite 0.02891 523.4 23.9 63.71 0.637 0.749474 0.000012
MR252 Apatite 0.01687 4.5 302.2 0.033 0.0003 0.712409 0.000005 0.712393 0.000010 33.89 0.68
K-feldspar 0.10695 260.9 753.4 1.003 0.010 0.713018 0.000017 0.712543 0.000040 33.36 0.71
Biotite 0.01896 668.7 97.8 19.81 0.200 0.721925 0.000016
MR253 Apatite 0.01789 2.5 150.7 0.049 0.0004 0.714989 0.000009 0.714977 0.000020 16.15 0.33
K-feldspar 0.15621 447.6 407.3 3.183 0.032 0.71701 0.000009 0.716529 0.000030 10.65 0.27
Biotite 0.01304 1,088 158.7 19.86 0.200 0.719531 0.000008
MR254 Apatite 0.15100 0.7 345.3 0.006 6.1 E-05 0.708804 0.000022 0.708801 0.000040 34.98 0.69
K-feldspar 0.18077 232.7 886.0 0.761 0.008 0.709689 0.000007 0.709315 0.000020 34.59 0.68
Biotite 0.03573 560.2 17.8 91.51 0.915 0.754265 0.000018
MR208 K-feldspar 0.16206 275.7 504.7 1.581 0.016 0.711791 0.000010 0.710557 0.000060 54.9 1.8
Biotite 0.02735 286.8 177.0 4.690 0.047 0.714216 0.000009
MR255 Apatite 0.20841 4.6 167.8 0.079 0.001 0.710635 0.000017 0.710583 0.000020 39.66 0.74
K-feldspar 0.29278 236.1 437.9 1.560 0.016 0.711458 0.000008
Biotite 0.03285 573.1 33.0 50.47 0.505 0.739074 0.000017
MR256 Apatite 0.06680 15.0 571.0 0.076 0.001 0.706889 0.000007
Muscovite 0.20060 238.8 116.8 5.920 0.059 0.712499 0.000006 0.706816 0.000010 67.6 1.4
Biotite 0.01839 474.6 19.5 70.50 0.749 0.742887 0.000022 0.706850 0.000010 35.99 0.75
MR266 Apatite 0.00918 217.7 472.2 1.335 0.013 0.715756 0.000004 0.714514 0.000060 65.5 2.5
Muscovite 0.24964 688.3 610.5 3.267 0.033 0.717554 0.000013
MR267 Apatite 0.00581 87.5 280.2 0.904 0.009 0.713369 0.000023
Muscovite 0.00943 877.5 18.1 142.4 1.420 0.833752 0.000063 0.712600 0.000050 59.9 1.2
Biotite 0.00625 1372 56.3 70.83 0.708 0.757134 0.000029 0.712804 0.000050 44.07 0.88
MR239 K-feldspar 0.19970 206.7 303.2 1.973 0.020 0.711696 0.000016 0.710668 0.000040 36.67 0.75
Biotite 0.06715 469.5 24.7 55.11 0.551 0.739371 0.000011
MR248 K-feldspar 0.14370 220.9 386.7 1.653 0.017 0.712758 0.000014 0.711970 0.000040 33.53 0.68
Biotite 0.09459 478.8 18.9 73.4 0.734 0.746929 0.000035
MR249 K-feldspar 0.14900 251.2 461.2 1.577 0.016 0.708489 0.000032 0.707592 0.000070 40.02 0.82
Biotite 0.02097 544.1 30.4 51.89 0.519 0.737071 0.000028

1 Errors are at 2 level

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TABLE 3. Summary of Ar-Ar Analytical Data and Ages

Step 36Ar/39Ar1 4 37Ar/39Ar2 4 40Ar/39Ar1 4 %40Ar3 %39Ar Age (Ma) 4

Sample: MR-80 (Biotite; J-value = 0.01917 0.00019174)

1 0.00203 0.00019 0.00579 0.00013 1.74286 0.05747 65.7 2.5 38.64 1.98
2 0.00116 0.00014 0.00274 0.00012 1.38030 0.04097 75.1 3.1 34.98 1.43
3 0.00057 0.00005 0.00254 0.00004 1.23928 0.01490 86.5 7.9 36.17 0.62
4 0.00029 0.00003 0.00150 0.00003 1.12442 0.00853 92.3 12.5 35.01 0.45
5 0.00009 0.00004 0.00129 0.00003 1.07691 0.01132 97.4 10.6 35.40 0.52
6 0.00022 0.00004 0.00177 0.00003 1.09068 0.01044 94.1 11.3 34.62 0.49
7 0.00040 0.00013 0.00432 0.00011 1.09397 0.03722 89.1 3.1 32.88 1.31
8 0.00050 0.00009 0.00443 0.00010 1.20608 0.02567 87.8 4.1 35.74 0.94
9 0.00046 0.00003 0.00284 0.00003 1.17742 0.00742 88.5 13.6 35.16 0.43
10 0.00035 0.00003 0.00217 0.00004 1.13337 0.00996 90.8 9.6 34.74 0.48
11 0.00023 0.00004 0.00195 0.00004 1.10999 0.01325 93.8 9.1 35.15 0.57
12 0.00010 0.00003 0.00169 0.00004 1.09631 0.00948 97.2 10.4 35.95 0.48
13 0.00011 0.00020 0.00254 0.00033 1.08317 0.05778 96.9 1.1 35.42 1.99
14 0.00013 0.00033 0.00192 0.00033 1.14173 0.09782 96.7 1.0 37.25 3.33
Steps 1 to 14 100.0 35.235 0.33

Sample: MR110 (Muscovite; J-value = 0.02193 0.00022)

1 0.01232 0.00022 0.01244 0.00024 4.93330 0.06499 26.2 1.2 49.93 2.55
2 0.00112 0.00002 0.00099 0.00002 1.27793 0.00738 74.2 12.5 36.53 0.46
3 0.00223 0.00027 0.00623 0.00027 1.56628 0.07869 58.0 1.0 34.99 3.07
4 0.00053 0.00002 0.00194 0.00002 1.09484 0.00620 85.8 13.3 36.20 0.43
5 0.00177 0.00005 0.00250 0.00005 1.44732 0.01515 63.8 5.6 35.58 0.69
6 0.00091 0.00002 0.00086 0.00002 1.20844 0.00687 77.6 12.7 36.14 0.45
7 0.00082 0.00003 0.00081 0.00002 1.16720 0.00825 79.3 10.7 35.65 0.48
8 0.00096 0.00006 0.00202 0.00005 1.21250 0.01640 76.5 5.0 35.76 0.73
9 0.00115 0.00013 0.00260 0.00013 1.22381 0.03959 72.3 2.3 34.08 1.57
10 0.00089 0.00003 0.00325 0.00004 1.15391 0.00961 77.3 8.7 34.37 0.51
11 0.00095 0.00006 0.00596 0.00006 1.18271 0.01643 76.3 5.3 34.78 0.73
12 0.00036 0.00003 0.00215 0.00004 1.03665 0.00910 89.7 7.4 35.82 0.50
13 0.00034 0.00002 0.00415 0.00003 1.00213 0.00554 89.9 10.1 34.72 0.41
14 0.00050 0.00005 0.00785 0.00008 1.00544 0.01504 85.2 4.2 33.02 0.67
Steps 3 to 12 72.0 35.61 0.48

Sample: MR121 (Biotite; J-value = 0.01925 0.00019)

1 0.00379 0.00004 0.04522 0.00007 2.06234 0.01231 45.7 10.2 32.03 0.53
2 0.00164 0.00003 0.00995 0.00004 1.46210 0.00961 66.9 11.5 33.17 0.46
3 0.00164 0.00004 0.02580 0.00006 1.42607 0.01167 66.0 10.0 31.95 0.51
4 0.00042 0.00004 0.00388 0.00005 1.11874 0.01075 88.9 7.2 33.69 0.50
5 0.00023 0.00004 0.00574 0.00006 1.09143 0.01276 93.8 6.5 34.71 0.55
6 0.00019 0.00003 0.00518 0.00005 1.10352 0.01015 94.8 8.4 35.46 0.49
7 0.00047 0.00006 0.00528 0.00010 1.17790 0.01867 88.3 4.4 35.25 0.73
8 0.00006 0.00002 0.00382 0.00003 1.07483 0.00637 98.3 15.6 35.81 0.42
9 0.00021 0.00003 0.00388 0.00004 1.13018 0.01022 94.4 11.0 36.16 0.50
10 0.00023 0.00005 0.00869 0.00006 1.12408 0.01359 94.0 8.1 35.82 0.58
11 0.00034 0.00010 0.00548 0.00013 1.16090 0.02909 91.2 3.5 35.90 1.05
12 0.00048 0.00011 0.01991 0.00011 1.27142 0.03214 88.8 3.6 38.32 1.16
Steps 5 to 11 57.5 35.61 0.41

Sample: MR124 (Biotite; J-value = 0.01933 0.00019)

1 0.00071 0.00001 0.03069 0.00001 1.23940 0.00189 83.2 36.0 35.15 0.35
2 0.00013 0.00001 0.00401 0.00002 1.09286 0.00339 96.5 15.1 35.90 0.37
3 0.00012 0.00004 0.00307 0.00005 1.09203 0.01258 96.6 4.2 35.91 0.56
4 0.00021 0.00004 0.00317 0.00004 1.12520 0.01151 94.4 5.0 36.14 0.53
5 0.00023 0.00002 0.00406 0.00003 1.11997 0.00670 93.9 9.1 35.78 0.42
6 0.00033 0.00002 0.00531 0.00003 1.13449 0.00674 91.4 7.9 35.29 0.42
7 0.00038 0.00007 0.00212 0.00007 1.13800 0.01945 90.1 3.0 34.90 0.75
8 0.00018 0.00004 0.00245 0.00003 1.10829 0.01037 95.2 6.5 35.90 0.50
9 0.00035 0.00004 0.00256 0.00004 1.16402 0.01146 91.1 6.0 36.09 0.53
10 0.00095 0.00004 0.00320 0.00003 1.32885 0.01076 78.9 7.3 35.66 0.51
Steps 1 to 10 100.0 35.66 0.29

Sample: MR126 (Biotite; J-value = 0.01944 0.00019)

1 0.00122 0.00002 0.00932 0.00002 1.39785 0.00545 74.2 20.3 35.53 0.40
2 0.00022 0.00002 0.00504 0.00002 1.10624 0.00571 94.1 12.1 35.62 0.40
3 0.00013 0.00004 0.00347 0.00004 1.06661 0.01080 96.3 6.2 35.15 0.51
4 0.00019 0.00003 0.00494 0.00004 1.08329 0.00796 95.0 9.0 35.20 0.44
5 0.00025 0.00002 0.00740 0.00003 1.11082 0.00727 93.3 9.5 35.46 0.43

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TABLE 3. (Cont.)

Step 36Ar/39Ar1 4 37Ar/39Ar2 4 40Ar/39Ar1 4 %40Ar3 %39Ar Age (Ma) 4

6 0.00034 0.00002 0.00974 0.00004 1.15072 0.00704 91.2 7.6 35.95 0.43
7 0.00031 0.00004 0.00907 0.00007 1.10702 0.01315 91.8 3.8 34.77 0.57
8 0.00029 0.00004 0.01577 0.00006 1.10555 0.01052 92.3 5.9 34.96 0.50
9 0.00028 0.00003 0.02839 0.00005 1.10428 0.00837 92.4 7.2 34.99 0.45
10 0.00014 0.00003 0.05432 0.00006 1.09551 0.00800 96.2 7.5 36.20 0.45
11 0.00045 0.00006 0.02489 0.00010 1.10557 0.01855 88.1 3.2 33.36 0.72
12 0.00039 0.00005 0.02350 0.00007 1.12329 0.01427 89.7 4.8 34.53 0.60
13 0.00050 0.00008 0.02726 0.00012 1.12436 0.02232 86.9 2.8 33.47 0.84
Steps 1 to 12 97.2 35.39 0.27

Sample: MR128 (Biotite; J-value = 0.01949 0.00019)

1 0.03405 0.00051 0.02155 0.00045 10.91391 0.15118 7.8 0.6 29.28 5.24
2 0.01059 0.00021 0.01121 0.00016 3.91750 0.06178 20.1 1.4 27.03 2.16
3 0.00380 0.00008 0.00537 0.00008 1.97568 0.02392 43.1 2.9 29.20 0.88
4 0.00173 0.00004 0.00420 0.00004 1.59504 0.01098 67.9 6.1 37.15 0.53
5 0.00104 0.00004 0.00380 0.00004 1.33071 0.01082 76.8 7.1 35.06 0.51
6 0.00078 0.00007 0.00438 0.00008 1.26806 0.01930 81.8 3.3 35.59 0.75
7 0.00086 0.00004 0.00406 0.00004 1.28799 0.01220 80.4 6.6 35.51 0.55
8 0.00088 0.00003 0.00413 0.00003 1.31350 0.00904 80.2 7.2 36.13 0.47
9 0.00060 0.00003 0.00438 0.00003 1.25084 0.00925 85.7 8.1 36.80 0.48
10 0.00057 0.00005 0.00506 0.00006 1.18360 0.01579 85.8 3.9 34.84 0.64
11 0.00051 0.00003 0.00441 0.00004 1.21431 0.00840 87.6 6.9 36.50 0.46
12 0.00047 0.00002 0.00435 0.00002 1.16736 0.00599 88.1 10.1 35.30 0.41
13 0.00025 0.00002 0.00466 0.00003 1.11857 0.00447 93.4 11.6 35.84 0.39
14 0.00024 0.00004 0.00481 0.00005 1.10514 0.01080 93.6 4.7 35.49 0.51
15 0.00016 0.00002 0.00396 0.00003 1.08995 0.00594 95.5 7.7 35.72 0.41
16 0.00015 0.00002 0.00453 0.00003 1.08387 0.00463 96.0 9.2 35.71 0.39
17 0.00031 0.00007 0.00480 0.00009 1.02642 0.02217 91.1 2.6 32.06 0.83
Steps 5 to 16 86.4 35.75 0.33

Sample: MR132 (Biotite; J-value = 0.01953 0.0002)

1 0.00202 0.00008 0.05749 0.00016 1.58291 0.02403 62.2 4.4 33.99 0.90
2 0.00159 0.00007 0.03224 0.00009 1.43141 0.02079 67.1 6.3 33.07 0.79
3 0.00018 0.00004 0.01679 0.00006 1.07887 0.01220 95.0 9.4 35.27 0.55
4 0.00011 0.00003 0.01369 0.00005 1.07411 0.00850 97.0 11.3 35.83 0.46
5 0.00005 0.00006 0.01516 0.00009 1.03560 0.01732 98.7 5.7 35.15 0.69
6 0.00013 0.00003 0.01655 0.00007 1.07886 0.01028 96.6 8.1 35.85 0.50
7 0.00015 0.00004 0.02015 0.00007 1.07480 0.01270 95.9 8.1 35.47 0.56
8 0.00019 0.00004 0.02273 0.00004 1.10784 0.01208 94.8 8.8 36.16 0.55
9 0.00008 0.00009 0.01915 0.00011 1.05118 0.02619 97.8 4.2 35.39 0.97
10 0.00021 0.00004 0.02923 0.00008 1.07545 0.01329 94.2 7.2 34.88 0.57
11 0.00015 0.00004 0.05208 0.00007 1.06175 0.01065 95.8 9.2 35.10 0.51
12 0.00018 0.00003 0.06394 0.00006 1.07737 0.00808 95.0 12.7 35.36 0.45
13 0.00011 0.00008 0.03859 0.00013 1.05335 0.02267 96.9 4.6 35.17 0.86
Steps 3 to 13 89.3 35.47 0.33

For all samples:

1 Measured
2 Corrected for postirradiation decay of 37Ar (35.1 days)
3 Nonatmospheric 40Ar
4 Errors of ratios, J-values, and single-step ages are at 1-sigma level
5 Ages are weighted averages calculated on the basis of plateau age criteria according to Ludwig (2000) and at 95% level of confidence (Fig. 6)

Asenitsa, Madan, and Startsevo units: Upper plate
Six orthogneiss samples from the Asenitsa unit yield differ-
ent Rb/Sr mineral isochron ages, using highly purified mineral
separates of apatite, biotite, K-feldspar, and muscovite. Sam-
ples MR208, MR255, MR256, MR266, and MR267 (Fig. 2)
show Rb/Sr ages between 39.66 0.74 and 67.6 1.4 Ma with
Sri between 0.706816 and 0.714514 (Table 2; Fig. 5A, H). The
samples are taken from different localities of the Asenitsa unit
(e.g., detachment at the Durkovo mine; northern, southern,
and central part). Their ages are generally older than those
from the Arda unit. Mineral pairs muscovite-K-feldspar and
biotite-K-feldspar document higher apparent ages, as well as
different ages from the same rock. Nevertheless, both ages
(54.9 Ma, 67.6 Ma) can be meaningful, indicating two geo-
logically resolved cooling stages: muscovite ages may be crys-
tallization ages, but are more likely high-temperature cooling
ages (~500C; Jger, 1970) from the end of an earlier amphi-
bolite facies event that formed the gneissic foliation of these
rocks, whereas the younger biotite ages are interpreted as
cooling ages through the 300C isotherm. MR256, MR266,
and MR267 document high apparent muscovite and low ap-
parent biotite ages that reflect incomplete equilibration of the
isotopic system among the three minerals.

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 708

TABLE 4. U-Pb Zircon Data

Concentration Isotopic ratios Ages (Ma)

Sample Zircon Weight U Pb Pbc 206Pb/ 207Pb/ Error 207Pb/ Error 206Pb/ Error Correlation 206Pb/ 207Pb/ 207Pb/

no. description (mg) (ppm) (ppm) (ppm) 204Pb1 206Pb1,3 (%)2 235U1,3 (%)2 238U1,3 (%)2 coeff. 238U3 235U 206Pb3

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AvQ-089 Yugovo granite

1 Abr., lpr. 0.0075 370 6.64 0.34 1,704 0.05024 2.10 0.11950 2.29 0.01725 0.87 0.41 110.3 114.6 205.9
2 Abr., lpr. 0.0094 108 1.15 0.55 127 0.04785 3.80 0.04345 4.01 0.00659 0.54 0.44 42.32 43.19 91.81
3 Abr., lpr. 0.0194 158 1.14 0.54 479 0.04711 2.26 0.04272 2.38 0.00658 0.28 0.46 42.26 42.48 54.89

AvQ-094 Smilian granite

4 Abr., lpr. 0.0173 218 1.88 0.39 865 0.04819 0.51 0.05297 0.72 0.00797 0.48 0.71 51.18 52.41 108.7
5 Abr., lpr. 0.0077 242 1.84 0.38 611 0.04778 0.53 0.04488 0.62 0.00681 0.29 0.51 43.77 44.58 88.40
6 Abr., lpr. 0.0049 150 2.61 0.24 134 0.04879 2.36 0.07806 2.52 0.01160 0.35 0.49 74.38 76.32 137.8
7 Abr., lpr. 0.0060 387 3.12 0.66 247 0.04691 0.96 0.04218 1.03 0.00652 0.24 0.41 41.91 41.95 44.39
8 Abr., lpr. 0.0061 387 3.40 0.63 244 0.04704 8.78 0.04178 9.19 0.00644 2.43 0.30 41.39 41.56 51.41
9 Abr., lpr. 0.0063 358 3.40 0.66 246 0.04694 3.68 0.04204 4.41 0.00650 2.31 0.55 41.74 41.82 46.36
10 Abr., lpr. 0.0132 112 1.47 0.23 581 0.05113 0.65 0.09429 0.73 0.01338 0.30 0.46 85.65 91.50 246.8
11 Abr., lpr. 0.0040 89 0.98 0.34 73 0.05219 3.40 0.05536 3.57 0.00769 0.28 0.57 49.40 54.71 293.9
12 Abr., lpr. 0.0050 16 0.21 0.57 34 0.07295 36.0 0.06667 39.0 0.00663 3.25 0.93 42.58 65.53 1012.7

708
13 Abr., lpr. 0.0050 36 0.45 0.87 107 0.05166 20.0 0.04783 21.3 0.00672 2.03 0.64 43.15 47.44 270.2
ROHRMEIER ET AL.

MO1-4 Laki, rhyolite dike

14 Abr., lpr. 0.0025 1,763 11.31 0.94 682 0.04717 0.39 0.03312 1.80 0.00509 0.47 0.50 32.74 33.08 57.76
15 Abr., lpr. 0.0025 2,233 15.06 0.86 347 0.04687 0.80 0.03270 0.96 0.00506 0.46 0.56 32.54 32.67 42.79
16 Abr., lpr. 0.0290 366 2.37 0.72 365 0.04699 0.97 0.03274 1.34 0.00505 0.88 0.69 32.49 32.71 48.72
17 Abr., lpr. 0.0025 950 7.47 0.79 170 0.04685 1.50 0.03302 1.67 0.00511 0.57 0.44 32.87 32.99 41.84

MO33 Madan, rhyolite dike

18 Abr., spr. 0.0025 515 3.98 0.72 155 0.04756 21.8 0.03214 23.0 0.00490 1.60 0.76 31.52 32.12 77.44
19 Abr., spr. 0.0057 100 0.95 1.02 192 0.04822 4.80 0.03299 5.19 0.00496 0.76 0.47 31.91 32.96 110.0
20 Abr., spr. 0.0067 73 0.61 1.29 169 0.04917 8.21 0.03345 8.69 0.00493 0.73 0.67 31.73 33.41 156.0
21 Nonabr., spr. 0.0052 125 0.93 1.24 282 0.04778 5.18 0.03268 5.49 0.00496 0.58 0.56 31.90 32.66 88.63
22 Nonabr., lpr. 0.0085 31 0.31 0.90 93 0.05112 14.6 0.03452 15.5 0.00490 1.20 0.79 31.49 34.46 246.5

Abbreviations: abr. = abraded, coeff. = coefficient, lpr. = long prismatic, nonabr. = nonabraded, Pbc = common lead, spr. = short prismatic
1Corrected for fractionation, spike, and blank
2Errors are 2-sigma; propagated using the algorithms of Ludwig (2000)
3 206Pb/238U and 207Pb/206Pb ages corrected for initial disequilibrium in 230Th/238U using Th/U [magma] = 4.13 [MO1-4], 3.10 [AvQ094], 4.59 [AvQ089], 3.79 [MO33]
 HIGH-PRECISION GEOCHRONOLOGY OF THE CENTRAL RHODOPIAN METAMORPHIC CORE COMPLEX (BULGARIA-GREECE)
Three fresh gneiss samples of the Madan and Startsevo
unitsMR239, MR248, and MR249 (Fig. 2)give Rb/Sr
mineral isochrons (K-feldspar-biotite) between 33.53
0.68 and 40.02 0.82 Ma (Table 2) with Sri between
0.707592 and 0.711970 (Fig. 5H). Again, we obtain an older
cooling age from the hanging wall of the dome. Sarov et al.
(1999) published a similar Rb/Sr mineral age (biotite, ap-
atite, whole rock) for a biotite-metagranite close to the
Pripek river valley, about 7 km to the north of our sampling
locality.
Granite intrusion and rhyolitic magmatism
High-precision U-Pb geochronology of single-grain zircon
clearly defines two separate events of acid magmatism during
the evolution of the Central Rhodopian dome, in the Eocene
and in the earliest Oligocene.
Two reliable U-Pb zircon ages of Yugovo and Smilian gran-
ites were obtained (Fig. 7A, B; Table 4). Three single long-
prismatic zircons were analyzed from the Yugovo granite
(sample AvQ089, Fig. 7A). One grain is significantly older and
strongly discordant, indicating an inherited component. The
other two are concordant and overlap within analytical error,
defining a mean 206Pb/238U age of 42.29 0.08 Ma, which we
consider to be the best estimate age of zircon crystallization.
The regression line through all zircon analyses yields an
upper intercept age at 253 75 Ma, which points to input
from late Paleozoic basement. Four out of 10 long-prismatic
zircons from Smilian granite (sample AvQ094; Fig. 7B) are
concordant within analytical error and define a mean
206Pb/238U age of 41.91 1.0 Ma. The remaining six zircons
show variable proportions of inherited lead component. The
best-fit line anchored to the concordant points yields an
upper intercept at 322 110 Ma, again indicative of Variscan
inherited component. Raeva et al. (2008) published an age of
43.54 0.36 Ma for a small granite body close to the Smilian
granite. We conclude that the Yugovo and Smilian granites
are identical in age within error. They are also petrograph-
ically and geochemically identical (Ovtcharova et al., 2003),
despite their present separation by 35 km north and south of
the dome (Fig. 2).
Rhyolitic dikes cutting the detachment near Laki in the
northern part of the Central Rhodopian dome (Fig. 2) are
dated by four concordant zircon analyses, which define a
mean 206Pb/238U age of 32.66 0.34 Ma (sample MO1-4; Fig.
7C). This age overlaps with precaldera magmatism at
Borovitsa, 20 km farther to the east. Due to inheritance of
xenocrystic basement zircons with an original component as
old as 310 Ma, a relatively imprecise age of 32.5 1.13 Ma
was obtained for a rhyolitic dike of the Momchilovtsi-David-
kovo dike swarm (Fig. 2) in the central part of the Central
Rhodopian dome (Ovtcharova et al., 2003). The rhyolitic dike
crosscutting the Madan detachment (sample MO33; Fig 7D)
is dated by five concordant single-zircon analyses, which yield
a mean 206Pb/238U age of 31.71 0.40 Ma. Another U-Pb zir-
con age was obtained from a rhyolitic dike of the Eniovche
deposit (30.5 1.23 Ma; Ovtcharova et al., 2003). The rhyo-
lite intrusion dates from the southern part of the Central
Rhodopian dome (Madan and Eniovche) are measurably
younger (~31 Ma) than the dated rhyolite dike from Laki to
the north (~32.7 Ma).
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709
Discussion
Geologic significance of the Rb-Sr and Ar-Ar results
Given the rapid thermal evolution that is emerging from this
study, a reference temperature of ~300C is used as a reason-
able approximation for the closing temperature of biotite
(Jger, 1970), even though its Ar system may be slightly more
retentive than its Rb-Sr system and actual temperatures for sub-
sequent closed-system isotopic evolution of minerals may be
higher (e.g., in rapidly quenched dry rocks, or in rocks lacking
a receptive Sr sink) or lower (e.g., due to deformation or fluid
access, with or without mineral reactions; Challandes et al.,
2008). Rapid cooling of the Arda footwall unit below the biotite
closing temperature of ~300C is indicated by tight clustering
at about 35 1 Ma of Ar-Ar plateau ages and many of the an-
alytically robust Rb-Sr isochrons. The Rb-Sr dates are com-
patible with a whole-rock reservoir that had a common crustal
origin or had been homogenized with regard to its Sr isotope
ratio by the preceding high-grade regional metamorphism.
The hanging-wall units of Asenitsa and Madan, by contrast,
are characterized by a partially equilibrated history of preced-
ing metamorphism and by somewhat earlier cooling, consistent
with crustal extension along the inferred detachments. In the
northern Asenitsa unit, samples far above the detachment and
remote from any hydrothermal ore field have muscovite Rb-Sr
ages of 60 to 68 Ma, indicating higher-temperature isotopic
closure, possibly related to Late Cretaceous magmatic activ-
ity (von Quadt and Peytcheva, 2005; von Quadt et al., 2005)
and/or to an early Paleogene metamorphic event (Cherneva et
al., 2006; von Quadt et al., 2006). Biotite ages between 36 and
55 Ma from widely separated samples of the Asenitsa unit are
invariably younger than the muscovite ages in the same rock,
but mostly older than those from the Arda footwall. A reliable
three-point isochron at 40 Ma from a location immediately
above the detachment and one of 35 Ma just below this de-
tachment are the most clear-cut evidence for significant exci-
sion of crust along this fault. Even apatite fission tracks pre-
serve an old cooling age of ~47 Ma (MR208, Wuethrich,
2009) for the hanging-wall Asenitsa unit. Another 40 Ma age
is reported for a sample from the Madan unit, indicating that
the hanging wall on the southern flank of the dome also
cooled well before the central footwall unit. The consistently
different biotite ages of 40 (hanging wall) and 35 (footwall)
Ma provide a time bracket on the main extensional activity
along the presently shallow N- and S-dipping detachment
bordering the Central Rhodopian dome. The best biotite ages
of the hanging wall are only slightly younger than the 42 Ma
intrusions of the Smilian and Yugovo granites into the Madan
and Asenitsa units, respectively (Ovtcharova et al., 2003).
No thermochronologic break can be identified across the
mapped Startsevo detachment along the eastern flank of the
Central Rhodopian dome, where all available biotite ages
from the overlying Startsevo unit are close to 35 to 37 Ma and
overlap the cooling ages of the footwall. This indicates that
the sampled part of the Startsevo unit has shared its cooling
history at about 300C and 35 Ma with the underlying Arda
unit. This observation is most readily explained by movement
parallel to the flank of the dome, but may also indicate that
the mapped Startesvo detachment is only a minor splay be-
neath a master detachment cropping out at a tectonically
710 ROHRMEIER ET AL.

higher position farther to the east (e.g., the Kyuse-Hansan-
lartepesi and Borovica faults; Pleuger et al., 2010).
Anomalously young two-point Rb-Sr ages with biotite, as low
as 15 Ma, are never matched by Ar-Ar ages from related
samples and indicate disturbance of the isotopic system with-
out any geologic age significance. They may be caused by
hydrothermal fluids introducing excess radiogenic Sr and re-
flect the great susceptibility of the Rb-Sr system to fluid-rock
interaction (Foden et al., 2001). Sr-bearing minerals like ap-
atite and feldspars act as a sink for 87Sr of any origin, whereas
biotite (and, at higher temperatures, also muscovite) tends to
lose radiogenic 87Sr (Faure, 1977; Dickin, 1995; Jenkin et al.,
2001). Radiogenic 87Sr derived from biotite or due to hydro-
thermal introduction into apatite and feldspar leads to clock-
wise rotation and flattening of the isochron. Some micas from
samples located close to the ore fields yield very low 87Rb/86Sr
ratios ranging down to values <20, which implies disturbance
of the mineral system due to fluid circulation. Some distur-
bance can also relate to low-temperature fluid circulation
during final landscape erosion, as recorded by apatite (U-Th)-
He ages between 13.9 and 24.0 Ma (Wuethrich, 2009).
The Alpine evolution of the Central Rhodopian dome
The following evolution of the Central Rhodopian dome is
derived from field geology, geochronology, and semiquantita-
tive temperature data based on published metamorphic min-
eral assemblages and previously published fluid inclusion data.
Figure 8 and Table 5 summarize available geochronologic

TABLE 5. Summary of Geochronological Data Used for Figure 8

Geologic event Method Age (Ma) Error Reference

Intrusion of Yugovo-Smilian granite U-Pb 42.29 0.08 This study

U-Pb 41.91 1.00 This study
Start extension/upper-plate cooling Ar-Ar 39.66 0.74 This study
42 to 40 Ma Ar-Ar 40.02 0.82 This study
Detachment extension U-Pb 37.08 0.38 This study
Progressive rotation and excision U-Pb 37.80 1.50 This study
Melting in lower plate U-Pb 37.5 0.55 Peytcheva et al., 2004
Midcrustal decompression U-Pb 36.6 0.38 Peytcheva et al., 2004
Rb-Sr 36.67 0.75 This study
38 to 36 Ma Rb-Sr 36.63 0.48 This study
Ar-Ar 36.13 0.31 This study
Rb-Sr 35.49 0.23 This study
Updoming, erosion, and cooling Rb-Sr 35.31 0.79 This study
Rb-Sr 35.20 0.10 This study
35 Ma Rb-Sr 35.04 0.08 This study
Rb-Sr 34.59 0.68 This study
Rb-Sr 34.50 0.34 Peytcheva et al., 2004
Rb-Sr 35.31 0.25 Peytcheva et al., 2004
Ar-Ar 35.35 0.22 Peytcheva et al., 2004
Ar-Ar 35.75 0.33 This study
Ar-Ar 35.28 0.22 This study
Ar-Ar 35.23 0.33 This study
Ar-Ar 35.61 0.41 This study
Ar-Ar 35.31 0.27 This study
Ar-Ar 35.66 0.29 This study
Subaerial volcanism exposed U-Pb 32.50 1.13 This study
at land surface U-Pb 31.70 0.40 This study
U-Pb 32.66 0.34 This study
Igneous and high-temperature Ar-Ar 31.75 0.32 Singer and Marchev, 2000
hydrothermal minerals Ar-Ar 31.76 0.44 Singer and Marchev, 2000
Ar-Ar 31.86 0.22 Singer and Marchev, 2000
32 Ma Ar-Ar 31.93 0.50 Singer and Marchev, 2000
Ar-Ar 32.12 0.14 Singer and Marchev, 2000
Ar-Ar 32.16 0.30 Singer and Marchev, 2000
Ar-Ar 32.17 0.26 Singer and Marchev, 2000
Ar-Ar 32.30 0.24 Singer and Marchev, 2000
Ar-Ar 32.72 0.32 Singer and Marchev, 2000
Ar-Ar 32.79 0.30 Singer and Marchev, 2000
Ar-Ar 32.82 0.38 Singer and Marchev, 2000
Ar-Ar 32.85 0.28 Singer and Marchev, 2000
Ar-Ar 32.99 0.40 Singer and Marchev, 2000
Epithermal ore formation within 1 km from surface Ar-Ar 29.95 0.23 Kaiser-Rohrmeier et al., 2004
Ar-Ar 30.25 0.22 Kaiser-Rohrmeier et al., 2004
Ar-Ar 30.76 0.91 Kaiser-Rohrmeier et al., 2004
31 to 29 Ma Ar-Ar 30.64 0.36 Kaiser-Rohrmeier et al., 2004
Ar-Ar 31.21 0.38 Kaiser-Rohrmeier et al., 2004
Ar-Ar 29.36 0.34 Kaiser-Rohrmeier et al., 2004
Ar-Ar 29.37 0.29 Kaiser-Rohrmeier et al., 2004
Ar-Ar 29.19 0.44 Kaiser-Rohrmeier et al., 2004
U-Pb 30.50 1.23 Ovtcharova et al., 2003

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 HIGH-PRECISION GEOCHRONOLOGY OF THE CENTRAL RHODOPIAN METAMORPHIC CORE COMPLEX (BULGARIA-GREECE) 711

data constraining the Cenozoic tectonometamorphic to mag-
matic and hydrothermal history of the Central Rhodopian
dome depicted schematically in Figure 9.
170(?) to 42 Maaccretion and burial metamorphism: The
Jurassic to early Eocene history of the Rhodopes involved a
complex accretion process, including nappe stacking and re-
gional metamorphism (Liati, 1986; Ricou et al., 1998; Burg,
2012). This accretion brought together large fragments of
pre-Cretaceous continental basement (Krenn et al., 2010;
Burg, 2012), e.g., gneisses with Paleozoic protolith ages (Liati
and Gebauer, 2001; Peytcheva et al., 2004), possibly arc
related intrusions of Jurassic age (Ovtcharova et al., 2004;
Cherneva et al., 2006; Turpaud, 2006; von Quadt et al., 2006,
2007, 2008, 2009; Raeva et al., 2008), and an unknown pro-
portion of Mesozoic cover sediments (Sarov et al., 1999;
Ovtcharova et al., 2003; Cherneva et al., 2006; Bonev and
Stampfli, 2011). The subsequent thrust stack is intruded by
Cretaceous to Paleogene granitoids in the northern and east-
ern parts of the region (Ovtcharova et al., 2004; von Quadt
and Peytcheva, 2005). The 72 to 69 Ma granitoids in the
Rhodope (von Quadt et al., 2010) are the last products of
Upper Cretaceous, andesitic arc or back-arc magmatism

NNE SSW

42 Ma Intrusion of ~ 10km
Yugovo - Smilian Granite ( Y - S)
Basement with arc pre-history (130-60 Ma)
Y S
local heating by Paleogene intrusions (> 44 Ma)

~ 300 C

40 Ma Start extension
upper-plate cooling
Y S

~ 300 C

sedimentation

38-36 Ma Detach m en t ex ten s i o n

progressive rotation, S
excision and updoming
Y

mid-crustal decompression
~ 300 C
pegmatite

melting in lower plate

migmatite
~ 650 C

35 Ma Updoming, erosion, cooling

32 Ma Subaerial volcanism Y S

29 Ma 31Ma
31-29 Ma Epithermal ore formation
within 1 km from surface Y S

FIG. 9. Schematic evolution of the Madan core complex during progressive extension leading up to hydrothermal Pb-Zn
ore formation, interpreted from geology and integrated geochronological data. Sketches are lined up at the position of the
Yugovo (Y) and Smilian (S) granite to emphasize the fact that during core-complex formation, the present northern hanging
wall of the complex had already accreted to the European plate by Paleogene convergence and Cretaceous arc magmatism
(e.g., Chepelare thrust). Although the scale of the sketches is approximately realistic, momentary isotherms approximating
the closure temperatures of biotite for the Rb-Sr and Ar-Ar geochronometers (~300C) and the limit of partial melting
(~650C) are entirely schematic.

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712 ROHRMEIER ET AL.
along the southern margin of continental Europe. Magma-
tism and related porphyry-style and epithermal Cu-Au min-
eralization shifted southward between 92 and 78 Ma in the
Srednogorie zone in Bulgaria, reflecting southward retreat of
an N-dipping oblique subduction zone (von Quadt et al.,
2005). Parts of the Rhodope accretionary complex were sub-
ject to eclogite facies (high pressure; Liati and Gebauer,
2001) and locally ultrahigh pressure metamorphism, broadly
related to this contractional tectonic phase (Liati, 2005; Bauer
et al., 2007; Georgieva et al., 2007, 2010; Bosse et al., 2010).
Stratigraphic evidence indicates that the stacked crustal-scale
complex and its protracted compressional evolution were fol-
lowed by erosion of the resulting topography and shallow-
marine transgression during the Paleocene (Goranov and
Atanasov, 1992).
42 Maintrusion of Yugovo-Smilian granite (Fig. 9): This
event appears to mark the change from contractional to ex-
tensional tectonics in the future Central Rhodopian dome. An
initial graben system may have triggered the intrusion of a
single mid-crustal plutonic center, the Smilian-Yugovo gran-
ite, at lower to mid-crustal level. Because the Smilian and the
Yugovo pluton are not penetratively deformed, their em-
placement at about 42 Ma may mark incipient extension of
the Central Rhodopian dome. The age of 42 Ma is also the
earliest for sedimentation in the half-graben basins south of
the dome, where basal conglomerates contain clasts of Smil-
ian/Yugovo granite. The two parts of the Smilian and Yugovo
pluton mark the minimal extent of Eocene extensional dis-
placement between the Asenitsa and Arda units. Their pre-
sent separation by a horizontal distance of about 35 km is
compatible with major excision from the lower crust along an
originally steeper (N-dipping?) normal fault (Fig. 9).
40 Maextension and upper-plate cooling (Fig. 9): Within
a short period at ~40 Ma, the hanging wall in the Madan unit
and the southern part of the Asenitsa unit cooled to temper-
atures below ~300C as a result of detachment activity, which
thinned the crust and rotated fault blocks during progressive
extension.
38 to 36 Madetachment, rotation, and excision (Fig. 9):
Extensional detachment led to mid-crustal decompression
and partial melting in the deeper parts of the footwall, prob-
ably assisted by elevated heat flow from the mantle (Figs. 8,
9). In the Arda unit, amphibolite facies temperatures per-
sisted through rapid tectonic denudation, leading to the for-
mation of migmatites at 37 Ma (Ovtcharova et al., 2003;
Peytcheva et al., 2004) and emplacement of undeformed peg-
matitic dikes with large open cavities, suggesting hot
(~600C) but upper-crustal pressure conditions at about 36
Ma (Ovtcharova et al., 2003; Peytcheva et al., 2004). At the
same time, the hanging-wall Asenitsa and Madan were al-
ready below 300C since 40 Ma, implying that these units
acted as a rapidly thinning lid above the emerging dome.
35 Maupdoming, erosion, and cooling (Figs. 8, 9, gray
box in Fig. 6): Cooling of the Arda unit below ~300C marks
the final unroofing and denudation of the central, presently
exposed part of the dome at about 36 to 35 Ma. In the west-
ern part of the Central Rhodopian dome, footwall rocks might
have cooled down to those temperatures slightly later, ca. 34
Ma. Cooling in the Central Rhodopian dome core from
~600C at 37 Ma to ~300C at 34 Ma suggests a cooling rate
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of 100C/m.y., which is faster than any erosion-driven cooling,
but consistent with rapid extension and denudation by tec-
tonic excision. The updoming of the footwall and its overlying
detachment is driven by isostatic rebound coeval with and fol-
lowing extension (Lister and Davis, 1989). This causes inacti-
vation of the upper parts of the detachment zone behind the
updoming core, i.e., the southern Madan unit in the Central
Rhodopian dome (Ivanov et al., 2000), whereas parts of the
detachment rooted in the lower crust and located in front of
the core (in this case, the units in the northern part of the
Central Rhodopian dome) remain active longer (Fig. 9). As
suggested by Ivanov et al. (2000), active extension on the de-
tachment along the northern (frontal) part of the dome must
have ceased before the beginning of the Oligocene (>34 Ma),
because fossil-bearing marine sediments cover the fault zone
near Laki; cooling of the Startsevo unit below 300 50C be-
fore 34 Ma, later than cooling of the Asenitsa unit, is in agree-
ment with this indication of Ivanov et al. (2000).
32 Masubaerial rhyolitic volcanism (Figs. 8, 9): Em-
placement of rhyolitic dikes and local acid volcanism in the
Central Rhodopian dome is dated by zircon at 33 to 30 Ma
(Ovtcharova et al., 2003), which overlaps with 31 Ma K-Ar
cooling ages of subvolcanic dikes in the Levocevo caldera
near Smolian (Harkovska et al., 1998). The undeformed dikes
crosscut both the detachment zone and the sedimentary
basins and thus clearly postdate their formation. Diking was
accompanied or followed by pre-ore alteration of gneisses at
about 31 Ma (Kaiser-Rohrmeier et al., 2004). Rhyolites of
32.5 1 Ma occur as dikes and air-fall tuffs in the core of the
Central Rhodopian dome, showing that the Arda gneisses
were exposed at that time. A prominent planar land surface,
topping the present hills throughout the center of the Arda
unit at an elevation of 1,000 200 m above sea level, could
well date back to that period.
31 to 29 Ma epithermal ore formation within 1 km from
surface (Figs. 8, 9): Ar-Ar dating on hydrothermal syn-ore
muscovite shows that the formation of hydrothermal vein and
replacement deposits with related alteration occurred as the
last major event in the evolution of the Central Rhodopian
dome. The ages cluster at 30.4 Ma near Madan and at 29.3
Ma in the Laki ore field and hence show a small but probably
significant age difference between ore deposition in the
northern and southern parts of the Central Rhodopian dome
(Kaiser-Rohrmeier et al., 2004). At least at Laki, ore mineral-
ization is significantly later than rhyolite magmatism, locally
dated at 32.7 Ma, indicating a time link of the Laki magma-
tism with the Borovitsa caldera, but a separate event of hydro-
thermal Pb-Zn mineralization postdating upper-crustal mag-
matism by 3 m.y. In the southern ore fields of Madan and
Eniovche, hydrothermal ore formation also postdates diking,
but age difference is smaller and not clearly resolved.
Summary and Conclusion
Field relations between metamorphic rocks, ductile to brit-
tle deformation structures, near-surface acid magmatic rocks,
and major epithermal vein and replacement deposits of the
Central Rhodopian dome have been placed in the frame of
high-precision geochronology using U-Pb, Rb-Sr, and Ar-Ar
methods. The results demonstrate a rapid succession, within
~10 m.y., of major post-orogenic excision of lower crust,
 HIGH-PRECISION GEOCHRONOLOGY OF THE CENTRAL RHODOPIAN METAMORPHIC CORE COMPLEX (BULGARIA-GREECE)
extensional denudation of a metamorphic core complex
through to its exposure at the land surface, acid subaerial vol-
canism, and subvolcanic diking, followed, after a ~1- to 3-m.y.
time gap, by hydrothermal ore formation within the top kilo-
meter below the land surface of the time. Late-metamorphic
exhumation, magmatism, and hydrothermal processes are all
a consequence of the same thermal disturbance associated
with lithosphere-scale post-orogenic extension.
Our geochronologic and geochemical data indicate two
geodynamic mechanisms of ore formation, leading to domi-
nantly metamorphic hosted Pb-Zn mineralization in the Cen-
tral Rhodope dome, in contrast to volcanic-hosted Au-Ag-Pb-
Zn Cu Mo mineralization in the eastern Rhodope. In the
latter area, intermediate-composition hydrous magmatism
from magma chambers at slightly deeper upper-crustal levels
contributed directly to hydrothermal ore formation at about
32 Ma. In contrast, the metamorphic-hosted ore deposits of
the Central Rhodopian dome were generated about 2 m.y.
after upper-crustal magmatism by larger-scale hydrothermal
fluid circulation through the crust that probably was driven by
high heat flow following core complex formation and rapid
denudation of the dome in the final stages of the orogenic col-
lapse. Deeper felsic intrusions may have contributed to late-
stage heat transfer into the core of the dome, but we have no
evidence that they were an essential source of ore fluids (Kos-
tova et al., 2004).
At the lithosphere scale, the thermal to hydrothermal his-
tory of the Central Rhodopian dome was probably driven by
asthenospheric upwelling (Burg, 2012), following the south-
ward retreat of a Mesozoic slab that had driven the porphyry
Cu-Au systems of southeastern Europe during the Late Cre-
taceous (von Quadt et al., 2005). Slab retreat and eventual
break-off beneath the Rhodopes during the Eocene to
Oligocene was followed by further migration of active sub-
duction toward the south through to the present position of
the Hellenic arc and its Aegean back-arc basin (Fig. 1, inset).
Acknowledgments
The Institute of Geology and Palaeontology at Salzburg
University supported this investigation with access to Ar-Ar
dating. Special thanks go to colleagues in the Fluids and Min-
eral Deposits Group at ETH Zrich, notably to Thomas Pet-
tke and Felix Oberli for critical discussions and to Heiri Baur
for providing technical help in the lab. We also want to thank
our Bulgarian colleagues, notably Zlatka Cherneva for scien-
tific guidance during fieldwork. Zlatka Cherneva, Irene
Ivanov, and Walter Wittwer provided essential help with min-
eral separation. We thank Jean-Pierre Burg, Niko Froitzheim,
Bilyana Kostova, Peter Marchev, Paraskev Petrov, Jan
Pleuger, Stefan Schmid, Franz Neubauer, and Dave Lentz for
discussions, comments, and formal reviews that helped to im-
prove this paper. This project was funded by the Swiss Na-
tional Science Foundation (no. 2000-59544.99 and 200020-
100735/1 and a SCOPES collaborative grant) and by the
European Science Foundation through the Geodynamics and
Ore Deposit Evolution (GEODE) Programme.
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 HIGH-PRECISION GEOCHRONOLOGY OF THE CENTRAL RHODOPIAN METAMORPHIC CORE COMPLEX (BULGARIA-GREECE)
APPENDIX
Preparation and Analytical Methods
Sample preparation
After careful evaluation of the preservation state of the
minerals under the microscope, the samples containing the
best-preserved peak-metamorphic micas were crushed,
washed, and sieved. Apatite, K-feldspar, biotite, and (where
available) muscovite and zircon were first enriched by mag-
netic and gravity separation. Mineral grains were then hand-
picked to obtain concentrates of more than 99% purity.
Rb-Sr analysis
After separation, several tens of mg of biotite, muscovite, or
apatite, or about 100 mg of K-feldspar was weighed and
spiked with 84Sr-85Rb tracer. The minerals were dissolved
over three days at about 110C in PFA bombs (Savillex), with
0.5 ml HNO3 conc plus 4.5 ml of either HF conc (biotite,
muscovite, K-feldspar) or 6 N HCl (apatite). After ultrasonic
treatment, the samples were evaporated at T <60 and redis-
solved in 1 ml HNO3 conc. After renewed evaporation, the
samples were dissolved again in 1 ml 2.5 N HCl and cen-
trifuged for 5 min. Ten milliliters of cation exchange resin
(Dowex, 100200 mesh, AG 50, W-X8) was used for element
separation, and 1 ml for further purification of the Sr eluate.
For Rb analyses, the samples were dissolved in 1 to 2 l 2 N
HCl and loaded on outgassed double Re filaments. To im-
prove ionization, Sr samples were loaded on outgassed single
filaments using 1.0 l 1 N HNO3 and a 1- to 1.5-l Ta emit-
ter solution. All samples were analyzed in static Faraday
mode with a Finnigan MAT 262 mass spectrometer. An Rb
mass fractionation factor of 1.0023 per mass unit was used; Sr
mass fractionation correction is based on natural 88Sr/86Sr =
8.37521 using Rayleigh fractionation law. The blank level was
0.3 ng for Sr; the average 87Sr/86Sr ratio of NBS 987 was
0.71023 2. Calculation of ages has been carried out using
ISOPLOT/EX (Ludwig, 2000).
Ar-Ar analytical procedure
The handpicked, 99% pure mineral concentrates of 58- to
100-m grain size were packed in aluminium foil and loaded
in quartz vials. For calculation of the J-values, flux monitors
were placed between every four to five unknown samples
with a distance of about 5 mm between adjacent flux moni-
tors. The sealed quartz vials were irradiated in the MTA
KFKI reactor (Debrecen, Hungary) for 16 h. Correction fac-
tors for interfering isotopes were calculated from 10 analyses
of two Ca glass samples and 22 analyses of two pure K glass
samples, and are as follows: 36Ar/37Ar(Ca) = 2.6025 104,
(Ca) = 6.5014 10 , and Ar/ Ar(K) = 1.5466 10 .
39Ar/37Ar 4 40 39 2 as U (as UO2) isotopes were measured sequentially on the
Variation in the flux of neutrons was monitored with the
DRA1 sanidine standard for which a 40Ar/39Ar plateau age of
25.03 0.05 Ma has been reported (Wijbrans et al., 1995).
After irradiation, the minerals were unpacked from quartz
vials and aluminium foil packets, and handpicked into 1-mm-
diameter holes in one-way aluminium sample holders.
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40Ar/39Ar analyses have been carried out at the Institute for
Geology and Paleontology at the University of Salzburg using
a UHV Ar-extraction line equipped with a combined MER-
CHANTEK UV/IR laser ablation facility, and a VG-ISO
TECH NG3600 mass spectrometer.
Stepwise heating analyses of samples were performed using
a defocused (~1.5-mm diameter) 25 W CO2-IR laser operat-
ing in Tem00 mode at wavelengths between 10.57 and 10.63
m. For each increment, the intensities of 36Ar, 37Ar, 38Ar,
39Ar, and 40Ar were measured and the baseline readings on
mass 35.5 automatically subtracted. Intensities of the peaks
were back-extrapolated over 16 measured intensities to the
time of gas admittance either by a straight line or a curved fit.
Intensities were corrected for postirradiation decay of 37Ar,
system blanks, background, and interfering isotopes. Isotopic
ratios, ages, and errors for individual steps were calculated
following the suggestions of McDougall and Harrison (1999),
using decay factors reported by Steiger and Jger (1977). De-
finition and calculation of plateau ages have been carried out
using ISOPLOT/EX (Ludwig, 2000) with uncertainties at
95% confidence level.
High-precision U-Pb analysis of single-grain zircon
Zircons were prepared by standard mineral separation and
purification methods (crushing and milling, concentration via
Wilfley table or hand-washing, magnetic separation, and
heavy liquids). In order to minimize the effects of secondary
lead loss, conventional air-abrasion (Krogh, 1982) technique
was employed. Air-abraded zircons were washed first in di-
luted HNO3, then in distilled water and acetone in an ultra-
sonic bath prior to weighting. Single zircons were selected
and loaded for dissolution into precleaned miniaturized
Teflon vessels. After adding a mixed 205Pb-235U spike, zircons
were dissolved in 63 l concentrated HF with a trace of 7 N
HNO3 at 205C for five days, evaporated, and redissolved in
36 l 3 N HCl. Pb and U were separated by anion exchange
chromatography in 50-l microcolumns, using minimal
amounts of ultrapure HCl, and finally dried down with 3 l
0.2 N H3PO4.
Isotopic analysis was performed at ETH Zurich on a
MAT262 mass spectrometer equipped with an ETP electron
multiplier backed by a digital ion counting system. The latter
was calibrated by repeated analyses of the NBS 982 standard
using the 208Pb/206Pb ratio of 1.00016 for mass bias correction
(Todt et al., 1996). Both lead and uranium were loaded with
1 l of silica gel-phosphoric acid mixture (Gerstenberger and
Haase, 1997) on outgassed single Re filaments, and Pb as well
electron multiplier. Total procedural Pb blank was <2 pg, and
was corrected with the following isotopic composition:
206Pb/204Pb: 17.76 0.22, 207Pb/204Pb: 15.66 0.28, 208Pb/204Pb:
37.59 0.59 (all 2). The 206Pb/238U and 207Pb/206Pb ratios
were corrected for initial disequilibrium in 230Th/238U using
Th/U [magma] ratio of 3.10 (AvQ094), 4.59 (AvQ089), 3.79
717
718 ROHRMEIER ET AL.

(MO33), and 4.13 (MO1). Common lead in excess of this the ISOPLOT/EX v. 3 program of Ludwig (2000). The
amount was corrected with the model of Stacey and Kramers 206Pb/238U ages of the individual samples (AvQ089, AvQ094,

(1975). The uncertainties of the isotopic composition of the MO33, MO1) are mean values and the errors are 2 standard
spike, blank, and common lead were taken into account and deviations. Ellipses of concordia diagrams represent 2-sigma
applied to the final uncertainties of isotopic ratios and ages. uncertainties.
Calculation of concordant ages and averages was done with

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