Timing of magmatism of the Ditrău Alkaline Massif, Romania – A review based on new U–Pb and K/Ar data

Abstract

The timing of Triassic magmatism of the Ditrău Alkaline Massif (Eastern Carpathians, Romania) is important for constraining the tectonic framework and emplacement context of this igneous suite during the closure of Paleotethys and coeval continental rifting, as well as formation of back-arc basins.Our latest geochronological data refine the previously reported ages ranging between 237.4 ± 9.1 and 81.3 ± 3.1 Ma. New K/Ar and U–Pb age data combined with all recently (post-1990) published ages indicate a relatively short magmatic span (between 238.6 ± 8.9 Ma and 225.3 ± 2.7 Ma; adding that the most relevant U–Pb ages scatter around ∼230 Ma) of the Ditrău Alkaline Massif. The age data complemented by corresponding palinspastic reconstructions shed light on the paleogeographic environment wherein the investigated igneous suite was formed.The magmatism of the Ditrău Alkaline Massif could be associated with an intra-plate, rift-related extensional tectonic setting at the southwestern margin of the East European Craton during the Middle–Late Triassic (Ladinian–Norian) period.