Javier Fernández-Suárez

Origin of the Rheic Ocean: Rifting along a Neoproterozoic suture?

The Rheic Ocean is widely believed to have formed in the Late Cambrian–Early Ordovician as a result of the drift of peri-Gondwanan terranes, such as Avalonia and Carolina, from the northern margin of Gondwana, and to have been consumed in the Devonian Carboniferous by continent-continent collision during the formation of Pangea. Other peri-Gondwanan terranes (e.g., Armorica, Ossa-Morena, northwest Iberia, Saxo-Thuringia, Moldanubia) remained along the Gondwanan margin at the time of Rheic Ocean formation. Differences in the Neoproterozoic histories of these peri-Gondwanan terranes suggest the location of the Rheic Ocean rift may have been inherited from Neoproterozoic lithospheric structures formed by the accretion and dispersal of peri-Gondwanan terranes along the northern Gondwanan margin prior to Rheic Ocean opening. Avalonia and Carolina have Sm-Nd isotopic characteristics indicative of recycling of a juvenile ca. 1 Ga source, and they were accreted to the northern Gondwanan margin prior to voluminous late Neoproterozoic arc magmatism. In contrast, Sm-Nd isotopic characteristics of most other peri-Gondwanan terranes closely match those of Eburnian basement, suggesting they reflect recycling of ancient (2 Ga) West African crust. The basements of terranes initially rifted from Gondwana to form the Rheic Ocean were those that had previously accreted during Neoproterozoic orogenesis, suggesting the rift was located near the suture between the accreted terranes and cratonic northern Gondwana. Opening of the Rheic Ocean coincided with the onset of subduction beneath the Laurentian margin in its predecessor, the Iapetus Ocean, suggesting geodynamic linkages between the destruction of the Iapetus Ocean and the creation of the Rheic Ocean.

The importance of along-margin terrane transport in northern Gondwana: insights from detrital zircon parentage in Neoproterozoic rocks from Iberia and Brittany

Abstract Detrital zircons from late Neoproterozoic rocks of the peri-Gondwanan Cadomian belt of SW Iberia and north Armorican Domain of Brittany record Neoproterozoic (ca. 860–550 Ma), Palaeoproterozoic (ca. 2300–1800) and Archaean (ca 3300–2600 Ma) U–Pb ages. The absence of Mesoproterozoic zircons suggests that these terranes evolved in a peri-W African realm. This is in contrast to other western European terranes that preserve Mesoproterozoic zircons and are likely to have evolved in a peri-Amazonian realm. Such a contrast in detrital zircon populations, coupled with the presence of Mesoproterozoic zircons in the Ordovician Armorican quartzite, deposited in a peri-African platform, is interpreted to record along-margin terrane transport. The change in provenance suggests that subduction was replaced by transform faults that juxtaposed Amazonia-derived terranes against W Africa-derived terranes to form the Avalonia and Armorica microcontinents. Subsequent extension along the margin resulted in the birth of the Rheic Ocean and the outboard drift of Avalonia.

Neoproterozoic - early Palaeozoic tectonostratigraphy and palaeogeography of the peri-Gondwanan terranes: Amazonian v. West African connections

Abstract Within the Appalachian–Variscan orogen of North America and southern Europe lie a collection of terranes that were distributed along the northern margin of West Gondwana in the late Neoproterozoic and early Palaeozoic. These peri-Gondwanan terranes are characterized by voluminous late Neoproterozoic (c. 640–570 Ma) arc magmatism and cogenetic basins, and their tectonothermal histories provide fundamental constraints on the palaeogeography of this margin and on palaeocontinental reconstructions for this important period in Earth history. Field and geochemical studies indicate that arc magmatism generally terminated diachronously with the formation of a transform margin, leading by the Early–Middle Cambrian to the development of a shallow-marine platform–passive margin characterized by Gondwanan fauna. However, important differences exist between these terranes that constrain their relative palaeogeography in the late Neoproterozoic and permit changes in the geometry of the margin from the late Neoproterozoic to the Early Cambrian to be reconstructed. On the basis of basement isotopic composition, the terranes can be subdivided into: (1) Avalonian-type (e.g. West Avalonia, East Avalonia, Meguma, Carolinia, Moravia–Silesia), which developed on juvenile, c. 1.3–1.0 Ga crust originating within the Panthalassa-like Mirovoi Ocean surrounding Rodinia, and which were accreted to the northern Gondwanan margin by c. 650 Ma; (2) Cadomian-type (e.g. North Armorican Massif, Ossa–Morena, Saxo-Thuringia, Moldanubia), which formed along the West African margin by recycling ancient (c. 2.0–2.2 Ga) West African crust; (3) Ganderian-type (e.g. Ganderia, Florida, the Maya terrane and possible the NW Iberian domain and South Armorican Massif), which formed along the Amazonian margin of Gondwana by recycling Avalonian and older Amazonian basement; and (4) cratonic terranes (e.g. Oaxaquia and the Chortis block), which represent displaced Amazonian portions of cratonic Gondwana. These contrasts imply the existence of fundamental sutures between these terranes prior to c. 650 Ma. Derivation of the Cadomian-type terranes from the West African craton is further supported by detrital zircon data from their Neoproterozoic–Ediacaran clastic rocks, which contrast with such data from the Avalonian- and Ganderian-type terranes that suggest derivation from the Amazonian craton. Differences in Neoproterozoic and Ediacaran palaeogeography are also matched in some terranes by contrasts in Cambrian faunal and sedimentary provenance data. Platformal assemblages in certain Avalonian-type terranes (e.g. West Avalonia and East Avalonia) have cool-water, high-latitude fauna and detrital zircon signatures consistent with proximity to the Amazonian craton. Conversely, platformal assemblages in certain Cadomian-type terranes (e.g. North Armorican Massif, Ossa–Morena) show a transition from tropical to temperate waters and detrital zircon signatures that suggest continuing proximity to the West African craton. Other terranes (e.g. NW Iberian domain, Meguma) show Avalonian-type basement and/or detrital zircon signatures in the Neoproterozoic, but develop Cadomian-type signatures in the Cambrian. This change suggests tectonic slivering and lateral transport of terranes along the northern margin of West Gondwana consistent with the transform termination of arc magmatism. In the early Palaeozoic, several peri-Gondwanan terranes (e.g. Avalonia, Carolinia, Ganderia, Meguma) separated from West Gondwana, either separately or together, and had accreted to Laurentia by the Silurian–Devonian. Others (e.g. Cadomian-type terranes, Florida, Maya terrane, Oaxaquia, Chortis block) remained attached to Gondwana and were transferred to Laurussia only with the closure of the Rheic Ocean in the late Palaeozoic.

New ideas on the Proterozoic-Early Palaeozoic evolution of NW Iberia: insights from U-Pb detrital zircon ages

U–Pb ages were obtained on single detrital zircon grains separated from six samples of Neoproterozoic and Lower Palaeozoic sedimentary and volcanosedimentary rocks from NW Iberia using the laser ablation microprobe-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LAM-ICP-MS) method. Precambrian greywackes yielded abundant zircons with Neoproterozoic (800–640 Ma) and Mesoproterozoic (0.9–1.2 Ga) ages, and a smaller proportion of Palaeoproterozoic (1.8–2 Ga) and Archaean zircons. Palaeozoic samples (Lower Cambrian and Ordovician) yielded abundant zircons with younger Neoproterozoic (ca. 550 and 620 Ma) and Mesoproterozoic (0.9–1.2 Ga) ages. Palaeoproterozoic (1.8–2 Ga) and Archaean zircons were also found. This data set, used in conjuction with previous paleogeographic and isotopic studies sheds new light on the Precambrian-early Palaeozoic evolution of NW Iberia and is consistent with the following sequence of events: (1) Early Cadomian-Avalonian subduction and arc construction (ca. 800–640 Ma). This magmatic episode created the main arc edifice (Avalonia); (2) full development of a back arc basin upon which the Neoproterozoic sediments were deposited (ca. 640–600 Ma). The combined U–Pb ages of detrital zircons and Nd isotopic features of these sedimenary rocks suggest that they were mostly shed from the main magmatic arc. On the basis of the presence of Grenvillian age detrital zircons with short waterborne transport before incorporation in the sediment, we propose that the basin was possibly located in a peri-Amazonian realm close to West Avalonian terranes. These basins were developed upon a cratonic basement that possibly involved both Grenvillian (ca. 0.9–1.2 Ga) and Transamazonian (ca. 1.9–2.1) igneous rocks. The reported zircon ages suggest a long-lived subduction, starting at ca. 800 Ma and terminated by ca. 580–570 Ma with no geological record of a final collision event; (3) the continuation of extension gave rise to the undocking of Avalonia from the back-arc. Detrital zircon ages in Lowermost Cambrian strata suggest that the main arc edifice had drifted away by ca. 550–540 Ma and was no longer shedding detritus into the back-arc basin. (4) During the Lower Ordovician, further extension of an already thinned crust gave rise to the Lower Ordovician ‘Ollo de Sapo’ magmatic event (ca. 480 Ma). Coeval volcanism in neighbouring areas displaying within-plate geochemical signatures is consistent with an extensional setting for the generation of the Lower Ordovician igneous and sedimentary rocks. Detrital zircon ages and Nd isotopic features of the Ordovician greywackes reflect both an increase in the contribution from older crustal components and the addition of newly accreted crust. A progressively thinning crust is a likely scenario that would explain the simultaneous exhumation of lower crustal (Grenvillian+Transamazonian/Icartian) material and the generation of coeval magmatism. This latter scenario is consistent with models proposed for other circum-North Atlantic Avalonian-Cadomian terranes where repeated episodes of melting occurred in response to subduction and subsequent rifting events.

Variscan collisional magmatism and deformation in NW Iberia: constraints from U–Pb geochronology of granitoids

U–Pb geochronology of Variscan granitoid rocks from the West Asturian Leonese Zone of the NW Iberian belt documents the episodic nature of magmatism in this section of the western European Variscides. Each magmatic episode is characterized by granitoids with distinct features and has a duration on the scale of several millions of years. The ages of these granitoids place new constraints on the age and duration of magmatic and tectonic events, that are consistent with previous structural studies and proposed models for the tectonic evolution and migration of deformation in the NW Iberian Variscan belt. Granitoid rocks in this zone belong to two main magmatic episodes (syn‐ and post‐tectonic relative to the Variscan Orogeny) and are broadly representative of the granitoid types found in the NW Iberian Variscan belt. The syntectonic association is formed by: (i) tonalite–granodiorite–monzogranite intrusions emplaced synchronously with the main phase of crustal deformation (D2) at c. 325 Ma and (ii) younger leucogranite intrusions emplaced synchronously with syn‐convergence extensional structures at c. 320–310 Ma. The post‐tectonic association is composed of: (i) volumetrically dominant tonalite–granodiorite–monzogranite intrusions (and associated minor mafic‐intermediate rocks) emplaced at c. 295–290 Ma; and (ii) scarce leucogranite intrusions emplaced at c. 290–285 Ma.

Terrane accretion and dispersal in the northern Gondwana margin. An Early Paleozoic analogue of a long-lived active margin

If reconstruction of major events in ancient orogenic belts is achieved in sufficient detail, the tectonic evolution of these belts can offer valuable information to widen our perspective of processes currently at work in modern orogens. Here, we illustrate this possibility taking the western European Cadomian–Avalonian belt as an example. This research is based mainly on the study and interpretation of U–Pb ages of more than 300 detrital zircons from Neoproterozoic and Early Paleozoic sedimentary rocks from Iberia and Brittany. Analyses have been performed using the laser ablation–ICP–MS technique. The U–Pb data record contrasting detrital zircon age spectra for various terranes of western Europe. The differences provide information on the processes involved in the genesis of the western European Precambrian terranes along the northern margin of Neoproterozoic Gondwana during arc construction and subduction, and their dispersal and re-amalgamation along the margin to form the Avalonia and Armorica microcontinents. The U–Pb ages reported here also support the alleged change from subduction to transform activity that led to the final break-up of the margin, the birth of the Rheic Ocean and the drift of Avalonia. We contend that the active northern margin of Gondwana evolved through several stages that match the different types of active margins recognised in modern settings.

Lithospheric delamination in the core of Pangea: Sm-Nd insights from the Iberian mantle

Delamination of continental lithosphere in the core of active collisional orogens is a wellestablished process; however, evidence for its occurrence in ancient orogenic belts is less obvious. The contrasting Sm-Nd isotopic signature between pre– and post–Middle Permian mantle-derived mafi c rocks from under the Iberian Massif suggests that most, but not all, of the subcontinental lithospheric mantle (SCLM) was replaced in latest Carboniferous to Permian time. Mantle replacement happened during and after the bending of the Variscan orogenic belt into the horseshoe-shaped Iberian-Armorican orocline. Delamination of thickened continental lithosphere in the core of the orocline triggered replacement of the ancient SCLM, thereby providing an explanation for the contrasting Sm-Nd isotopic characteristics of pre– and post–Middle Permian mafi c rocks.

The Vila de Cruces Ophiolite: A Remnant of the Early Rheic Ocean in the Variscan Suture of Galicia (Northwest Iberian Massif)

The Vila de Cruces ophiolite is one of the ophiolitic units involved in the Variscan suture of the northwest Iberian Massif. This ophiolite consists of a tectonically repeated succession of greenschist facies volcanic rocks, common alternations of metasediments of pelitic or siliceous character, and scarce orthogneisses, metagabbros, and serpentinites. The protolith age of a granitic orthogneiss that intruded the mafic rocks is dated at \documentclass{aastex} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{bm} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{pifont} \usepackage{stmaryrd} \usepackage{textcomp} \usepackage{portland,xspace} \usepackage{amsmath,amsxtra} \usepackage[OT2,OT1]{fontenc} \newcommand\cyr{ \renewcommand\rmdefault{wncyr} \renewcommand\sfdefault{wncyss} \renewcommand\encodingdefault{OT2} \normalfont \selectfont} \DeclareTextFontCommand{\textcyr}{\cyr} \pagestyle{empty} \DeclareMathSizes{10}{9}{7}{6} \begin{document} \landscape

Contiguous rather than discrete Paleozoic histories for the Avalon and Meguma terranes based on detrital zircon data

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