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Int J Earth Sci (Geol Rundsch)
DOI 10.1007/s00531-015-1165-3
ORIGINAL PAPER
Volcanology, geochemistry and age of the Lausitz Volcanic Field
J. Büchner1 · O. Tietz1 · L. Viereck2 · P. Suhr3 · M. Abratis2
Received: 28 February 2014 / Accepted: 27 February 2015
© Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2015
Abstract The Lausitz (Lusatia) Volcanic Field is part
of the Central European Volcanic Province, and its mag-
mas represent an alkaline trend from olivine nephelin-
ites and basanites to trachytes and phonolites, typical for
České Středohoří Mountains to the south-west and the
intraplate settings. Neighbouring volcanic fields are the
Fore-Sudetic Basin in Lower Silesia to the east. More than
1000 volcanic structures associated with approximately
500 vents have been located within this volcanic field.
Residuals of scoria cones, lava lakes, lava flows and maar-
diatreme in filling occur in situ near the level of the origi-
nal syn-volcanic terrain. In more deeply eroded structures,
volcanic relicts outcrop as plugs or feeders. Evolved rocks
occur as monogenetic domes or intrusions in diatremes,
while their volcaniclastic equivalents are rare. Twenty-three
localities were dated using the 40Ar/39Ar method. The ages
range from 35 to 27 Ma, with a focus around 32–29 Ma,
indicating Late Eocene and mainly Oligocene volcan-
ism for the LVF. Differentiated rocks appear to be slightly
younger than less differentiated. No geographical age clus-
ters are apparent.
Electronic supplementary material The online version of this
article (doi:10.1007/s00531-015-1165-3) contains supplementary
material, which is available to authorized users.
* J. Büchner
Joerg.Buechner@senckenberg.de
1
Senckenberg Museum für Naturkunde Görlitz, PF 300154,
02806 Görlitz, Saxony, Germany
2
Institut für Geowissenschaften, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität
Jena, Burgweg 11, 07749 Jena, Germany
3
Landesamt für Umwelt, Landwirtschaft und Geologie,
Halsbrücker Straße 31a, 09599 Freiberg, Germany
Keywords Alkaline volcanism · Intraplate magmatism ·
Volcanic field · Monogenetic · Germany
Introduction
Monogenetic basaltic volcanoes are the most common type
of volcanoes in continental intraplate volcanic fields and
occur as scoria cones, tuff rings or maars (e.g. McGetchin
et al. 1974; Wood 1980; Cas and Wright 1987; Schmincke
2004; Lorenz and Kurszlaukis 2007; Valentine and Gregg
2008). These small and short-lived volcanoes mostly occur
in volcanic fields, which are typically distributed in intra-
plate settings (Connor and Conway 2000; Németh 2010).
Within Europe numerous volcanic fields form the Central
European Volcanic Province (CEVP, Wimmenauer 1974;
Fig. 1), which stretches from the south-west towards the
east over a distance of about 1500 km broadly parallel to
the Alpine front (Wedpohl and Baumann 1999; Lustrino
and Wilson 2007 and references therein). Many of these
volcanic fields have been thoroughly investigated (e.g.
Massif Central, France, Downes 1987; Eifel, Germany,
Schmincke 2007), and the volcanic rocks within this belt
are mainly silica-undersaturated mafic volcanic rocks such
as nephelinites, basanites and alkaline basalts as well as
their phonolitic and trachytic differentiates (Lustrino and
Wilson 2007). Intermediate alkaline rocks also occur, along
with tholeiitic lava (e.g. Vogelsberg, Jung and Masberg
1998; Bogaard and Wörner 2003), melilite-bearing (Vogt-
land, Abratis et al. 2009, or Czech Osecna region, Ulrych
et al. 2008; Paluska and Büchner 2013) and even carbona-
titic volcanics (e.g. Kaiserstuhl, Keller 1989). Eruptions
have occurred ever since the Late Cretaceous into Quater-
nary times. In addition to the western Ohře/Eger Graben
(Czech Republic), volcanoes in the Eifel (Germany) and
13

Fig. 1  Distribution of Cenozoic volcanic fields in CEVP: CS České
středohoří, DH Doupovské hory, HDS Heldburg dyke swarm, LVF
Lausitz Volcanic Field, WOR Western Ohře Rift (including Upper
Massif Central (France) are the youngest volcanic fields in
the CEVP (Nowell et al. 2006; Lustrino and Wilson 2007;
Ulrych et al. 2013), whereas the oldest (68–58 Ma) are
described from the Osečná Complex in Northern Bohemia
(Ulrych et al. 2008; Paluska et al. 2013; Ulrych et al. 2013).
2013) is bounded to the south by the České Středohoří
The Lausitz Volcanic Field (LVF, Tietz et al. 2011a,
Mountains (CS) in the Czech Republic and to the east by
the Fore-Sudetic Basin in Lower Silesia (LS), Poland.
Over long intervals, small volume volcanoes such as sco-
ria cones, maars and domes have been strongly modified
by erosion especially during the Quaternary when much of
the volcanic field volcanic field was glaciated and subject
to repeated periglacial weathering (Tietz et al. 2011a, b);
thus, the volcanic structures are scarcely preserved as intact,
13
Int J Earth Sci (Geol Rundsch)
Palatinate). Variscan massifs marked in light grey: A Ardennes, BF
Black Forest, H Harz, O Odenwald, RM Rheinish Massif, S Spessart,
V Vosges
recognizable landforms. Nevertheless, as already done in
neighbouring volcanic fields (Awdankiewicz 2005; Rap-
prich et al. 2007), the volcanological research in the LVF
has resulted in a detailed reconstruction of its history as the
residual structures still carry essential information about
petrology and volcanology of the field (Tietz et al. 2011a,
b; Büchner and Tietz 2012a). In earlier papers, all volcanic
structures were interpreted as lava domes or crypto-domes,
and even basaltic volcanoes were interpreted as edifices of
effusive eruptions caused by highly viscous lava (Pfeiffer
1975, 1978; Möbus 1988). Recent research has yielded
some information about scoria cone growth and degrada-
tion. The erosion of scoria cones has been modelled for
edifices without appreciable lava filling (Büchner and Tietz
2012a). Comprehensive geochemical studies of LVF lava
Int J Earth Sci (Geol Rundsch)
were published in the 1970s (Pfeiffer 1978; Niese et al.
1995). Petrographic data were presented by Pfeiffer (1978)
in limited amounts. Since the 1980s, rocks from the LVF
have been dated using the 40K–40Ar method. These results
obtained an age range between approximately 35 and 22 Ma
with a peak in volcanism between 31 and 28 Ma (Pfeiffer
et al. 1984; Kaiser and Pilot 1986; Panasiuk 1986; Pushka-
rev 2000 and Stanek et al. 2003; Birkenmajer et al. 2011).
A single higher K/Ar age was documented for a nephelinite
from Jasna Góra near Bogatynia (PL) with 41.4 ± 1.2 by
Alibert et al. (1987) and two younger ages for the Eisen-
berg near Guttau 13.5 ± 0.5 Ma (Stanek et al. 2003) and
Fig. 2  Lausitz Volcanic Field within its regional tectonic framework
characteristic of the eastern CEVP—see text for details. GK Góry
Kaczawskie, JH Jizerské hory, KM Krkonoše Mountains, LH Lužické
the Sauhübel near Schmilka 8.3 ± 1.6 (Kaiser and Pilot
1986). In this study, we present new data on the distribution,
petrography and geochemistry of the volcanic rocks within
the LVF as well as new 40Ar/39Ar ages. Some aspects of the
petrogenetic evolution of the magmas are also discussed.
Geological framework of the Lausitz Volcanic
Field
The LVF is located in the tri-border region of Poland, the
Czech Republic and Germany (Fig. 2) and is spread over
hory, LS Lower Silesia Volcanic Field, Zg Zgorzelec, ZM Zittau
Mountains. Elster(I) glacial limits adapted from Badura and Przybyl-
ski (2002) and Víšek and Nývlt (2006)
13

several paleo-tectonic units. The central portion of the
field lies within the Lausitz Block, an area of continuous
uplift since the Late Cretaceous (Voigt 2009); it consists of
the Cadomian Lausitz Anticline Zone (LAZ) in the south,
and the Variscan Görlitz Syncline Zone in the north (Kat-
zung and Ehmke 1993). Both basement units are separated
by the Intra-Lausitz Fault (Innerlausitzer Störung). The
Lausitz Block is bound in the south by the Lausitz Thrust
(Lausitzer Überschiebung) and in the north by the Main
Lausitz Fault (Lausitzer Hauptabbruch). The LAZ repre-
sents the northern part of the Bohemian Massif (Fig. 2),
and consists of Cadomian granodiorites of early Cambrian
age (Lausitz biotite–granodiorite and two mica granodior-
ite), early Ordovician granites (Rumburk granite) and small
stocks of Variscan granites (Stolpen and Königshain) within
Neoproterozoic greywackes. These rocks continue east-
ward to the western margin of the West Sudetic Block con-
sisting of Palaeozoic gneisses of the Jizera Metamorphic
Fig. 3  Shaded relief geological map of the Lausitz Volcanic Field:
note the concentration of volcanism towards its centre, numbered
crosses mark localities mentioned in the text and Table 1: 1 Sonnen-
berg; 2 Buchberg; 3 Lausche; 4 Steinberg; 5 Hofeberg; 6 Schwarzer
Berg; 7 Löbauer Berg; 8 Landeskrone; 9 Ksie˛ginki; 10 Baruth; 11
Hausberg; 12 Eisberg; 13 Stolpen; 14 Johannisstein; 15 Orgelsteig;
13
Int J Earth Sci (Geol Rundsch)
Complex and Variscan granites in the Karkonosze Moun-
tains. Palaeozoic sediments, volcanic rocks and schists
occur within the Görlitz Syncline Zone (Fig. 3). The Elbe
Zone, as second tectonic unit, is located to the south of the
Lausitz Overthrust (Fig. 2) and is part of the North Bohe-
mian Cretaceous Basin, where Late Cretaceous sandstones
and limestones represent the cover rocks in the LAZ. The
eastern portion of the LVF is located in the Czech Jizerské
Hory Mountains and Polish Góry Kaczawskie Mountains.
the České Středohoří Mountains (CS) in the Ohře Rift with
Within the CEVP, the LVF connects the volcanoes of
those located in Lower Silesia in Poland (Fig. 2). In previ-
ous literature, the Lusatian (Lausitz) volcanoes were often
included in the North Bohemian volcanic areas or were
termed as a volcanic complex (Pfeiffer and Suhr 2008).
Moreover, Shrbený (1995) divided the Czech part of the
here defined LVF under geographical aspects into two dif-
ferent areas. The region north-east of the Lausitz Overthrust
and 16 Pěnkavčí vrch (Dolní Podluží). Green numbers indicate the
number of different samples at one locality. Symbols without number
represent one dated rock in each case. Sample points are shown for
the whole data set. Map source Saxony State Agency for Environ-
ment, Agriculture and Geology (LfULG)
Int J Earth Sci (Geol Rundsch)
was called the West Sudetes area, and the volcanics of the
Elbe Zone and Lužické Hory were included in the Bohe-
mian Cretaceous Basin. However, the Elbe Zone and its
distributed in the LVF from those in the České Středohoří
continuation to SE separate the clusters of volcanic rock
Volcanic Field (Fig. 2). We thus distinguish them as two
distinct volcanic fields following Shrbený (1989) and Cajz
line of České Středohoří Volcanic Field. We use formally,
et al. (2009). In these two papers, the authors draw an out-
according to geographical aspects, this outline as the bor-
der between LVF and CS (see below). The Straž Fault was
chosen as part of south-eastern boundary of the LVF, rep-
resenting a continuation of the Litoměřice Fault, marking
the termination of the Ohře Graben. The eastern limit of the
LVF is defined by decreasing numbers of vents (Figs. 2, 3).
In summary, the LVF stretches over eastern Saxony in Ger-
many, the westernmost part of Lower Silesia in Poland and
the Western Sudetes as well as the northernmost portion of
the North Bohemian Basin in Czech Republic.
Sampling and methods
More than 300 rocks were sampled from 123 localities.
These locations are distributed over the whole LVF in order
to be representative (Fig. 3). All sampled locations were
put into volcanological context, and, where possible, vol-
canic structures were classified into relevant morphologi-
cal types, such as scoria cone volcanoes, maars, lava flows,
lava domes (crypto-domes) and dykes (vents) according
to Büchner and Tietz (2012a). All samples were examined
using optical microscopy (Leica DM2500P) and scanning
electron microscopy (SEM, Jeol JSM–6510LV). Mineral
classification was additionally specified by standard-free
mineral chemical analyses by energy-dispersive X-ray
spectroscopy (EDX) using the SEM. The groundmass of
nephelinites was also studied in detail with SEM–EDX,
precluding a plagioclase occurrence.
Whole rock major-element and selected trace element
analyses (V, Cr, Co Ni, Cu, Zn, Rb, Sr, Y, Zr, Nb, Ba, Pb,
U and S) were obtained from 77 samples (Table S1, in the
supplementary data) by wavelength-dispersive X-ray fluo-
rescence spectrometry (XRF) using a Philips PW 2400 spec-
trometer at the Institut für Geowissenschaften, Universität
Jena, applying standard techniques (Vogel and Kuipers 1987).
Analyses of the major elements were carried out on lithium
borate glass fusion beads (Spectromelt A12, Merck), while
analyses of the trace elements were done on pressed powder
pellets (Wax C, Hoechst). The international rock standard
JB-3 (basalt from Mt. Fuji) issued by Geological Survey of
Japan was used for calibration and data quality control.
The freshest 20 samples of petrographically and geo-
chemically characterized rocks were selected for age
determinations using the 40Ar/39Ar method. As a result,
these sampled sites are not geographically representative,
but form three clusters within the LVF (Fig. 3). Assum-
ing that alkali feldspars, the fine-grained holocrystalline
and xenolith-free groundmass or glass are the K-bearing
phases in these rocks, feldspar phenocrysts and matrix
were used for age determinations. The samples were ana-
lysed in the Argon laboratory of IFM-Geomar in Kiel by P.
van den Bogaard. The rocks were crushed and the 200- to
300-µm fraction was separated by sieving and cleaned in an
ultrasonic bath. The xenolith- and phenocryst-free matrix
(of mafic rocks), as well as alkali feldspars (in intermedi-
ate and evolved rocks), was handpicked under a binocular
microscope. The feldspar samples were etched in a solution
of 15 % hydrofluoric acid for 5 min. Separates were placed
in aluminium trays and irradiation cans wrapped in 0.7-mm
cadmium foil and neutron-irradiated at the 5-MW reactor
of the GKSS Research Centre (Geesthacht, Federal Repub-
lic of Germany). Age determinations by laser 40Ar/39Ar
analysis were performed by laser step heating. After puri-
fication, the gas samples were analysed using a MAP 216
series noble gas mass spectrometer. Raw mass spectrometer
peaks were corrected for mass discrimination, background
and blank values (measured every fifth analysis). The neu-
tron flux was monitored using Taylor Creek Rhyolite Sani-
dine (TCR-2: 27.87 ± 0.04 Ma; Lanphere and Dalrymple
2000). Vertical variations in J-values were quantified by a
cosine function fit. Corrections for interfering neutron reac-
tions on Ca and K are based on analyses of optical grade
CaF2 and high-purity K2SO4 salt crystals that were irradi-
ated together with the samples. Plateau ages were selected
as relevant age if the plateaus included at least 50 % of the
39
Ar fraction. Additional results of three 40Ar/39Ar analy-
ses performed at the Argon laboratory of the Bergakademie
Freiberg Technical University, Germany, by J. Pfänder are
listed in the supplementary data.
Distribution and morphology of volcanic
structures
Results from previous work and new investigations were
collected here to summarize the volcanological charac-
teristics of the LVF. Volcanic centres and lava flows were
distinguished by means of morphometric characteristics
and shapes of outcrops based on the digital elevation model
(DEM). Isolated and cone-shaped outcrops were inter-
preted as volcanic centres (vents, plugs, lava lakes) and
elongated, ridge-like morphologies as dykes, lava flows or
complex volcanoes. Thus roughly 500 vents (volcanic cen-
tres) are exposed in more than a thousand volcanic outcrops
in the LVF. A classification of different volcanic structures
in the LVF is given in Table 1.
13

The volcanic field is characterized by alkaline volcan-
ism ranging in composition from olivine nephelinites/
basanites over tephrites and phonotephrites to trachytes
and phonolithes (Tietz et al. 2011a, 2013). Mafic rocks are
preserved mostly in small remnants of necks, plugs (Son-
nenberg, Tietz et al. 2011b), lava lakes (Landeskrone,
Büchner and Tietz 2012a), maars (Baruth, Lorenz et al.
2003) or dissected parts of formerly extensive lava flows
(Steinberg near Ostritz, Büchner and Tietz 2012b). Maar-
diatremes were first recognized in the LVF about 20 years
ago by Suhr and Goth (1995, 2002). However, diatremes,
as the subsurface expression of maars, were originally
described in the region as “Tuffschlote” in the Lužické
Hory (Lausitzer Gebirge), Czech Republic (Vortisch 1914,
1925, 1928). Evolved rocks (trachytes and phonolites) are
preserved in residuals of effusive or shallow intrusive lava
bodies.
Many volcanic structures are of monogenetic origin
(Tietz and Büchner 2007) with eruptions producing sco-
ria cones in the case of mafic (Ol-nephelinitic to tephritic)
compositions (Table 1). Within the Cretaceous sandstones
of the Elbe Zone and Zittau Mountains, most basaltic vol-
canoes started with phreatomagmatic eruptions. In locali-
ties without sedimentary cover (Palaeozoic basement
areas), this initial phase may be absent. However, initial
maar-phases are apparent independent of the chemistry of
the erupting magma (Table 1). Monogenetic eruptions of
evolved magmas (trachytic to phonolitic composition) pro-
duced lava domes. However, locally the volcanic centres
may be more complex due to sequential intrusions of tra-
chytic or phonolitic domes into scoria cones or diatremes
and will be termed here as polygenetic volcanoes (Table 1).
Weakly consolidated tephra deposits have generally been
eroded; however, a few pyroclastic rocks were preserved in
“sheltered” positions such as sedimentary basins, diatremes
or underneath thick lava flows and lava lakes (Büchner
and Tietz 2012a). Here, primary sedimentary textures sur-
vived intense chemical weathering. However, even strongly
weathered saprolitic volcanic rocks were of use for volcan-
ological reconstructions (Büchner et al. 2006).
Morphological characteristics of volcanic structures
The morphological influence of volcanic remains is sig-
nificant in the region due to relief inversion. As a result
lava flows form ridges or elongated plateaus, as seen at
Steinberg near Ostritz (Fig. 3; Table 1; Büchner and Tietz
2012b), where the scoria cone is mostly eroded and bro-
ken by lava flows that probably filled a valley. This is indi-
cated by the orientation of columnar jointing perpendicular
to paleo-surfaces. Peperitic rocks indicate this lava flowing
onto wet sediments at the time of eruption (Büchner and
Tietz 2012b). More complex morphological structures were
13
Int J Earth Sci (Geol Rundsch)
formed by multi-phase lava effusions such as those seen at
Ksie˛ginki (Fig. 3) in the south-west of Lubań in Poland.
Here, the lava flows produced a plateau interrupted by flat
hills (Puziewicz et al. 2011).
Typical morphological features in the LVF are cone-like
hills (Fig. 4), which mostly represent residuals of lava lakes
within a scoria cone or a hypabyssal intrusion into maar-
diatremes. An eye-catching example of a remnant of a lava
lake is the Landeskrone (Büchner and Tietz 2012a; Fig. 4).
Here, the initial crater, modelled by combined strombolian
and phreatomagmatic eruptions, was filled with a lava lake
(ca. 800 m across) that preserved the underlying tephra
structure. Subsequent erosion has produced a cone-like
hill with a flat summit at the level of the original lava lake
(Büchner and Tietz 2012a).
At Hausberg, near Bad Schandau (Fig. 3; Table 1) in
‘Saxonian Switzerland’, an abandoned quarry exposes the
interior of a small maar-diatreme volcano, filled with basa-
nitic lava which intruded into the diatreme breccia.
However, cone-like erosion morphology is also pro-
duced by outcrops of exposed feeder vents or plugs which
are round to elliptic in shape. Distinguishing between lava
lakes, plugs and feeder vents is often difficult as transitions
between these types seem to exist.
An example for a plug within, a scoria cone exists at
Sonnenberg (Fig. 3; Table 1) in the Zittau Mountains,
where the tephra deposit of an initial phreatomagmatic
breccia and variably welded scoria of a monogenetic scoria
cone (Fig. 5) are exposed. The eruption style changed from
initially phreatomagmatic to strombolian and then violent
strombolian (Tietz et al. 2011b).
At the summit of the Schwarzer Berg (Fig. 3; Table 1),
a feeder vent of an eroded volcano is exposed; this dyke
is up to 1.5 m wide trending roughly NNE–SSW, and
small columnar joints (ca. 10 cm in diameter) with flatly
inclined orientation are exposed. The hill is cone shaped,
and a small quarry at its foot exposes the dissected residual
of a lava flow from the same volcano (Büchner and Tietz
2012a), confirmed by its similar petrography and geochem-
istry (Büchner et al. 2006).
Lava domes were eroded to round dome-like hills,
mostly with steep slopes and hourglass-like summit. The
Buchberg (Fig. 3; Table 1) in the Zittau Mountains is the
core of such a monogenetic lava dome. On its flanks and
summit, highly vesiculated trachytic rocks were found
(Fig. 6) which are interpreted as the foamy margin of the
lava dome. Additionally, the phreatomagmatic breccia of
the neighbouring basaltic Sonnenberg volcano contains
xenolithic pumice lapilli of trachytic composition (Tietz
et al. 2011b).
Polygenetic volcanoes result in complicated morpholo-
gies, characterized by a steep summit with flatter slopes
around their base. This is mostly caused by initial mafic
 Table 1  Volcanological classification of the Lausitz Volcanic Field based on morphological features
Volcano type Eruption type Observed remnants Resulting morphology Frequency Petrography Example with No. in Fig. 3a
in the LVF

Monogenetic Phr-mag., partly Diatreme, hypabyssal Cone-shaped hills Lava of all lithologiesd, breccia Hausberg, Bad Schandau (11)
Int J Earth Sci (Geol Rundsch)

++
maar-diatreme effusive intrusion
Diatreme, maar Shallow depressions +? Collapse breccia, maar sediments Baruth Maar (10)1
Monogenetic scoria cone Phr-mag., mostly Lava lake Cone-shaped hills +++ Mafic lavas, scoria, phr-mag. breccia Landeskrone, Görlitz (8)2
with initial maar phase strom., partly Hypabyssal intrusion Cone-shaped hills, ++ Mafic lavas, scoria, phr-mag. breccia, Eisberg, Großhennersdorf (12)3
violent stromb., partly elongated peperite
Plug, scoria cone Plateaus, cone-shaped ++ Mafic lavas, scoria, phr-mag. breccia Sonnenberg, Jonsdorf (1)4
hills
Feeder vent Cone-shaped hills ++ Mafic lavas Schwarzer Berg, Markersdorf (6)2
Single lava flow Ridges +++ Mafic lavas, peperite Steinberg, Ostritz (4)5
Monogenetic scoria cone Mostly stromb., Lava lake, plug, feeder Cone-shaped hills +++ Mafic lavasb, scoria Stolpen castle (13)6
without initial maar partly violent vent
phase stromb. Hypabyssal dykes Small walls + Mafic lavas Johannisstein, Oybin (14)7
Polygenetic scoria cones Mostly stromb., Different lava lakes and Hill-complexes with ++ Mafic lavas, scoria, phr-mag. breccia, Baruth Complex Volcano (10)8
initial phr-mag. small lava flows ridges and cones peperite
Multiphase large lava Hill massifs, plateaus +++ Mafic lavas, Breccia Ksie˛ginki, Lubań (9)
flows
Polygenetic scoria cone Phr-mag., stromb., Diatreme, hypabyssal Mostly large, dome- +++ Lava of all lithologies***, scoria, Lausche, Waltersdorf (3)5,
with or without initial plinian, effusive intrusion lava lake, like-shaped hills phr-mag. breccia, pumice Pěnkavčí vrch, Dolní Podluží
maar phase and lava plug, vent, dome (16)
dome
Monogenetic lava dome Effusive, locally Lava dome Dome-like-shaped hills ++ Trachytic/phonolitic lava, pumice Buchberg, Jonsdorf (2)2,4
plinian c
Hypabyssal dykes Small gorges , walls + Trachytic/phonolitic lava Orgelsteig, Jonsdorf (15)9
a
For location, see text and respective No. In Fig. 3 and references
b
Includes nephelinite, basanite and tephrite
c
In the case of intense, selective weathering
d
Includes nephelinite, basanite, tephrite, phonotephrite, trachyte and phonolite
phr-mag. preatomagmatic, stromb. strombolian
1 2 3 4 5 6 8
Lorenz et al. (2003), Büchner and Tietz (2012a), Tietz et al. (2013), Tietz et al. (2011b), Büchner and Tietz (2012b), Koch et al. (1983), 7 Kühn (1996), Tietz et al.(2011b),
9
Sitte (1960)

13
 Int J Earth Sci (Geol Rundsch)

Fig. 4  Landeskrone near Görlitz, seen from the south-west, has the characteristic cone morphology typical of the Lausitz Volcanic Field (Fig. 3)
and sampled (11/11/01-1, 12/02/29-1, 12/02/29-2, Su 2/09) as part of this study

Fig. 5  Photomicrograph of
brown scoria from Sonnenberg
volcano with low vesicular-
ity and irregularly shaped
bubbles notes the alignment of
clinopyroxene and plagioclase
laths in the matrix, especially
in the lower right-hand corner,
indicating plastic deformation
(welding) and fluidal structure
(in plane polarized light)

volcanism producing scoria cones and lava flows followed
by more silicic volcanism producing lava domes. A nota-
ble example of such a volcanic structure is the Lausche
Hill in the Zittau Mountains (Fig. 3; Table 1), which is
the highest point in this area. Its outcrops indicate a com-
plex eruptive history: an initial scoria cone was filled by
a lava lake that fed a lava flow; within a second stage, a
phonolitic lava dome grew, overwhelming and burying
the original small volcano (Büchner and Tietz 2012b).
A similar situation is exhibited at Pěnkavčí vrch 4 km
south Dolní Podluží (CZ) (Fig. 3; Table 1). Here, a scoria
cone was preceded by a maar-diatreme and followed by a

13
Int J Earth Sci (Geol Rundsch)
Fig. 6  Vesiculated trachyte
from Buchberg (No. 2 in Fig. 3)
near Jonsdorf, scale bar units
10 mm
phonolitic lava dome (Büchner and Tietz 2010; Tietz and
Wenger 2014).
Nested scoria cones, occasionally each with its own lava
flow, yielded hill massifs of differentiated morphology. The
hills have several summits and ridges. In the north of the
LVF, the Baruth Complex Volcano (Fig. 3; Table 1) was
recently investigated (Tietz et al. 2011a). Here, three sub-
sequent scoria cones are nested in each other. Each succes-
sive volcanic centre produced lava flows of different com-
position. The eruption style of the youngest volcano was
characterized to be simultaneously both phreatomagmatic
and strombolian (Tietz et al. 2011a). This hilly volcanic
complex is in the middle of an otherwise flat landscape.
Distribution of volcanic rocks
Volcanism followed an extensional phase of basin develop-
ment (Tietz et al. 2011b; Büchner and Tietz 2012b). Thus,
the density of volcanic centres increases towards the Mio-
cene brown coal basins, with faults being used as feeder
systems. Aside from these basins, only small and isolated
outcrops are found, including hills in the Lužické Hory as
well as in the northern and western LVF.
The centre of the LVF is also characterized by the larg-
est variability in the degree of magma differentiates and
by the largest volumes of lavas. Around the town of Zittau
(Fig. 3), the whole suite of alkaline magmatic evolution is
documented with large volume lava flows and intrusions.
In the south (Zittau Mountains and Lužické Hory, Fig. 2),
evolved lava (phonolithes and trachytes) dominate over less
differentiated lava (mostly basanites), whereas intermediate
rocks are rare and restricted to few volcanic structures. On
the contrary, mostly less differentiated volcanic rocks such
as basanites and Olivine nephelinites occur towards the
margins of the volcanic field. Further details of the volcan-
ology and rock distribution in the LVF will be presented in
Tietz and Büchner (2015).
Petrography
Within the LVF, eight distinct petrographic lithotypes can
be identified—typical mineral compositions are given in
Table 2. The “mafic group” of rocks is formed by basanites
(ca. 34 %) and olivine nephelinites (ca. 28 %) as well as a
minor amount of alkali basalts (ca. 1 %). Phonolites (ca.
10 %) and trachytes (ca. 7 %) occur in similar abundance
and are further on often combined as “evolved group”.
Between these two groups intermediate rocks are grouped
as tephrites (ca. 11 %) and phonotephrites (ca. 7 %). Rare
melilite-bearing rocks (2 %) were described in Seifert et al.
(2008a). They were classified as melilite nephelinites and
are not included in this study.
All olivine nephelinites which form the least differenti-
ated rocks are phyric to microlitic, rarely aphyric. They
contain olivine (up to 20 mm) and clinopyroxene as phe-
nocrysts. Partly green core pyroxenes typically with Fe-rich
cores and Mg-rich rims can be observed. All pyroxenes have
a Ti-rich margin. The opaque minerals were composition-
ally characterized as titanomagnetites only in a few sam-
ples. Apatite occurs as accessory mineral in the groundmass
in almost all samples, often additionally as needles within
clinopyroxene phenocrysts. Nepheline grew as the last phase
within the interstices between microliths of clinopyrocenes.
Glass and analcite occur as minor phases in the matrix and
are restricted to samples from individual outcrops.
13
 Int J Earth Sci (Geol Rundsch)

Table 2  Petrographic characteristics of lava found in the Lausitz Volcanic Field

Phenocrysts (>300 µ) Microliths (100 to 300 µ) Matrix (<100 µ) Xenoliths or xenocrysts

Melilitite ol, cpx cpx, mel, ne, mag ne

Nephelinite ol, cpx, mag (ap) ol, cpx, ap, mag ne, glass, analcime per, grdio, sst
Basanite ol, cpx, mag (am.) ol, cpx, pl, ap, mica, mag (ne), mica, glass, analcime per, grdio, sst, gab, cpxit, qtz, zrn, pl
Alkali Basalt ol, cpx (am) cpx, pl, ol (ne), mag pl, glass per, grdio
Tephrite cpx, mag (am) cpx, pl, ne, mag pl, ne, cpx, glass, mag (grdio), qtz
Phonotephrite cpx, afs, mag, am cpx, afs, pl, mag, am, mica, ne afs, ne qtz, sst
Trachyte afs, am, ttn afs, cpx, mag, am, mica afs qtz, sst
Phonolite afs, sdl, cpx, am, ttn afs, cpx, sdl, am, ttn (analcime) ne, afs, analcime sst

afs-alkalifeldspar (sanidine, anorthoclase); am, amibole; ap, apatite; cpx, clinopyroxene; mag, opaque minerals (magnetite); ne, nepheline; ol,
olivine; pl, plioclase; sdl, sodalite; ttn, titanite (sphen)
Inclusions: cpxit, pyroxenite; gab, gabbro; grdio, granodiorite; per, peridotite; qtz, quartz; sst, sandstone; zrn, zircon

Fig. 7  Electron micrograph

(BSE image) of marginally
disaggregated amphibole in a
tephrite from Sonnenberg (no. 1
in Fig. 3)

Most nephelinites contain mantle xenoliths of perido-
titic, less often pyroxenitic composition (Puziewicz et al.
2011) up to 5 cm in diameter as well as their mineral
phases as xenocrysts. Assimilation of granodioritic and
sandstone xenoliths overprints the primary magmatic min-
eral composition. Plagioclase or alkali feldspars occur in
the groundmass in the vicinity of the xenolithic inclusions.
The nepheline-bearing rocks from the Löbauer Berg
(Fig. 3) should be emphasized here, because they have varied
textures. There is a coarse-grained (‘doleritic’) variety within
a large intrusion of phyric and fine-grained nephelinitic lava.
Both rock types contain roughly the same mineral assemblage,
apart from the coarse-grained containing additional sanidine.
Basanites resemble the nephelinitic rocks in petrogra-
phy, in that they are as well mostly phyric or microlithic.
However, the basanites contain additional plagioclase and
rarely dark mica as microliths and within the matrix. Addi-
tionally, they may exhibit large (up to 1.5 cm) xenomorphic
amphibole crystals or crystal aggregates (Fig. 7). As in
the nephelinites, mantle xenoliths up to 10 cm in diameter
can frequently be observed in basanites: in particular, the
basanitic lava flow at Steinberg, near Ostritz, is known for
abundant mantle xenoliths (Kukuła et al. 2013). Basanites
additionally may contain lower crustal xenoliths (Kukuła
et al. 2013). Of particular petrography is basanitic magma
at the Hofeberg near Leuba as it contains zircon megacrysts
in the scoria breccia (Tietz and Büchner 2007; Seifert et al.
2008b).
Alkali olivine basalts are rare and may contain nephe-
line accessorily in the groundmass. Their matrix is rich in

13
Int J Earth Sci (Geol Rundsch)

Fig. 8  Diatreme breccia of

from a small maar vent beside
the river Kirnitzsch in “Saxon
Switzerland”, containing
scoria lapilli (brown), scale bar
units 1 mm and 1 cm. Sample
06/10/11-1a (not considered for
geochemistry and age analyses)

Fig. 9  Total alkali–silica—TAS

diagram (Le Maitre 2002)
showing the distribution of
sampled lava analysed from the
Lausitz Volcanic Field, rock
types according petrographic
analysis: hollow symbols denote
slightly altered scoria samples
in this study

plagioclase and opaque minerals. Olivine, plagioclase and
clinopyroxene occur as phenocrysts.
Tephrites compare well with basanites but contain less
than 10 % of modal olivine. Clinopyroxenes are the major
phenocrystphase (up to 40 % by volume). Magnetite and
amphibole occur as additional phenocrysts, occasionally as
megacrysts. Notable here are the rocks from the Frenzels-
berg near Seifhennersdorf, which Pfeiffer (1978) defined as
the type locality for “nepheline tephrites”. They rarely con-
tain olivine, and clinopyroxene phenocrysts occur within a
groundmass of roughly equal nepheline and plagioclase.
The transition from tephrites to more differentiated
rocks is manifested in the decreasing content of plagioclase
and increasing abundance of alkali feldspars in the more
evolved rocks. The higher viscosity of the phonotephritic
melts is expressed in the orientation of feldspars (plagio-
clase and sanidine) as phenocrysts as well as in the ground-
mass. Here, the term phonotephrite is used as synonym for
all intermediate rocks present (foid-bearing latites as well
as phonolitic tephrites and tephritic phonolites acc. to Le
Maitre 2002).
Trachytes may contain sphene in addition to sanidine
and amphibole as phenocrysts. Sanidine and amphibole
dominate in the microlithic groundmass; clinopyroxene
and mica are only present as microliths. Nepheline is rare.
Typical are fluidal textures, characterized by an alignment
of feldspars and clinopyroxenes. The transition to phono-
lites with more than 10 % of modal nepheline is gradual.

13
 Table 3  Major element concentrations for 77 lava from the Lausitz Volcanic Field as weight percentages
Sample Locality Petrography SiO2 TiO2 Al2O3 Fe2O3 MnO MgO CaO Na2O K2O P2O5 Sum FeOt LOI

13
05/06/22-2 Quärgelberg near Kiesdorf Nephelinite 42.9 2.84 14.2 11.9 0.23 9.3 11.1 4.25 2.07 0.95 99.69 10.7 1.30
06/08/24-1 Kleiner Hutberg near Schönau-Berzdorf Nephelinite 40.4 2.99 11.5 13.4 0.26 11.4 13.4 4.20 0.96 1.07 99.49 12.0 1.33
06/11/16-8 Quarry Hutberg North near Ostritz Nephelinite 43.0 3.30 13.2 13.3 0.26 9.9 11.4 4.16 0.94 0.57 100.01 12.0 1.64
06/11/21-1 Quarry Hutberg Ostritz SW Nephelinite 43.0 3.11 12.8 13.1 0.24 12.2 10.8 3.38 0.76 0.54 99.92 11.8 1.73
06/11/21-4 Spitzberg near Dt. Paulsdorf Nephelinite 41.3 2.96 11.5 13.5 0.25 13.2 12.0 2.95 1.19 0.61 99.50 12.1 0.60
07/02/23-11 Quarry Eisberg near Großhennersdorf Nephelinite 42.6 2.81 11.8 12.9 0.21 13.6 11.9 2.77 0.68 0.57 99.78 11.6 1.14
07/08/15-1 Löbauer Berg S Nephelinite 37.6 3.30 11.4 13.8 0.24 15.6 12.6 3.21 1.22 0.73 99.74 12.4 1.12
07/08/29-5 Georgenberg near Bischdorf Nephelinite 43.1 2.86 13.0 12.5 0.21 10.6 12.5 3.45 0.93 0.70 99.85 11.2 1.19
08/09/09-1 Großer Berg Großhennersdorf Nephelinite 40.2 2.89 12.6 13.3 0.26 12.3 12.2 3.63 1.27 0.73 99.34 12.0 1.15
09/06/10-3 Bukovec (Buchberg) near Jizerka Nephelinite 40.8 3.77 12.4 15.2 0.27 10.8 11.4 2.82 2.14 0.58 100.04 13.7 1.32
11/03/08-3a Quarry Hutberg Ostritz W Nephelinite 40.3 3.45 13.6 13.6 0.25 12.0 12.0 3.26 0.86 0.58 99.90 12.2 1.96
11/03/08-4b Quarry Hutberg Ostritz E Nephelinite 40.8 3.22 13.1 14.0 0.26 11.7 11.2 4.01 1.13 0.57 99.93 12.6 1.16
11/06/08-1 Löbauer Berg SE Nephelinite 37.6 3.27 11.5 13.8 0.25 15.6 12.5 3.33 1.17 0.68 99.76 12.4 0.79
11/09/19-2 Langer Berg Großhennersdorf W Nephelinite 41.6 2.88 11.8 13.2 0.25 14.3 12.2 2.57 0.63 0.56 99.89 11.9 1.18
11/09/19-3 Langer Berg Großhennersdorf (Steinwehr) Nephelinite 41.2 2.72 11.2 13.1 0.23 15.5 12.0 2.67 0.83 0.54 99.93 11.8 0.76
11/11/01-1 Landeskrone, quarry Nephelinite 38.1 3.05 12.0 13.6 0.26 13.7 13.8 3.45 0.99 0.84 99.81 12.2 0.99
11/11/21-6 Hirschberg near Buschschänke Nephelinite 41.3 3.31 12.7 13.4 0.22 13.0 11.3 2.40 1.90 0.45 99.95 12.0 0.76
12/02/29-1 Landeskrone, western cliff Nephelinite 41.0 3.18 11.7 13.9 0.25 11.4 13.1 3.70 0.84 0.87 99.98 12.5 0.81
12/02/29-2 Landeskrone, Bismarkturm Nephelinite 42.4 3.11 11.6 13.6 0.23 10.1 13.6 3.45 0.80 0.91 99.78 12.2 1.18
12/02/29-4 Hutberg near Schönau-Berzdorf Nephelinite 39.3 3.06 12.0 13.7 0.27 11.2 13.6 4.61 1.12 1.05 99.90 12.4 0.52
08/08/12-1 Windmühlenberg Großhennersdorf Nephelinite 39.5 3.12 12.9 13.6 0.23 13.5 12.8 2.69 0.67 0.54 99.57 12.3 2.27
08/11/18-1 Dubrauker Horken (Heinrichsberg) Nephelinite 37.8 3.09 12.37 13.79 0.24 13.9 14.97 1.59 0.61 1.41 99.79 12.4 2.75
06/04/12-6 Hofeberg lower quarry Basanite 44.4 2.73 14.0 12.4 0.23 10.6 10.3 3.05 1.33 0.69 99.72 11.2 0.95
06/04/20-4 Tauchritz, power station Basanite 44.1 2.34 14.6 10.0 0.26 10.2 11.1 4.14 1.53 0.97 99.25 9.0 4.29
06/05/03-1 Georgenberg, SW-slope Basanite 43.8 2.50 12.1 12.8 0.24 12.4 10.9 3.00 1.25 0.58 99.53 11.5 0.61
06/09/27-11 Quarry Streinberg Ostritz, E Basanite 43.0 2.66 12.0 12.7 0.23 13.1 10.9 3.24 1.17 0.55 99.66 11.5 0.72
07/04/03-2 Hofeberg upper quarry S upper part Basanite 43.5 2.88 13.9 12.6 0.20 9.2 11.8 3.82 0.96 0.97 99.79 11.4 1.83
07/04/03-5 Hofeberg upper quarry S Basanite 43.0 2.87 14.2 12.3 0.19 9.4 11.5 3.84 0.97 0.94 99.26 11.1 1.76
07/04/03-6 Hofeberg upper quarry W Basanite 43.2 2.85 14.1 12.2 0.19 9.6 11.4 4.04 1.13 0.91 99.55 10.9 1.77
07/07/26-2 Großer Stein near Spitzkunnersdorf Basanite 45.0 2.42 11.5 12.5 0.22 13.2 11.2 2.63 1.04 0.37 100.03 11.3 1.07
07/07/31-10 Slontschenberg near Särka Basanite 44.0 3.81 14.0 12.6 0.20 9.3 10.6 3.72 0.95 0.53 99.70 11.4 1.45
07/07/31-11 Bubenik Basanite 43.0 2.87 11.7 12.1 0.23 12.7 12.2 2.85 1.51 0.56 99.78 10.9 0.64
07/07/31-2 Siebenhufen Basanite 44.8 3.18 14.2 13.1 0.22 8.6 10.1 3.80 1.10 0.60 99.73 11.8 1.28
07/07/31-7 Stromberg Weißenberg Basanite 43.4 2.94 14.0 13.3 0.24 8.5 11.7 3.36 1.12 1.05 99.65 12.0 1.41
07/08/15-10 Quarry Oberseifersdorf Basanite 47.4 2.24 13.2 10.6 0.22 9.1 10.8 3.72 1.73 0.53 99.58 9.6 0.97
Int J Earth Sci (Geol Rundsch)
 Table 3  continued
Sample Locality Petrography SiO2 TiO2 Al2O3 Fe2O3 MnO MgO CaO Na2O K2O P2O5 Sum FeOt LOI
07/08/29-8 Rotstein, Klunsen Basanite 43.1 2.90 12.8 12.6 0.24 10.7 12.6 3.19 0.99 0.68 99.89 11.4 1.36
08/03/05-3 Hutberg near Niederoderwitz Basanite 45.3 2.59 13.3 11.9 0.22 9.7 10.7 3.76 1.72 0.63 99.73 10.7 0.39
08/11/18-4 Baruth-SB Basanite 41.3 3.12 13.5 13.1 0.22 10.8 12.6 3.28 0.91 0.99 99.94 11.8 1.67
08/11/18-5 Baruth-Western quarry Basanite 42.4 2.94 14.2 12.6 0.22 10.4 10.9 3.58 0.85 0.58 98.79 11.4 0.54
08/11/18-8 Baruth-Eastern quarry Basanite 41.9 3.03 13.8 12.7 0.18 12.3 10.7 3.13 0.78 0.63 99.04 11.4 1.38
09/03/12-1 Saupantsche creek near Hirschfelde Basanite 43.2 3.16 12.8 13.1 0.25 11.0 11.1 3.75 0.81 0.56 99.73 11.8 1.31
Int J Earth Sci (Geol Rundsch)

10/04/15-1 Zwenke Basanite 43.6 3.04 13.3 13.5 0.24 9.8 11.0 3.34 1.52 0.51 99.85 12.2 0.41
10/10/20-8-1 Ottoberg Erdbeerhübel, S Basanite 44.1 3.04 15.0 12.5 0.22 7.4 12.9 3.50 0.73 0.49 99.92 11.3 2.25
11/06/09-1 Quarry Streinberg Ostritz, S Basanite 44.3 2.75 13.2 12.9 0.26 10.2 10.8 3.77 1.36 0.48 99.92 11.6 0.67
06/04/12-5 Hofeberg lower quarry upper part Basanite 45.1 2.97 14.7 12.8 0.25 9.1 11.5 1.96 0.79 0.71 99.82 11.5 0.07
07/04/03-3 Hofeberg scoria Basanite 47.9 3.14 15.4 14.8 0.18 6.5 8.2 1.20 0.50 1.16 99.00 13.3 6.05
07/04/03-4 Hofeberg middle part Basanite 44.9 3.08 15.0 12.5 0.24 7.7 12.6 1.68 0.43 1.02 99.14 11.3 3.63
06/08/16-3 Pließnitz valley near Tauchritz Tephrite 44.4 2.35 15.3 10.2 0.30 7.9 10.7 4.72 2.31 1.03 99.22 9.1 3.26
06/11/21-3 Alter Hutberg near Ostritz Tephrite 42.7 3.29 14.2 13.2 0.26 8.0 13.2 3.66 0.89 0.55 99.89 11.9 3.19
07/08/15-9 Quarry Scheibenberg Mittelherwigsdorf Tephrite 45.1 2.92 14.9 11.9 0.23 6.3 11.1 4.37 2.10 0.59 99.46 10.7 1.56
09/04/21-1 Buchberg N (Radstube) Tephrite 45.5 2.93 16.6 10.9 0.27 6.1 11.6 2.80 2.36 0.71 99.79 9.8 3.13
09/04/21-6 Kellerberg near Jonsdorf Tephrite 41.7 3.66 14.5 13.9 0.24 7.9 12.4 3.25 1.77 0.62 99.87 12.5 1.06
09/10/27-6-2 Sonnenberg,eastern summit Tephrite 43.1 3.30 14.2 13.6 0.25 8.5 12.0 3.36 0.88 0.54 99.63 12.2 1.08
10/06/08-1 Löbauer Berg, Schafberg Tephrite 43.2 2.84 17.1 11.4 0.24 4.8 11.3 3.88 3.87 1.30 99.93 10.3 3.35
10/07/28-2 Lausche North Tephrite 42.6 3.19 15.9 13.3 0.22 7.8 11.5 3.58 0.89 0.74 99.61 12.0 1.17
10/10/20-5 Lausche North Tephrite 45.8 2.64 16.8 11.0 0.28 6.0 10.6 3.68 2.29 0.83 99.80 9.9 2.64
10/10/28-10 Dolny Podluzy Tephrite 44.0 3.15 15.1 13.6 0.31 5.6 11.3 4.03 2.08 0.75 99.90 12.2 0.82
11/10/03-3 Lausche, cliffs at ski-jump Tephrite 43.1 2.91 16.4 12.0 0.27 6.6 11.5 4.08 2.49 0.68 99.91 10.8 2.15
11/10/1-1b Knorrberg near Dittersbach Tephrite 47.2 2.90 14.7 13.8 0.29 4.4 9.6 4.16 1.72 1.14 99.78 12.4 1.16
07/11/22-2 Frenzelsberg Tephrite 47.8 2.46 17.6 11.0 0.35 2.9 9.5 4.95 2.62 0.74 99.92 9.9 1.66
07/06/22-7-1 Quarry Ottoberg upper part Phonotephrite 47.9 2.46 16.7 10.4 0.24 4.7 9.4 4.76 2.76 0.63 99.83 9.4 3.00
10/10/20-10a Ottoberg Erdbeerhübel Phonotephrite 57.1 1.35 18.7 6.2 0.22 1.6 5.0 5.17 4.27 0.29 99.89 5.6 1.79
10/10/20-13-1 Ottoberg Erdbeerhübel Phonotephrite 49.3 2.22 17.0 9.8 0.24 4.5 8.8 3.76 3.44 0.76 99.81 8.9 3.46
11/09/14-18 Sängerhöhe cliff Phonotephrite 50.9 2.05 18.0 9.0 0.27 2.8 8.2 4.87 3.25 0.58 99.83 8.1 1.21
11/10/03-6 Sängerhöhe W Phonotephrite 52.0 1.91 18.0 8.3 0.25 2.5 7.6 5.21 3.69 0.47 99.93 7.4 2.10
10/10/20-10 Ottoberg Erdbeerhübel, road Phonotephrite 55.0 1.52 20.8 6.8 0.20 2.1 5.2 3.38 4.30 0.50 99.77 6.1 4.28
07/06/22-2 Buchberg N near Jonsdorf Trachyte 63.6 0.37 19.0 2.3 0.16 0.2 1.2 6.88 5.69 0.05 99.53 2.1 0.63
10/10/17-1 Hochwald Trachyte 61.7 0.23 20.0 2.7 0.44 0.1 1.0 7.90 5.55 0.03 99.68 2.5 2.04
10/10/20-2 Buchberg E Trachyte 64.1 0.37 19.1 2.3 0.14 0.2 0.7 6.78 5.72 0.05 99.52 2.1 0.64
10/10/20-3 Buchberg summit Trachyte 64.2 0.37 18.8 2.4 0.18 0.2 1.0 6.81 5.84 0.05 99.79 2.1 0.44
10/10/28-7 Dolny Podluzy Trachyte 61.2 0.46 18.8 3.3 0.22 0.4 2.8 6.70 5.71 0.07 99.57 2.9 1.78

13
 Int J Earth Sci (Geol Rundsch)

Due to the impossibility of estimating the exact content of

1.49
1.28
1.49
3.46
1.33
1.01
LOI nepheline in the matrix by polarization microscopy, the dis-
tinction was based on the normative composition. Haüyne-
FeOt

2.9
2.2
2.2
2.3
2.5
2.2
phyric volcanics, as rarely reported in Grahmann and Ebert
(1939) or Pfeiffer (1978), were not identified.

99.50
99.60
99.79
99.87
99.70
99.84
Special attention was paid to associated pyroclastic
Sum

rocks (Fig. 8). On earlier geological maps and in papers

(e.g. Pfeiffer 1975) pyroclastic rocks were termed as ‘tuffs’.
P2O5

0.04
0.07
0.04
0.03
0.02
0.02

However, our studies suggest that they should be classified

as scoria breccias, diatreme breccias, peperites and related
K2O

5.73
5.66
5.80
5.55
6.23
6.11

rocks (e.g. hyaloclastites).

In general, all volcanic rocks within the LVF are alkaline
10.83
10.13
Na2O

and silica undersaturated, indicated by the presence of foids

8.03
9.98
8.23
9.10

(mainly nepheline) in all rocks. Furthermore, Sonnenbrand

(sunburn) patterns, due to the presence of analcite in the
CaO

1.2
2.1
0.8
0.7
1.6
1.4

groundmass, are a common feature across the whole field

and were observed mainly in basanites, nephelinites and
MgO

phonolites, while they appear subordinated in tephrites and

0.3
0.1
0.1
0.3
0.2
0.3

absent in trachytes. To a varying degree, depending on the

phreatomagmatic influence on an eruption, rising magma
MnO

0.25
0.24
0.24
0.18
0.25
0.24

stripped away subsurface crustal xenoliths.

Fe2O3

3.2
2.4
2.4
2.5
2.8
2.5

Geochemistry
Al2O3

21.6
22.0
20.8
20.5
19.9
20.5

The geochemical data confirm these rocks as alkaline

within the classification provided by the total alkali–sil-
TiO2

ica (TAS) diagram (Fig. 9) (Le Maitre 2002). Most of the

0.44
0.14
0.25
0.24
0.26
0.16

mafic rock compositions plot in the fields for nephelinite

and basanite. Tholeiitic basalts do not occur in the LVF,
SiO2

57.8
58.5
58.0
60.2
59.7
59.6

and alkali basalts were only determined petrographically

as plagioclase-phyric basalts with more than 10 % modal
Petrography

olivine. However, the silica content of all rock samples ana-

Phonolite
Phonolite
Phonolite
Phonolite
Phonolite
Phonolite

lysed ranges from 37.6 to 64.2 wt%, and alkali contents

vary from 1.7 to 16.6 wt% (Table 3), whereby trachytes
and phonolites are characterized by alkali contents above
12 wt%. A few analyses of basanites with SiO2 of 45 and
See Table S1 in the supplementary data for detailed locations

48 wt% with low amounts of alkalis below 3 wt% are also

characterized by high losses on ignition (LOI) of more than
Ottoberg Erdbeerhübel, forest way
Ottoberg Erdbeerhübel, crossroad

4 wt% indicating strong alteration. The SiO2 55 wt% pho-

Großer Stein Spitzkunnersdorf
Lausche, Hickelstein summit

notephrite sample (10/10/20-10) was also affected and may

Lausche, Hickelstein base

explain why it falls within the trachyandesite field wt%.

Olivine nephelinites are characterized by 14 ± 2 wt%
Spitzberg Oderwitz

MgO, basanites by 12 ± 2 wt%; however, based on the

petrographic observations, 1–2 wt% may be due to xeno-
lithic peridotites and their disaggregated minerals. Concen-
Locality

trations of Cr and Ni reach 500 and 250 ppm, respectively

(Table 4). Tephrites have moderate MgO contents between
Table 3  continued

4.4 and 8.5 wt% with Cr concentrations below 200 ppm.

10/10/20-15-2
10/10/20-15-1

Intermediate and evolved rocks have the lowest contents of

10/10/20-4-1
10/10/20-4-2
11/09/29-2a
11/09/29-1c

MgO, Cr and Ni. Selective major, minor and trace element

Sample

variations are plotted against MgO as index of differentia-

tion in supplementary data Fig. S1. The petrographically

13
 Table 4  Trace element content for 77 lava from the Lausitz Volcanic Field in ppm
Sample Locality Petrography V Cr Co Ni Cu Zn Rb Sr Y Zr Nb Ba Pb

05/06/22-2 Quärgelberg near Kiesdorf Nephelinite 277 185 43 119 51 87 43 1162 22 268 86 1240 9
06/08/24-1 Kleiner Hutberg near Schönau-Berzdorf Nephelinite 299 334 47 151 51 80 28 1157 24 254 95 930 8
06/11/16-8 Quarry Hutberg North near Ostritz Nephelinite 332 168 48 109 52 72 27 797 19 204 59 646 8
06/11/21-1 Quarry Hutberg Ostritz SW Nephelinite 318 207 48 163 53 74 15 763 19 190 57 611 8
06/11/21-4 Spitzberg near Dt. Paulsdorf Nephelinite 325 487 52 231 52 70 31 755 18 240 74 681 8
Int J Earth Sci (Geol Rundsch)

07/02/23-11 Quarry Eisberg near Großhennersdorf Nephelinite 322 461 52 220 59 68 30 822 18 221 64 609 8
07/08/15-1 Löbauer Berg S Nephelinite 326 414 52 229 50 71 30 922 19 220 68 620 7
07/08/29-5 Georgenberg near Bischdorf Nephelinite 317 306 45 129 63 73 32 988 20 202 81 759 7
08/09/09-1 Großer Berg Großhennersdorf Nephelinite 286 421 47 175 49 81 31 1045 22 256 79 840 8
09/06/10-3 Bukovec (Buchberg) near Jizerka Nephelinite 367 221 48 123 50 79 34 680 19 257 69 626 7
11/03/08-3a Quarry Hutberg Ostritz W Nephelinite 331 204 49 147 53 77 23 805 18 205 58 660 9
11/03/08-4b Quarry Hutberg Ostritz E Nephelinite 318 210 50 153 48 73 38 759 17 188 54 643 8
11/06/08-1 Löbauer Berg SE Nephelinite 325 431 55 235 48 75 26 854 20 227 70 649 7
11/09/19-2 Langer Berg Großhennersdorf W Nephelinite 318 459 50 214 45 69 30 827 19 224 67 647 8
11/09/19-3 Langer Berg Großhennersdorf (Steinwehr) Nephelinite 321 586 52 255 62 64 34 805 17 209 63 581 7
11/11/01-1 Landeskrone, quarry Nephelinite 311 461 48 177 61 71 19 924 21 227 71 685 8
11/11/21-6 Hirschberg near Buschschänke Nephelinite 344 437 47 186 52 66 28 604 18 191 45 502 7
12/02/29-1 Landeskrone, western cliff Nephelinite 322 418 49 193 64 74 31 933 20 265 65 682 7
12/02/29-2 Landeskrone, Bismarkturm Nephelinite 330 456 48 183 54 71 27 972 21 260 71 756 8
12/02/29-4 Hutberg near Schönau-Berzdorf Nephelinite 295 356 45 160 49 82 36 1207 24 256 99 989 9
08/08/12-1 Windmühlenberg Großhennersdorf Nephelinite 341 445 51 177 59 69 35 745 19 225 64 565 7
08/11/18-1 Dubrauker Horken (Heinrichsberg) Nephelinite 273 213 46 169 47 62 19 1138 23 267 87 1011 d.l.
06/04/12-6 Hofeberg lower quarry Basanite 269 253 51 166 53 87 28 890 19 199 66 745 8
06/04/20-4 Tauchritz, power station Basanite 256 256 36 127 40 125 37 1505 29 532 165 1070 12
06/05/03-1 Georgenberg, SW-slope Basanite 273 387 51 197 59 77 23 802 19 178 61 585 8
06/09/27-11 Quarry Streinberg Ostritz, E Basanite 294 410 51 240 49 74 25 736 19 175 64 605 8
07/04/03-2 Hofeberg upper quarry S upper part Basanite 284 220 49 137 44 90 36 1116 21 238 88 969 8
07/04/03-5 Hofeberg upper quarry S Basanite 278 216 47 143 48 90 36 1137 22 245 92 1130 9
07/04/03-6 Hofeberg upper quarry W Basanite 268 215 48 140 54 87 24 1099 21 241 89 948 8
07/07/26-2 Großer Stein near Spitzkunnersdorf Basanite 288 478 54 173 42 62 32 570 16 154 41 479 7
07/07/31-10 Slontschenberg near Särka Basanite 388 185 46 119 47 74 41 700 18 229 47 609 8
07/07/31-11 Bubenik Basanite 327 544 48 180 61 64 28 686 18 178 62 596 7
07/07/31-2 Siebenhufen Basanite 307 200 46 86 34 83 39 823 21 239 62 680 9
07/07/31-7 Stromberg Weißenberg Basanite 309 205 42 81 45 74 23 1114 21 196 62 858 8
07/08/15-10 Quarry Oberseifersdorf Basanite 237 375 38 161 55 81 33 942 24 252 81 868 6

13
 Table 4  continued
Sample Locality Petrography V Cr Co Ni Cu Zn Rb Sr Y Zr Nb Ba Pb
07/08/29-8 Rotstein, Klunsen Basanite 323 310 44 137 61 76 33 1043 19 203 81 793 9

13
08/03/05-3 Hutberg near Niederoderwitz Basanite 251 269 43 133 48 84 31 1041 21 236 76 916 10
08/11/18-4 Baruth-SB Basanite 320 232 50 130 50 70 25 951 20 241 74 867 d.l.
08/11/18-5 Baruth-Western quarry Basanite 332 341 54 130 58 71 23 684 19 191 49 644 d.l.
08/11/18-8 Baruth-Eastern quarry Basanite 327 326 54 215 29 63 27 709 19 193 47 576 d.l.
09/03/12-1 Saupantsche creek near Hirschfelde Basanite 325 200 50 147 47 72 22 770 19 199 57 664 8
10/04/15-1 Zwenke Basanite 292 312 46 124 47 70 25 784 21 217 67 555 8
10/10/20-8-1 Ottoberg Erdbeerhübel, S Basanite 381 153 44 80 67 61 17 778 20 176 58 538 10
11/06/09-1 Quarry Streinberg Ostritz, S Basanite 289 299 48 169 57 75 22 744 18 172 63 583 9
06/04/12-5 Hofeberg lower quarry upper part Basanite 306 355 49 151 50 86 17 805 22 225 64 660 8
07/04/03-3 Hofeberg scoria Basanite 286 198 63 153 45 89 19 1080 22 257 96 1297 8
07/04/03-4 Hofeberg middle part Basanite 296 209 46 136 54 92 30 1208 25 259 94 1429 7
06/08/16-3 Pließnitz valley near Tauchritz Tephrite 265 202 35 102 40 123 46 1409 30 531 167 1309 12
06/11/21-3 Alter Hutberg near Ostritz Tephrite 376 129 44 68 75 64 29 805 20 171 60 657 7
07/08/15-9 Quarry Scheibenberg Mittelherwigsdorf Tephrite 320 102 40 55 54 67 34 878 21 272 72 816 9
09/04/21-1 Buchberg N (Radstube) Tephrite 317 91 34 44 53 80 50 1562 19 331 80 1811 11
09/04/21-6 Kellerberg near Jonsdorf Tephrite 389 65 41 47 49 58 38 649 18 155 45 651 8
09/10/27-6-2 Sonnenberg,eastern summit Tephrite 358 156 44 72 58 63 12 685 19 153 47 532 7
10/06/08-1 Löbauer Berg, Schafberg Tephrite 308 10 31 33 140 90 64 1703 25 241 147 1251 9
10/07/28-2 Lausche North Tephrite 332 114 43 61 62 64 12 734 20 165 52 549 7
10/10/20-5 Lausche North Tephrite 274 69 35 45 60 81 34 1372 25 267 104 1135 8
10/10/28-10 Dolny Podluzy Tephrite 313 16 37 30 43 87 43 941 24 261 96 777 8
11/10/03-3 Lausche, cliffs at ski-jump Tephrite 269 67 33 44 54 78 36 1364 24 262 104 1116 8
11/10/1-1b Knorrberg near Dittersbach Tephrite 250 46 36 35 18 107 112 1106 24 361 82 915 9
07/06/22-7-1 Quarry Ottoberg upper part Phonotephrite 232 54 28 37 50 81 53 1495 24 286 121 1225 10
07/11/22-2 Frenzelsberg Tephrite 201 15 24 24 4 117 60 1573 34 375 151 1082 9
10/10/20-10a Ottoberg Erdbeerhübel Phonotephrite 76 d.l. 10 20 d.l. 95 104 1314 30 460 140 1151 8
10/10/20-13-1 Ottoberg Erdbeerhübel Phonotephrite 210 41 26 37 42 89 67 1497 28 339 142 1357 10
11/09/14-18 Sängerhöhe cliff Phonotephrite 191 17 22 26 20 89 52 1608 28 357 135 1592 10
11/10/03-6 Sängerhöhe W Phonotephrite 165 9 18 25 15 85 77 1797 27 380 146 1685 11
10/10/20-10 Ottoberg Erdbeerhübel, road Phonotephrite 122 d.l. 17 20 7 109 114 5191 24 516 178 2341 11
07/06/22-2 Buchberg N near Jonsdorf Trachyte 24 d.l. d.l. 23 d.l. 127 195 212 22 807 179 676 13
10/10/17-1 Hochwald Trachyte 7 8 d.l. 26 d.l. 274 283 50 51 1372 416 274 18
10/10/20-2 Buchberg E Trachyte 19 d.l. d.l. 22 d.l. 126 204 155 23 837 185 588 15
10/10/20-3 Buchberg summit Trachyte 21 d.l. d.l. 21 d.l. 113 202 161 20 796 181 600 14
10/10/28-7 Dolny Podluzy Trachyte 41 15 2 26 d.l. 104 146 1188 16 871 151 1639 12
Int J Earth Sci (Geol Rundsch)
 Int J Earth Sci (Geol Rundsch)

indicated differentiation from olivine nephelinites/basan-

Pb
15
18
18
21
21
15
ites over tephrites and phonotephrites to trachytes and
155 phonolites correlates with increasing concentrations of the
192
95
84
282
1790
Ba

incompatible elements Al, Na, K, Rb and Zr coupled with

decreasing concentrations of the compatible elements Ti,
103
124
111
110
107
166
Mg, Fe, Ca, Cr and Ni. Si, Ba, Sr, P and Y are semicom-
Nb

patible and increase until different stages of differentiation

after which they become depleted: depletion of P starts at
1399
1233
1578
1583
1211
679
Zr

about 47 wt% SiO2 (5 wt% MgO), of Sr at 52 wt% SiO2

(<2 wt% MgO), of Ba at 55 wt% SiO2 (<2 wt% MgO), of
d.l.
d.l.

Y at 57 wt% SiO2 (<2 wt% MgO) and of Si itself at SiO2

3
7

7
17
Y

64 wt% (0.2 wt% MgO).

A particular feature of the LVF is the elevated Zr con-
147
101
19

227
1137
d.l.
Sr

centrations for some rock samples of all stages of differ-

entiation (Fig. 10). These concentrations reach up to about
246
217
312
311
204
136
Rb

530 ppm in nephelinites/basanites and tephrites as well as

1372 ppm in trachytes and 1583 ppm in phonolites. The
elevated Zr concentrations correlate with zircons being
137
161
163
165
174
126
Zn

observed in situ at Hofeberg near Leuba and in secondary

deposits over the whole LVF (see above, Tietz and Büch-
d.l.
d.l.
d.l.
d.l.
d.l.
Cu

15

ner 2007; Seifert et al. 2008b; Tietz and Büchner 2012). Zr

concentrations of up to 3200 ppm were reported in phono-
26
28
24
27
29
23

lites from the Lužické Hory (Shrbený 1989; Kühn 1990).

Ni

However, such observations are also not uncommon in the

surrounding volcanic fields of the Bohemian Massif (Shr-
d.l.
d.l.
d.l.
d.l.
d.l.
d.l.
Co

bený 1989; Ulrych and Pivec 1997).

Cr

23

15
21
9

Radiometric ages
23
30
16
14
27
42
V

The 40Ar/39Ar plateau ages for 23 volcanic rocks (Table 5)

range from around 34.9 to 26.9 Ma (supplementary data
Petrography

Fig. S2). One eruption of trachyte from Buchberg (sam-

Phonolite
Phonolite
Phonolite
Phonolite
Phonolite
Phonolite

ples 07/06/22-2 and 10/10/20-2) was dated twice, reflecting

a high accuracy with 29.65 ± 0.06 and 29.68 ± 0.05 Ma.
However, most eruptions took place in an interval between
roughly 32 and 30 Ma (Fig. 11) during the Early Oligo-
See Table S1 in the supplementary data for detailed locations

cene (33.9–28.1 Ma, Gradstein et al. 2012), and these 22

eruptions have an average age of 30.27 Ma. Ar/Ar ages
Ottoberg Erdbeerhübel, forest way
Ottoberg Erdbeerhübel, crossroad

for the evolved and intermediate eruptions appear to be

Großer Stein Spitzkunnersdorf
Lausche, Hickelstein summit

more tightly concentrated between 30.44 ± 0.13 Ma and

Lausche, Hickelstein base

29.05 ± 0.12 Ma, averaging 29.98 Ma (4 older/2 younger).

This compares with the slightly older average of 30.38 Ma
Spitzberg Oderwitz

(11 older/5 younger) for all sixteen nephelinite, basan-

ite and tephrite samples; excluding an isolated age at
34.90 ± 0.50 Ma, this average is reduced to 30.08 Ma (11
Locality

older/4 younger). No age clustering regarding individual

rock types or regional distribution is detectable.
Table 4  continued

Contradicting our data, one isolated 40K/40Ar age of

10/10/20-15-1

10/10/20-15-2

around 65 Ma was recently determined for the melilite-

10/10/20-4-1
10/10/20-4-2
11/09/29-1c

11/09/29-2a

bearing rocks from the Pomologische Garten in Görlitz

Sample

(Seifert et al. 2008a) by the laboratory of ATOMKI (Debre-

cen, Hungary, Pecskay pers. com. 2013). New unpublished

13

Fig. 10  Zr versus SiO2
diagram, black circles show
mean contents of different rock
types worldwide, averages of
basanites, phonolites, trachytes
(data from: http://georoc.mpch-
mainz.gwdg.de/georoc/Entry.
html), symbols as in Fig. 9
Ar/Ar data from the Argon laboratory of Bergakademie
Freiberg Technical University will imply continuous vol-
canism between 35 and 23 Ma in the LVF (Stanek pers.
com.). Thus, the apparent hiatus in the ages around 33 Ma
may be due to a lack of data.
Discussion
pared with the adjacent Czech České Středohoří and Pol-
The LVF is a distinct region of Cenozoic volcanism com-
ish Lower Silesia volcanic fields. It marks the eastern
continuation of the tectonic Ohře Graben that trends in
an ENE–WSW direction towards the Fore-Sudetic basin,
which is oriented perpendicular to the Ohře Graben
(Fig. 2). Thus, LVF is one of the volcanic fields within the
hory and České středohoří (CZ). There is no sharp bound-
Ohře Graben besides Upper Palatinate (D), Doupovské
ary between the České středohoří and the LVF in the
Lužické Hory (LH). Tectonic, geomagnetic and volcano-
logical characteristics indicate a continuation of the Ohře
Graben until the eastern border of the LVF (Fediuk 2003;
Badura and Aleksandrowski 2013; Cajz et al. 2013). The
degree of silica undersaturation of the magmas as well
as volcanological features north and south of the Lausitz
Overthrust (Zittau Mountains and Lužické Hory) do not
differ; however, evolved lava is markedly more abundant
to the south of it. Nevertheless, this is probably induced
by the fault interface (see below). Volcanogical features
of the LVF can be subdivided into six, more or less well-
defined groups (Table 1), which have a strong influence
on morphological development. Erosional processes have
13
Int J Earth Sci (Geol Rundsch)
modified the primary features which are mostly degraded
to their basal portions. However, relative to other volcanic
fields the level of erosion is very variable within the LVF
and strongly dependent on the primary volcanic structure
(Fig. 12) (Büchner and Tietz 2012a). The presence of sub-
aerial tephra deposits, such as scoria cones and lava flows,
sometimes with peperitic contacts to fluvial sediments
(Tietz et al. 2011a), is further evidence for less intense ero-
sion than previously assumed, especially for the southern
part of LVF (Tietz et al. 2011b). Earlier workers postulated
increased erosion in the Zittau Mountains and Lužické
Hory down to subvolcanic levels (Kühn 1990; Adamovič
and Coubal 1999; Cajz et al. 2000; Fediuk 2003; Valečka
et al. 2005). However, the remains of subaerial tephra and
effusive rocks contradict this view (Tietz et al. 2011b;
Tietz and Büchner 2015; Wenger 2015 this study). The
uplift of the Zittau Mountains/Lužické Hory only started
at 320 ka, and the erosion amounts up to only 50 m since
(Tietz and Büchner 2015).
The occurrence of diatreme breccia is the evidence for
explosive phreatomagmatic eruptions close to the syn-vol-
canic paleo-surface, given that they contain scoria lapilli.
The sequence of eruptions depends on the hydrological
saturation and permeability of the country rock (Keresz-
turi et al. 2011; Kereszturi and Németh 2012). Phreato-
magmatic eruptions were induced by supply of external
(ground) water. Since maar-diatremes are developed in all
lava lithologies (Table 1), an influence of magma composi-
tion to a hydrovolcanic style is probably negligible. Within
the LVF, eruptions in permeable Cretaceous sandstones
mostly had an initial phreatomagmatic phase, resulting in
monogenetic small volume maar-diatreme volcanoes which
 Table 5  40Ar/39Ar ages for 23 samples within the Lausitz Volcanic Field, data written in italics are analyses from Argon laboratory of Bergakademie Freiberg Technical University
Sample Locality Rock type Run/lab no. Plateau age MSWD Probability % 39Ar in No. of Dated material with
(Ma) ± 2 s plateau steps step heating analysis
Int J Earth Sci (Geol Rundsch)

06/04/12-1 Hofeberg Zr-wall Basanit 12-1mxs 31.0 ± 0.3 1.20 0.30 61.2 5 to 15 Matrix
06/04/12-2 HOB untere Zr-Wand Basanit 12-2mxs 30.5 ± 0.4 1.80 0.04 65.2 5 to 16 Matrix
06/04/12-5 Hofeberg near Leuba, lower Lava flow Basanit 12-5mxs 31.9 ± 0.3 1.20 0.28 58.1 4 to 12 Matrix
06/04/20-4 Tauchritz power station Basanit 20-4mxs 31.2 ± 0.3 0.41 0.41 65.1 5 to 16 Matrix
06/05/10-1 Quärgelberg Nephelinit 10-1mxs 28.04 ± 0.16 1.02 0.43 99.9 1 to 16 Matrix
07/06/22-2 Summit Buchberg Trachyt 22-2fss 29.65 ± 0.06 1.60 0.11 83.1 5 to 13 Alk. feldspar
07/06/22-7 Quarry Ottoberg Phonotephrit 22-7mxs 30.26 ± 0.2 3.30 0.02 52.0 2 to 5 Matrix
08/11/18-4 Baruth-SB Basanit 18-4mxs 30.14 ± 0.54 1.09 0.35 100.0 1 to 20 Matrix
08/11/18-5 Baruth-Western quarry Basanit 18-5mxs 27.31 ± 0.39 0.58 0.86 54.2 5 to 17 Matrix
08/11/18-8 Baruth-Eastern quarry Basanit 18-8mxs 29.04 ± 0.37 1.20 0.22 87.2 2 to 19 Matrix
09/04/21-1 Basaltdyke in Buchberg Tephrit 21-1mxs 26.89 ± 0.24 1.80 0.07 54.5 4 to 12 Matrix
09/10/27-6 Summit Sonnenberg Tephrit 27-6mxs 30.49 ± 0.47 1.70 0.07 63.0 3 to 14 Matrix
10/07/28-2 Basalt Lausche Tephrit 28-2mxs 30.75 ± 0.56 1.18 0.30 62.4 2 to 10 Matrix
10/10/17-1 Hochwald Trachyt 17-1fss 30.22 ± 0.08 2.30 0.02 55.7 10 to 19 Alk. feldspar
10/10/20-13 Dyke Erdbeerhübel Phonotephrit 20-13mxs 30.44 ± 0.13 1.00 0.44 55.2 4 to 15 Matrix
10/10/20-15 Meadow Ottoberg Phonolit 20-15fss 30.25 ± 0.07 0.58 0.77 70.7 6 to 13 Alk. feldspar
10/10/20-2 Slope Buchberg Trachyt 20-2fss 29.68 ± 0.05 0.41 0.94 66.5 2 to 12 Alk. feldspar
10/10/20-4 Hickelstein Lausche Phonolit 20-4fss 29.05 ± 0.12a 1.06 0.38 56.2 2 to 12 Alk. feldspar
10/10/20-8 Basalt Erdbeerhübel Basanit 20-8mxs 30.68 ± 0.63 1.30 0.28 50.9 2 to 9 Matrix
RUP13d Jauernick, north Basanit RUP13mxs 34.9 ± 0.5b 0.94 0.49 55.8 12 to 20 Matrix
Su 2/09e Landeskrone, road outcrop Nephelinit 2058 31.81 ± 0.27c* 0.21 0.93 67.5 5 to 9 Matrix
08/11/18-1 Dubrauker Horken (Heinrichsberg) Nephelinit 2106 30.77 ± 0.26* 0.06 0.99 64.9 7 to 11 Matrix
08/11/18-7 Quarry Schafberg, North, upper part Basanit 2132 30.73 ± 0.17* 0.03 1.00 82.7 4 to 8 Matrix

Shaded data sets were analysed previously by the K/Ar method

* 1-s error, a  K/Ar age: 26.4 ± 0.9 Ma (Kaiser and Pilot 1986), b K/Ar age: 26.1 ± 1.8 Ma (Pushkarev 2000), c K/Ar age: 34 ± 2 (Pushkarev 2000), d geochemical and petrographic data from
Büchner et al. (2006), e equivalent to sample 12/02/29-1

13
 Int J Earth Sci (Geol Rundsch)

Fig. 11  Diagram of the SiO2

content versus age indicating
smaller age ranges for evolved
volcanic rocks. Labelled sam-
ples were dated with both K/
Ar and Ar/Ar method. Note, the
decreased ϭ 2 error ranges for
the evolved rocks are the result
of dating of alkali feldspars. 1 s
means ϭ 1error ranges

Fig. 12  Usual range of ero-

sion levels for volcanoes in
the Lausitz Volcanic Field
compared with Quaternary
eruptions in the Eastern Eifel
and Heldburg Dyke Swarm in
Germany

were intruded by basanitic or nephelinitic (e.g. Hausberg
near Lichtenhain) magmas (occasionally phonolitic as
well) that sometimes form lava lakes. In areas of the LVF
with granitic and metamorphic basement initial hydrovol-
canic eruptions are restricted to morphological depressions
in the syn-volcanic landscape (Lorenz et al. 2003; White
and Ross 2011).
Higher variability in lithology of lava in the centre of
the field indicates increased magma production and magma
flux (Németh 2010), possibly longer-lasting volcanism as
well as a result of extensional tectonics at the margins of the
sedimentary basins. However, the higher density of mafic
eruptive centres and higher lithological variability in the
central LVF do not correlate with an increased occurrence
of phonolites and trachytes. Centres of evolved composi-
tion rather dominate in the southern part of the field where
otherwise only small sized and monogenetic mafic volcanic
structures occur. This distribution may be explained by the

13
Int J Earth Sci (Geol Rundsch)

Fig. 13  MgO versus P2O5

diagram showing approximate
melt evolution trends for differ-
ent initial magmas, symbols as
in Fig. 9

Fig. 14  MgO versus Ba dia-

gram with varying differentia-
tion trends, symbols as in Fig. 9

distribution of different basement units that mainly differ
in their upper crustal composition (Figs. 2, 3). In the south,
sedimentary rocks overlie crystalline basement in the Elbe
Zone. This indicates that the resulting difference in den-
sity and rheology may have reduced the buoyancy of mafic
melts resulting in a delayed ascent allowing differentia-
tion of the magmas. This suggests that fractionation to tra-
chytes and phonolites most likely occurred in upper crus-
tal magma storage systems. Furthermore, the SW-directed
Lausitz Overthrust represents a low angle north-eastward
inclined thrust fault (Coubal et al. 2014). This interface
between both tectonic units may have affected the magma
ascent. Melts stagnated and were probably deflected in
their ascent along the interface in south-westward direction.
This would explain the enrichment of evolved rocks south
of the Lausitz Overthrust, whereas the highest magma flux
and variability of volcanic rocks occur in the centre of LVF.
Geochemical compositional variations
Petrographic classification based on modal assem-
blages does not always conform to geochemical data and

13

Fig. 15  MgO versus K2O dia-
gram showing different trends
of melt evolution, symbols as
in Fig. 9
normative characteristics. This is manifested firstly in the
group of nephelinites which were classified based on the
modal absence of plagioclase. Geochemically some of
them plot into the basanite field in the TAS diagram with-
out exhibiting a dominantly glassy matrix (limburgitic
character) (Fig. 9). In all of them, granodiorite or sand-
stone inclusions or quartz xenocrysts were observed. These
xenoliths may have been incorporated into the geochemical
analyses, but seem to have been enclosed late enough into
the melts that they were not yet assimilated to an extend
which enables plagioclase as solidus phase during crystal-
lization of the matrix. Since secondary minerals such as
calcite or zeolithes are common phases in a wide range of
LVF lava, interpretations of these geochemical analyses
must be done with caution. However, aside from the values
for loss on ignition some variations in the alkalis are valu-
able indicators.
Olivine nephelinites and basanites exhibit concentra-
tions of compatible elements characteristic for parental
melts. The mafic lava shows close correlations of compati-
ble elements such as Cr and Ni as well as incompatible ele-
ments such as Rb and Zr with decreasing MgO as index of
differentiation. However, a wide scatter of contents within
the mafic section of differentiation (MgO > 7 wt%) of more
than 50 rel% is exhibited for the compatible element Ti,
the semicompatible elements P and Ba as well as for the
incompatible element K (Figs. S1, 13, 14). The correlation
of P2O5 with MgO indicates at least two suites of differ-
entiation (Fig. 13). Most mafic rocks (low-P lava) exhibit
P2O5 contents increasing from 0.5 to 0.8 wt% with MgO
decreasing from 15 to 5 wt%. Magmas of nephelinitic
and basanitic composition are present in this low-P group.
13
Int J Earth Sci (Geol Rundsch)
During further differentiation to phonolites the P contents
decrease to 0.02 wt%. The second group of mainly nepheli-
nitic lava has higher P2O5 contents that increase from 0.6
to 1.3 wt% in the same interval of decreasing MgO. These
high P rocks usually contain apatite as phenocryst phase.
They additionally exhibit elevated Ba concentrations and.
a higher abundance of green core pyroxenes. Such pyrox-
enes are taken as evidence for lower crustal crystallization
depths (Duda and Schmincke 1985).
Two differentiation trends seem to be exhibited as well
by the variation of K2O (Fig. 15). In most samples K2O
content increases from less than 1 wt% to more than 2 wt%
(up to 6 wt%) while MgO decreases from 12 to 7 wt%. A
second trend is represented by K2O concentrations decreas-
ing from about 1 to 0.5 wt% with MgO contents decreasing
from 12 to 7 wt%. However, most lava within this low-K
trend contains amphiboles as partly resorbed phenocrysts
(Fig. 7). This may hint to amphibole fractionation prior to
eruption of this magma group. Further investigations are
underway.
Sr and Ba behave as semicompatible elements during
differentiation: they become enriched in the melt with SiO2
contents increasing to 55 wt% and MgO contents decreas-
ing to <1 wt% (Fig. 15). At lower MgO contents and higher
SiO2 contents, both elements become extracted from melt.
They are even still extracted when during the differen-
tiation stage from trachyte to phonolite SiO2 becomes
depleted as well from 64 to <60 wt%. The observed Sr and
Ba trends correspond with a melt evolution from olivine
nephelinites/basanites over tephrites and phonotephrites to
trachytes and phonolites. That evolution began with olivine
and clinopyroxene fractionation, which are the common
Int J Earth Sci (Geol Rundsch)

phenocrysts in the olivine nephelinites and basanites. The

Fig. 16  SiO2 versus Sr and Ba diagrams showing the alkaline trend
for lava in the Lausitz Volcanic Field, starting with fractionation of
olivine (ol), then clinopyroxene (cpx), plagioclase, and finally alkali
feldspar (sanidine), symbols as in Fig. 9
tephrites and phonotephrites represent rocks of interme-
diate degree of differentiation and are depleted in olivine
phenocrysts and only contain clinopyroxene as phenocrysts
(Table 1). Residual melts are thus enriched in incompatible
elements Na, K, Sr, Ba, Rb, Zr as well as in SiO2 (Fig. 16).
The intermediate rocks are characterized by plagioclase
as phenocryst and matrix phase and increasing amounts
of alkali feldspar only in the matrix. Fractionation of pla-
gioclase, marked by decreasing Sr and Ba concentrations,
starts within the compositional gap between phonotephrites
and trachytes. Fractionation of alkali feldspar (i.e. sanidine)
is indicated when SiO2 additionally decreases and K stays
constant, while simultaneously, the Na2O content increases
by up to 50 wt% (Fig. 17). Thus in trachytes, only alkali
feldspars (mostly Na-sanidine), K-bearing amphiboles
and mica comprise the observed mineral phases, whereas
in phonolites, sodium minerals dominate, i.e. Na-sanidine,
nepheline and analcime. For those intermediate rocks that
are strongly enriched in Sr and Ba, we propose a differ-
entiation of nephelinites without plagioclase fractionation
(Figs. 14, 16). The resulting high-Sr phonolites (Fig. 16)
only occurring at one locality will be the focus of further
investigations after additional sampling.
Lava with a positive Zr anomaly was probably influ-
enced by zircon assimilation, as the crystals show intense
magmatic rounding (Tietz and Büchner 2007) indicating
disequilibrium with the host melt.
In general, the evolution of alkaline magmas in the LVF
is characterized by rocks of variable differentiation trends
from olivine nephelinite and/or basanite to phonolite. Frac-
tionation to trachytes and phonolites may have taken place
in upper crustal magma systems (Wörner and Schmincke

Fig. 17  K2O versus Na2O

diagram for all investigated
samples, symbols as in Fig. 9

13

1984a, b), and thus resemble other continental or oceanic
intraplate differentiation series (e.g. Eifel, Schmincke
2007; Tristan da Cunha, Le Roex et al. 1990).
The petrographic and geochemical data indicate the
presence of a small spectrum of parental magmas which
only vary from olivine nephelinites to basanites due to
minor differences in the degree and depth of partial melt-
ing (Green and Falloon 1998). Even melilite–nephelin-
ites occur which were not addressed in this paper. The
LVF is thus comparable to other non-orogenic intraplate
volcanic fields within continental as well as oceanic set-
tings (Le Roex et al. 1990; Bogaard and Wörner 2003;
Abratis et al. 2007; Schmincke 2007). The mafic samples
(MgO > 8 wt%) show an enrichment of strongly incompat-
ible elements (Rb, Ba, Sr, K) and resemble an OIB signa-
ture (Ulrych and Pivec 1997; Bogaard and Wörner 2003;
Ulrych et al. 2011).
Age relations
According to Ulrych et al. (2011), all our LVF lava ages
are compatible with the syn-rift period of the Bohemian
Massif. Only a few exceptions should be made for the older
melilite-bearing rocks from Zeughausgang in Saxon Swit-
zerland and Pomologische Garten in Görlitz, which may
be older and correspond with the pre-rift period (Ulrych
et al. 2011). Even though earlier age determinations were
done using the K/Ar method (Ulrych et al. 2011), previous
research in the northern Bohemian Massif (Pfeiffer et al.
1984; Kaiser and Pilot 1986) and dates obtained for the
LVF in this study show a similar time span for this volcanic
activity. Eruptions in the Bohemian Massif are concen-
trated between around 30 and 24 Ma (Ulrych et al. 2011),
whereas in the LVF, 18 out of 22 Ar/Ar-dated eruptions
fall within the Early Oligocene between 33.9 and 28.1 Ma.
Thirteen of these eruptions are even more tightly clustered
between 31.2 and 30.1 Ma. Thus, the Ar/Ar ages for mafic,
intermediate and evolved rocks in the LVF average at
around 30.3 Ma. As in the LVF, evolved lava such as phon-
olites or trachytes usually does not show differences in age
compared with basanites or nephelinites within the Bohe-
mian Massif. The interval over which most of the eruptions
of evolved magmas occurred was from around 30 ± 5 Ma
(e.g. Cajz et al. 2012 and Cajz unpublished data).
Volcanic activity is documented in CEVP from Late
Cretaceous to Quaternary times (e.g. Lustrino and Wilson
2007). Radiometric ages for German volcanic fields range
between 45–0.01 Ma, whereas in the Eifel, volcanism took
place between 45–24 Ma (Hocheifel) and 1.5–0.01 Ma
(East Eifel and West Eifel), in the Westerwald 32–0.4 Ma,
in the Rhön from 26–11 Ma and in Upper Palatinate 29–19
(Lippolt 1983). A recent study of Abratis et al. (2007)
presents new Ar/Ar ages for the Thuringian Rhön with
13
Int J Earth Sci (Geol Rundsch)
20–18 Ma and 16–14 Ma for the Heldburg Gangschar.
Thus, the volcanism in the LVF is slightly older than most
other Cenozoic volcanic fields in Germany. However, as
our Ar/Ar dates are being compared with K/Ar ages for
other fields, it is relevant to note that previous K/Ar ages of
the LVF volcanics ranged from 34.6 ± 3.1 Ma (Ksiêginki
quarry near Luban in PL, Birkenmajer et al. 2011) to
13.5 ± 0.5 Ma (Eisenberg near Guttau, Stanek et al. 2003)
and 8.3 ± 1.6 Ma (Sauhübel near Schmilka, Kaiser and
Pilot 1986). Volcanic rocks from Lower Silesia in Poland
dated using this method also have a wider age range of
36 to 4 Ma (K/Ar, Birkenmajer et al. 2007 and references
therein). The large differences between these earlier age
determinations and results presented in this study are indic-
ative of the distinct methods being used. Indeed this can
be proved with the three samples (10/10/20-4, RUP13, Su
2/09) dated using both methods (Fig. 11; Table 5). These
three K/Ar ages range from 34.0 ± 2.0 Ma (Landesk-
rone, Pushkarev 2000) to 26.1 ± 1.8 Ma (Jauernick north,
Pushkarev 2000), whereas according to our Ar/Ar results,
the latter sample (RUP 13) at 34.9 ± 0.5 Ma represents
one of the oldest eruptions in the LVF. Nephelinites from
Landeskrone yielded an Ar/Ar age of 31.81 ± 0.27 Ma
(Su 2/09), while using the K/Ar method, phonolite from
Lausche (10/10/20-4) was dated 26.4 ± 0.9 Ma (Kaiser
and Pilot 1986), whereas Ar/Ar dating produced an age of
29.05 ± 0.12 Ma.
The quality of the results of both age determination
methods depends on the alteration state of the samples.
Therefore, a detailed petrographic and geochemical inves-
tigation is essential for good results, while stressing that
the Ar/Ar method enables a checking of the rock quality
during analysis. Step heating analyses allow an observa-
tion of temperature-dependent Ar release. The extent of
the high-temperature plateau reflects the quality of the data
set. Thus, the new Ar/Ar ages of the LVF, presented in this
study, are more precise and comprehensive than previous
K/Ar data.
Conclusions
Aside from Upper Palatinate, Doupovské hory and České
středohoří the LVF is one out of four within the Ohře Gra-
ben. It is formed by clustered monogenetic small volume
volcanoes with a higher density in the middle of the field
where also more complex volcanoes occur. The variability
to which volcanoes within the LVF are eroded is not con-
trolled by regional parameters but rather by lithology. Vol-
canic structures such as lava lakes, plugs and remnants of
feeder vents or intrusions in diatremes form cone-like hills,
whereas lava flows developed into ridges. Lava domes are
preserved as round hills with steepening slopes towards
Int J Earth Sci (Geol Rundsch)
their summits. Complex volcanoes remained as larger hilly
massifs with several summits and ridges.
Lava in the LVF represents an alkaline series typical for
continental and oceanic intraplate volcanic provinces. The
magmas differentiated from olivine nephelinitic/basanitic
to trachytic and phonolitic, in which phonolites represent
the most evolved rocks. Ar/Ar ages culminate between
about 32 and 29 Ma for rocks of the LVF independent of
the degree of differentiation. They correspond with the
peak of ages for eruptions dated in other volcanic fields
within the Bohemian Massif.
Acknowledgments The authors wish to thank Paul v.d. Bogaard
(Kiel, D) and Jörg Pfänder (Freiberg, D) for analysing and evaluat-
ing the Ar/Ar data. We thank Michael Ude (Jena, D) for the analytical
work and August Gummenscheimer (Görlitz, D) for his help digitiz-
ing the figures. We extend our thanks to Karoly Németh (Palmerston
North, NZ) for his experienced comments during early discussions of
field observations and to Klaus Stanek (Freiberg, D) for his helpful
comments to an earlier draft of the manuscript. We express our spe-
cial gratitude to the reviewers David A. Nowell (New Barnet, Hert-
fordshire, UK) and Jaromir Ulrych (Prague, CZ) for their constructive
comments and important supplementations to the manuscript as well
as to the editor in chief Christian Dullo (Kiel, D) and the guest editor
Jan Mrlina (Prague, CZ) for handling the paper. This study was sup-
ported by a DFG (TI 269/5-1) Grant.
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