40Ar/39Ar laser probe dating of detrital white micas from Cretaceous sedimentary rocks of the Eastern Alps: Evidence for Variscan high-pressure metamorphism and implications for Alpine orogeny: Reply

The detritus of Cretaceous synorogenic sandstones of the northern margin of the Austroalpine microplate contains evidence for a high-pressure metamorphic basement and obducted oceanic crust exposed in early Alpine time. 40 Ar/ 39 Ar laser-probe data of detrital white micas give excellent plateau ages in a narrow range from 320 to 360 Ma. White micas cover the whole range from muscovites up to phengites (3.04 to 3.48 Si per formula unit). Heavy mineral spectra contain chrome spinel, glaucophane, chloritoid, epidote, and garnet, as well as zircon, tourmaline, and rutile. Glaucophane, chloritoid, and phengite correlate in their abundance. These minerals also correlate positively with the stabl…