<p>It's a fairly dense analysis, but this paper seems to have your answer: <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvolgeores.2021.107173" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Young Silicic Magmatism of the Greater Caucasus, Russia, with implication for its delamination origin based on zircon petrochronology and thermomechanical modeling</a>. It's also a cited in the paper mentioned in the comment by klanomath, though the figures aren't as appealing.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Thermomechanical modeling bolsters the existing idea that magmatism in
the Greater Caucasus is the result of the breakoff of a subducted slab
at ~5 Ma in what would be an otherwise amagmatic post-collisional
environment. Large volumes of silicic magmas were rapidly produced by
the intrusion of hot asthenosphere into a lithospheric window left
behind by the foundered slab. This material underwent decompression
melting and produced silicic magmas by heating and melting the crust.
Further silicic magmas were produced by the detachment and melting of
buoyant material from the foundering slab. Sometime after this initial
melting event, crustal thickening eclogitized the lower crust of the
continent formerly attached to the subducting slab, causing it to
delaminate along with the underlying continental lithosphere over a
region at least 200 km across. <strong>This produced a large surge of melting
in the upper mantle and accompanying mafic volcanism, possibly
explaining the existing high volcanic field in the Lesser Caucasus.</strong></p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-04-03T23:30:47.310Z
To avoid confusion, the text shown in bold above relates to the Lesser Caucasus range, to the south of the Greater Caucasus, where there is a volcanic field (see [Gegham Mountains](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gegham_mountains)). My question is actually answered in first part of the quoted text (not in bold).

A more complete answer would explain why the breakoff of the subducted slab has caused magmatism in this particular collision zone, in contrast to most other collision zones, which also involve subducted slabs.
Harry Kuril
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-03-20T23:10:29.017Z
2023-03-20T23:10:29.017Z
jeffronicus
<p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Elbrus" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Mount Elbrus</a>, in the Caucasus region of Russia, 65 km southwest from Kislovodsk,   is a major, isolated volcano in the heart of a continent-continent collision zone. It is not normal for volcanoes to form in such settings (see e.g. <a href="https://earthscience.stackexchange.com/q/23390/28708">this question</a>). How did Elbrus form? I have not been able to find any good resources online (any links would be welcome). Please also mention other examples of similar volcanoes if you are aware of them.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-03-19T12:35:44.813Z
[Quaternary Collision-Zone Magmatism of the Greater Caucasus](https://academic.oup.com/petrology/article/63/5/egac037/6569182) and its refs. may be a starting point.
klanomath
<volcanology><tectonics><continent><orogeny>
Formation of Mount Elbrus
Harry Kuril
# Formation of Mount Elbrus

(Asked by: username_0 on 2023-03-19)

[Mount Elbrus](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Elbrus), in the Caucasus region of Russia, 65 km southwest from Kislovodsk, is a major, isolated volcano in the heart of a continent-continent collision zone. It is not normal for volcanoes to form in such settings (see e.g. [this question](https://earthscience.stackexchange.com/q/23390/28708)). How did Elbrus form? I have not been able to find any good resources online (any links would be welcome). Please also mention other examples of similar volcanoes if you are aware of them.

**Tags:** volcanology, tectonics, continent, orogeny

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: [Quaternary Collision-Zone Magmatism of the Greater Caucasus](https://academic.oup.com/petrology/article/63/5/egac037/6569182) and its refs. may be a starting point.  

---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2023-03-20. Score: 4 | Accepted answer

It's a fairly dense analysis, but this paper seems to have your answer: [Young Silicic Magmatism of the Greater Caucasus, Russia, with implication for its delamination origin based on zircon petrochronology and thermomechanical modeling](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvolgeores.2021.107173). It's also a cited in the paper mentioned in the comment by username_1, though the figures aren't as appealing.

> Thermomechanical modeling bolsters the existing idea that magmatism in
> the Greater Caucasus is the result of the breakoff of a subducted slab
> at ~5 Ma in what would be an otherwise amagmatic post-collisional
> environment. Large volumes of silicic magmas were rapidly produced by
> the intrusion of hot asthenosphere into a lithospheric window left
> behind by the foundered slab. This material underwent decompression
> melting and produced silicic magmas by heating and melting the crust.
> Further silicic magmas were produced by the detachment and melting of
> buoyant material from the foundering slab. Sometime after this initial
> melting event, crustal thickening eclogitized the lower crust of the
> continent formerly attached to the subducting slab, causing it to
> delaminate along with the underlying continental lithosphere over a
> region at least 200 km across. **This produced a large surge of melting
> in the upper mantle and accompanying mafic volcanism, possibly
> explaining the existing high volcanic field in the Lesser Caucasus.**

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: To avoid confusion, the text shown in bold above relates to the Lesser Caucasus range, to the south of the Greater Caucasus, where there is a volcanic field (see [Gegham Mountains](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gegham_mountains)). My question is actually answered in first part of the quoted text (not in bold).  A more complete answer would explain why the breakoff of the subducted slab has caused magmatism in this particular collision zone, in contrast to most other collision zones, which also involve subducted slabs.  

---

