Third Vents Field workshop, TU Bergakademie Freiberg, May 15th to 18th, 2008

Over 30 geoscientists from Poland, Czech Republic and Germany met at the Centre for Volcanic Textures in the Geological Institute of the TU Bergakademie Freiberg to enjoy two half days of talks and two full days of field trip to major outcrops of Permocarboniferous volcanosedimentary successions and to subvolcanic - plutonic complexes in Saxony. As summarized in the Abstract and field guide, published in volume 38/2008 of the Wissenschaftl. Mitt. Inst. f. Geol. (ISSN 1433-1284), seminar talks focussed on petrological aspects of basic to intermediate dyke rocks and on physical geology of Permocarboniferous volcanosedimentary successions. Very instructive contributions on the Permocarboniferous volcanoes of northern UK (Ray MacDonald), and on biostratigraphic tools in continental realms (Jörg Schneider) broadened the view.

Ronny Rößler from the Museum of Natural Science in Chemnitz introduced the famous petrified forest of Chemnitz (of course, destroyed and conserved by a volcanic event!) and facilitated a field trip stop at the temporary excavation site in Chemnitz.

This third VENTS field workshop revealed the differences between the Czech, Polish and Saxonian regions. Whereas in the Polish Northern and Inner Sudetic Basins, and in the Czech Krkonosze Piedmont Basin, low grade ignimbrites, laccoliths and especially basic to intermediate volcanic complexes are well exposed features, Saxony impressed the VENTS group with extended and thick welded ignimbrites and caldera systems. Also, abundant signs of magma mingling in Saxonian rocks appealed.