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[Display omitted] • We provide detrital Zrn U-Pb ages from the Ronda peridotites' crustal hanging wall. • The studied crustal sequences likely derive from the Iberian Massif. • Results indicate a Permian or younger crustal emplacement of the Ronda peridotites. Detrital zircon geochronology is frequently used for sediment provenance analysis in orogenic belts, but it can also be applied to locate the boundary between basement and sedimentary cover in successions and tectonometamorphic units where the paleontological record is missing, and primary stratigraphic relationships have been erased by intense deformation and/or metamorphism. This is critical to differentiate metamorphic mineral associations, P-T conditions and deformational events associated with superposed orogenic cycles. In this work, detrital zircon geochronology has been applied to the Ronda peridotites' crustal hanging wall (hinterland of the Alpine Betic Cordillera, southern Spain), apparently made up of two major tectonic units – the Jubrique unit and the Maláguide complex – separated by a major Alpine tectonic contact camouflaged in between low-grade metamorphic rocks. Our results show that pre-Paleozoic peaks (c. 650, 1000, 2000, and 2600 Ma) are common along the entire studied crustal sequence, and Paleozoic ages are only recorded in the upper part of the Jubrique unit (c. 290, 350, and 475 Ma) and in the Maláguide complex (c. 350 and 475 Ma). Thus, the Paleozoic rocks of the Maláguide complex, constituting the highest crustal unit overlying the Ronda peridotites, represent syn -to-late orogenic Variscan sediments deformed and slightly metamorphosed prior to the Alpine cycle. In contrast, the underlying Jubrique unit is made of a post-Variscan sedimentary cover deposited on a Variscan basement, with the contact between both (hidden unconformity?) located within low- to medium-grade schists. These data support the presence of a major tectonic contact between the Maláguide complex (Late Carboniferous maximum depositional ages) and the Jubrique unit (Early Permian maximum depositional ages), i.e. the Maláguide complex would have overthrust the Jubrique unit during the Alpine orogeny. These results indicate a Permian or younger exhumation/emplacement up to crustal levels of the Ronda peridotites subcontinental mantle slab. Altogether, these detrital zircon age spectra support a relatively, but not entirely local derivation of the studied crustal sequences (fragments of the Iberian Massif) and suggest some Mesozoic drifting with respect to its present position. Nonetheless, the different age distribution of the Paleozoic populations between the Jubrique (Alpujárride complex) and Maláguide samples suggests that the former deposited relatively close to other samples from the eastern-central Alpujárride complex and Nevado-Filábride complex, which, in turn, show strong similarities with the Cantabrian zone and NE Iberia (Iberian Massif). In contrast, the Maláguide samples were probably deposited close to the Ossa-Morena Zone (Iberian Massif). Thus, Alpujárride/Nevado-Filábride and Maláguide complexes would have been juxtaposed during the Triassic-Cretaceous Neotethys rifting/drifting and/or the subsequent Alpine collisional events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Barroso–Alvão region is an excellent setting for studying Li mineralization associated with granitic pegmatites and developing Li exploration techniques. Among the distinguished pegmatite types in this pegmatite field, the spodumene-bearing dyke from Alijó is a representative example of an Iberian Li–Cs–Ta (LCT) pegmatite currently under exploitation. In this work, we examine the internal evolution of the Alijó dyke and its external metasomatic effect on the surrounding metasediments, contributing to lithium exploration techniques. Electron microprobe analyses provided clues about the crystallization conditions and the degree of differentiation of the pegmatitic melt, whereas the external metasomatism induced by the spodumene-bearing pegmatite was studied through whole-rock geochemistry. The obtained results indicate that the primary crystallization of the studied dyke likely occurred at temperatures between 450–500 °C, with emplacement at shallow crustal levels of about 2–3 kbar. The high concentrations of trace elements such as Li, Cs, Rb, Be, Sn, Nb, Ta, Ge, U, and Tl in the pegmatitic melt suggests high availability of these elements, allowing their partitioning into an early exsolved fluid phase. The exsolution of this fluid phase, subtracting components such as F and B, from the pegmatitic melt would cause a significant undercooling of the melt. Moreover, the interaction of this expelled fluid with the country rock generated a metasomatic overprint in the surrounding metasedimentary host rocks. The metasomatic effect in Alijó is strongly influenced by the nature of the host metasediments, with a significantly higher grade of metasomatism observed in pelitic (mica-rich) samples compared to psammitic (mica-poor) samples collected at same distances from the dyke. The greisen developed close to the pegmatite contact reflects this metasomatic signature, characterized by the mobilization of at least B, F, Li, Rb, Cs, Sn, Be, Nb, Ta, and Tl. We cautiously suggest that whole rock Li concentrations greater than 300 ppm, combined with a minimum value of 1000 ppm for the sum of B, F, Li, Rb, Cs, and Sn in pelitic metasediments of Barroso–Alvão, may be indicative of a mineralized pegmatite in this region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The intensive variables, geochemical, mineralogical, and petrogenetic constraints of the Iberian peraluminous rare metal granites (RMGs), many of them unknown, are presented. The mineral chemistry of ore and gangue minerals, whole rock analyses, geothermobarometry, melt water and phosphorus contents, mass balance, and Rayleigh modeling were performed to achieve these objectives. These procedures allow us to distinguish two main contrasting granitic types: Nb-Ta-rich and Nb-Ta-poor granites. The former have lower crystallization temperatures, higher water contents, and lower emplacement pressures than Nb-Ta-poor granites. Nb-Ta-rich granites also have higher fluoride contents, strong fractionation into geochemical twins, higher Na contents, and different evolutionary trends. At the deposit scale, the fractional crystallization of micas properly explains the variation in the Ta/Nb ratio in both Nb-Ta-poor and Nb-Ta-rich RMGs, although in higher-grade granites, the variation is not as clear due to the action of fluids. Fluid phase separation processes especially occurred in the Nb-Ta rich granites, thus transporting halogens and metals that increased the grades in the top and sometimes in the core of granites. Gas-driven filter pressing processes facilitated the migration of fluid and melt near solidus melt in Nb-Ta-rich granites. The geochemical signature of the Iberian rare metal granites mainly follows the trends of two-mica granites and P-rich cordierite granites, but also of granodiorites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the SW Iberian Massif, the Ossa-Morena Complex contains a stack of units of different origin and tectonothermal evolution. Individual terranes of the complex record a Cadomian history, traditionally interpreted in relation to the dynamics of a peri-Gondwanan volcanic arc. The interpretation of the Cadomian terranes is a key issue in the reconstruction of the Ediacaran margin of Gondwana in NW Africa. In the Mérida Massif, a mafic – ultramafic unit stacked between two units of continental or arc affinity is interpreted as a Cadomian ophiolite, the Mérida Ophiolite. Within it, mafic lithologies dated at c. 596 Ma (U-Pb in zircon) have calc-alkaline or tholeiitic affinity, indicating generation in a supra-subduction zone setting. The ophiolite shows a main event of Cadomian metamorphism (c. 590 Ma, U-Pb garnet dating) with a prograde P-T path and peak conditions at c. 700°C and 8 kbar. The mafic rocks show Nd isotopic compositions clearly different from those characteristics of the mafic rocks formed in the axial zone of the volcanic arc. Hence, the Mérida Ophiolite probably represents oceanic lithosphere of a back-arc basin, opened between the volcanic arc and the outer margin of Gondwana. Closure of the back-arc occurred during collision of the volcanic arc with the margin of Gondwana (starting at c. 590 Ma), which caused rapid accretion of the back-arc oceanic lithosphere beneath the arc and prograde metamorphism typical of subduction inception. The Mérida Ophiolite was finally obducted above the continental margin of Gondwana, presently preserved in gneissic unit piled beneath the ophiolite. Cadomian evolution of this peri-Gondwanan arc section continued with new tectonothermal events dated in the range 560–540 Ma that alternated with episodes of intense magmatic activity and preceded the collapse of the magmatic arc and its erosive levelling, followed by the generation of a new episode of intense magmatic activity in the arc and the unconformable deposition of the Ediacaran-Cambrian Malcocinado Formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the most internal zone of the Variscan Orogen, a stack of ophiolites and (ultra)high-P belts hold evidence for c. 60 Myr (c. 400–340 Ma) of almost continuous metamorphism and accretion onto the continental margin of Gondwana. Subduction of the peri-Gondwanan lithosphere led to three successive (ultra)high-P metamorphic episodes prior to the continental collision between Gondwana and Laurussia that shaped Pangea. A first high-P, high-T metamorphic belt developed during subduction of a peri-Gondwanan magmatic arc in the Early Devonian. Related to this event is the ensuing opening of intra-Gondwana Middle Devonian oceanic basins, which rapidly closed leading to ophiolite accretion. The second high-P metamorphic episode is related to the formation of a serpentinitic mélange after the sequential subduction of oceanic and transitional crust during Middle Devonian time. Tectonic blocks of subducted crustal material recording high-P, low-T metamorphism were detached from the slab and incorporated into a low-viscosity channel developed between the downgoing slab and the mantle wedge. As convergence progressed, a Late Devonian high-P, low- to intermediate-T metamorphic belt developed due to subduction of the most external margin of Gondwana. Subsequently, the scenario switched to continental collision. In this context, Early Carboniferous intracontinental subduction of the Gondwanan foreland below the accretionary wedge triggered ultra-high-P metamorphism and ensuing exhumation via trans-lithospheric diapirism and doming up to the base of the accretionary wedge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the so-called exotic nature of the South Portuguese Zone relatively to the other major domains of the Iberian Massif of peri-Gondwanan affinity, Devonian detrital rocks of the oldest strata in the Iberian Pyrite Belt have a remarkable resemblance with the Ossa-Morena Zone’s Neoproterozoic-Cambrian rocks and the West Meguma’s Cambrian-Ordovician rocks, presenting the so-called “West African signature”. Using published U-Pb detrital zircon data, we discuss the similarities and dissimilarities between the Iberian Pyrite Belt, Ossa-Morena Zone and West Meguma Terrane through multidimensional scaling, comparing them with other zones of the Iberian Massif, Saxo-Thuringian Zone, Avalonia-Ganderia, and the North African cratonic regions. Our findings show that multidimensional scaling is not entirely effective in displaying the dissimilarities between the peri-Gondwanan terranes due to the background noise caused by the overwhelming number of Cadomian Panafrican ages. However, it becomes a powerful tool if these ages are filtered. A dominant Meguma-type provenance (Cambro-Ordovician) for the middle-upper Devonian rocks of the Iberian Pyrite Belt is demonstrated, mainly attending to their similar Birimian-Eburnean pattern. The possibility of minor contributions from the lower Cambrian rocks of the Ossa-Morena Zone into the Iberian Pyrite Belt quartzites is unlikely, as the latter lack the 1.9Ga peak that characterises the Ossa-Morena Zone sediments. Additionally, the remarkable similarities between Ossa-Morena Zone and West Meguma’s detrital rocks strongly suggest a similar paleogeographic setting (but diachronic?) for both terrains from the Ediacaran to Lower Ordovician times relative to the North African blocks.

Abstract In the Mississippian Matachel small volcanic field of the Ossa‐Morena Zone (southern Iberian Massif) outpoured basic‐intermediate lavas exhibit geochemical characteristics of Low‐Ti continental tholeiites and calc‐alkaline lavas. Low‐Ti continental tholeiites integrate two contrasting groups of rocks: basalts (Mg#: 54 to 70; Ti/Zr: 61–79; LaN/LuN: 1.6–2.9; εNdi: +4.0–+6.6; “Group #1”), and basalts and basaltic andesites (Mg#: 43 to 66; Ti/Zr: 36–58; LaN/LuN: 2.5–5.9; εNdi: −0.2–+3.5; “Group #2”). Primitive Group #1 tholeiitic magmas were generated by partial melting of a garnet‐free lherzolite from an enriched lithospheric mantle, near the lithosphere‐asthenosphere thermal boundary layer (with a very limited asthenosphere melting input). Progressive interaction of these magmas with crustal alkali igneous rocks resulted in the formation of the petrological evolutionary trends observed, to a larger extent in the case of Group #2 Low‐Ti tholeiites. Further assimilation of amphibole‐rich calc‐alkaline metaigneous rocks might have originated the basalts and basaltic andesites with calc‐alkaline signature (Mg#: 33 to 56; Ti/Zr: 25–78; LaN/LuN: 2.0–5.6; εNdi: +2.8–+4.8). These exhibit a “Cordilleran‐type” evolutionary trend, though are unrelated to plate convergence. The magmas with calc‐alkaline signature attest to a closed‐system differentiation process controlled by the fractionation of plagioclase, clinopyroxene, magnetite and ilmenite. It is proposed that Mississippian lithospheric‐scale intra‐continental wrenching, unrelated to coeval mantle plume upwelling, reworked complexly docked mantle domains and triggered mantle melting. Enduring mid‐upper crustal processes (magma storage in mid‐crustal chambers and crustal assimilation) likely shaped the latest petrologic and geochemical aspects of the Matachel Low‐Ti tholeiites and related rocks with calc‐alkaline signature.

This study presents a new geochemical, petrological, and geochronological U–Pb dataset from Ediacaran metabasites of the Canigó and Cap de Creus massifs, Eastern Pyrenees. The rocks are composed of calcic amphibole + plagioclase + chlorite + epidote ± quartz plus titanite + apatite + ilmenite ± biotite ± rutile as accessory phases and show relict igneous textures. Peak pressure-temperature determinations share common conditions, ranging 452–482ºC and 5.2–7.7kbar. These intermediate P-T conditions suggest Barrovian-type metamorphism, most likely related to a collisional setting. The metabasites correspond to evolved basaltic rocks (Mg#

This work assessed the age distribution of Cadomian/Pan-African orogenic events (550-590 and 605-790Ma, respectively) in several zones of Iberian Massif by means of detrital and inherited zircon analysis compilation. Detrital zircon age spectra show that throughout the late Neoproterozoic-to-Early Ordovician era (~120Ma sedimentary record), the main systematic peak occurs at ~610Ma, followed by peaks at typical Cadomian ages (~590-550Ma). Inherited zircons incorporated in Cambrian-to-Lower Ordovician igneous rocks show typical Cadomian ages (~590-550Ma) but, once again, a remarkably consistent Pan-African ~610Ma peak occurs. In accordance with compiled zircon data and taking into account the evidence of North African peri-cratonic inliers, Ediacaran (~610Ma) zircons incorporated in Paleozoic magmas provide indirect evidence of Pan-African magmatism, suggesting that these magmas and synorogenic sediments are likely to constitute the cryptic stratigraphic infrastructure of most of the Iberian Massif. The main source of ~610Ma inherited zircons may be the lateral chrono-equivalents of the Saghro and Bou Salda-M`Gouna Groups (Anti-Atlas, Morocco) and/or coeval igneous rocks from West African Craton or Trans-Sahara Belt, emplaced at a stratigraphic level below the late Ediacaran sediments of the Ossa Morena Zone and the Central Iberian Zone. Assuming that the Iberian crust is a fragment of the Pan-African orogen, a relative paleoposition situated between the West African Craton and the Trans-Saharan Belt during the Late Neoproterozoic is proposed. The closed-system behaviour of Stenian-Tonian detrital zircon ages in the Trans-Sahara Belt suggests that this mega-cordillera acted as a barrier, in paleogeographic terms, to separating the Sahara Metacraton from Iberia. In Iberia, the opening of the system to Stenian-Tonian detrital zircon during the Ordovician indicates that, at that time, the Trans-Saharan Belt had already become a vast peneplain, which favoured a large drainage system with a long-distance transport mechanism that fed the passive continental margins.

This study presents a new geochemical, petrological, and geochronological U-Pb dataset from Ediacaran metabasites and associated rocks of the Canigó and Cap de Creus massifs, Eastern Pyrenees. Metabasites are composed of calcic amphibole + plagioclase + chlorite + epidote ± quartz plus titanite + apatite + ilmenite ± biotite ± rutile as accessory phases and show relict igneous textures. Peak pressure-temperature determinations share common conditions, ranging 452-482ºC and 5.2-7.7kbar, which suggest Barrovian-type metamorphism, most likely related to a collisional setting. The metabasites correspond to evolved basaltic rocks (Mg#

Despite the so-called exotic nature of the South Portuguese Zone relatively to the other major domains of the Iberian Massif of peri-Gondwanan affinity, Devonian detrital rocks of the oldest strata in the Iberian Pyrite Belt have a remarkable resemblance with the Ossa-Morena Zone’s Neoproterozoic-Cambrian rocks and the West Meguma’s Cambrian-Ordovician rocks, presenting the so-called “West African signature”. Using published U-Pb detrital zircon data, we discuss the similarities and dissimilarities between the Iberian Pyrite Belt, Ossa-Morena Zone and West Meguma Terrane through multidimensional scaling, comparing them with other zones of the Iberian Massif, Saxo-Thuringian Zone, Avalonia-Ganderia, and the North African cratonic regions. Our findings show that multidimensional scaling is not entirely effective in displaying the dissimilarities between the peri-Gondwanan terranes due to the background noise caused by the overwhelming number of Cadomian-Panafrican ages. However, it becomes a powerful tool if these ages are filtered. A dominant Meguma-type provenance (Cambro-Ordovician) for the Middle-Upper Devonian rocks of the Iberian Pyrite Belt is demonstrated, mainly attending to their similar Birimian-Eburnean pattern. The possibility of minor contributions from the lower Cambrian rocks of the Ossa-Morena Zone into the Iberian Pyrite Belt quartzites is unlikely, as the latter lack the 1.9Ga peak that characterises the Ossa-Morena Zone sediments. Additionally, the remarkable similarities between Ossa-Morena Zone’s and West Meguma’s detrital rocks strongly suggest a similar paleogeographic setting (but diachronic) for both terrains from the Ediacaran to Lower Ordovician times relative to the North African blocks.

This work assessed the age distribution of Cadomian/Pan-African orogenic events (550-590 and 605-790Ma, respectively) in several zones of Iberian Massif by means of detrital and inherited zircon analysis compilation. Detrital zircon age spectra show that throughout the late Neoproterozoic-to-Early Ordovician era (~120Ma sedimentary record), the main systematic peak occurs at ~610Ma, followed by peaks at typical Cadomian ages (~590-550Ma). Inherited zircons incorporated in Cambrian-to-Lower Ordovician igneous rocks show typical Cadomian ages (~590-550Ma) but, once again, a remarkably consistent Pan-African ~610Ma peak occurs. In accordance with compiled zircon data and taking into account the evidence of North African peri-cratonic inliers, Ediacaran (~610Ma) zircons incorporated in Paleozoic magmas provide indirect evidence of Pan-African magmatism, suggesting that these magmas and synorogenic sediments are likely to constitute the cryptic stratigraphic infrastructure of most of the Iberian Massif. The main source of ~610Ma inherited zircons may be the lateral chrono-equivalents of the Saghro and Bou Salda-M`Gouna Groups (Anti-Atlas, Morocco) and/or coeval igneous rocks from West African Craton or Trans-Sahara Belt, emplaced at a stratigraphic level below the late-Ediacaran sediments of the Ossa Morena Zone and the Central Iberian Zone. Assuming that the Iberian crust is a fragment of the Pan-African orogen, a relative paleoposition situated between the West African Craton and the Trans-Saharan Belt during the Late Neoproterozoic is proposed. The closed-system behaviour of Stenian-Tonian detrital zircon ages in the Trans-Sahara Belt suggests that this mega-cordillera acted as a barrier, in paleogeographic terms, separating the Sahara Metacraton from Iberia. In Iberia, the opening of the system to Stenian-Tonian detrital zircons during the Ordovician indicates that, at that time, the Trans-Saharan Belt had already become a vast peneplain, which favoured a large drainage system with a long-distance transport mechanism that fed the passive continental margins.

Recent studies have suggested the existence of a correlation between the allochthonous units of NW Iberia (Galicia-Trás-os-Montes Zone - GTMZ) with SW Iberia (Ossa-Morena Zone – OMZ) in the European Variscan Belt. Such proposed equivalence is based on lithostratigraphic, tectono-metamorphic, geochronological, and geochemical affinities between these two domains, and implies that both zones had the same Neoproterozoic and early Palaeozoic basins, recording the same magmatic episodes and enduring the same tectono-metamorphic processes related to the Variscan Orogeny. As so, in order to better understand the evolution of these domains during the Ediacaran-Cambrian period, a comprehensive geochemical, isotopic and geochronological analysis of the metasediments that make up the OMZ and the allochthonous units of the GTMZ was carried out. The results show that the metasediments of OMZ and the Lower Allochthonous units of GTMZ present similar geochemical and geochronological features, having been likely deposited near each other, although small, but specific differences between both domains suggest that they do not correspond to the same depocentre. However, no geochemical, isotopic or geochronological correlation can be established with any of these domains and the Upper Allochthonous units of GTMZ. These metasediments display quite exotic features and, as such, were likely deposited in a different narrower basin, located to the W of the basins where OMZ and Lower Allochthonous units of GTMZ were deposited, thus providing precise constraints on the paleogeographic reconstruction of these domains during the Neoproterozoic to Early Ordovician dismembering of Gondwana. [Display omitted] • A comprehensive compilation of geochemical/geochronological data was done for the Iberian Massif. • Ediacaran metasediments from GTMZ Lower Allochthon and the OMZ are correlated. • There is no equivalence of the GTMZ Upper Allochthon to any sector of the OMZ. • There are no significant differences that indicate a subdivision of the OMZ. • Paleogeographic reconstruction for the Ediacaran-Cambrian is presented for NW Gondwana. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents a new geochemical, petrological, and geochronological U-Pb dataset from Ediacaran metabasites and associated rocks of the Canigó and Cap de Creus massifs, Eastern Pyrenees. Metabasites are composed of calcic amphibole + plagioclase + chlorite + epidote ± quartz plus titanite + apatite + ilmenite ± biotite ± rutile as accessory phases and show relict igneous textures. Peak pressure-temperature determinations share common conditions, ranging 452-482°C and 5.2-7.7kbar, which suggest Barrovian-type metamorphism, most likely related to a collisional setting. The metabasites correspond to evolved basaltic rocks (Mg#<0.55) with moderate TiO2 content (up to 2.08wt.%) and relatively low Cr (43-416ppm). The rocks are moderately enriched in Light Rare Earth Elements (LREE) relative to Heavy Rare Earth Elements (HREE) (average (La/Lu)n of 2.7) and the N-MORB normalized multi-element patterns show negative slopes, with prominent negative Nb anomalies ((Nb/La)NMORB=0.33-0.78). These variations are akin to island arc tholeiites generated in back-arc basins and to other metabasites described in the Eastern Pyrenees with a putative Ediacaran age, and they differ from the Ordovician tholeiitic metabasites from the Canigó massif, which derived from a contaminated E-MORB source. The positive ƐNd(T) values (0.82-3.05) of the studied metabasites preclude a notable contribution from an older continental crust. Detrital zircon U-Pb dating Laser Ablation-Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) of one chlorite-rich schist sample in contact with the metabasites from the Canigó massif yielded a main peak at ca. 632Ma and apparent maximum age of deposition at ca. 550Ma. We argue that the Cadomian metabasites from the Pyrenees formed during back-arc extension in the continental margin of Gondwana and were later affected by (probably early Variscan) medium-P metamorphism before the Low-Pressure High-Temperature (LP-HT) metamorphism classically described in the Pyrenees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work assessed the age distribution of Cadomian/Pan-African orogenic events (550-590 and 605-790Ma, respectively) in several zones of Iberian Massif by means of detrital and inherited zircon analysis compilation. Detrital zircon age spectra show that throughout the late Neoproterozoic-to-Early Ordovician era (~120Ma sedimentary record), the main systematic peak occurs at ~610Ma, followed by peaks at typical Cadomian ages (~590-550Ma). Inherited zircons incorporated in Cambrian-to-Lower Ordovician igneous rocks show typical Cadomian ages (~590-550Ma) but, once again, a remarkably consistent Pan-African ~610Ma peak occurs. In accordance with compiled zircon data and taking into account the evidence of North African peri-cratonic inliers, Ediacaran (~610Ma) zircons incorporated in Paleozoic magmas provide indirect evidence of Pan-African magmatism, suggesting that these magmas and synorogenic sediments are likely to constitute the cryptic stratigraphic infrastructure of most of the Iberian Massif. The main source of ~610Ma inherited zircons may be the lateral chrono-equivalents of the Saghro and Bou Salda-M-Gouna Groups (Anti-Atlas, Morocco) and/or coeval igneous rocks from West African Craton or Trans-Sahara Belt, emplaced at a stratigraphic level below the late-Ediacaran sediments of the Ossa Morena Zone and the Central Iberian Zone. Assuming that the Iberian crust is a fragment of the Pan-African orogen, a relative paleoposition situated between the West African Craton and the Trans-Saharan Belt during the Late Neoproterozoic is proposed. The closedsystem behaviour of Stenian-Tonian detrital zircon ages in the Trans-Sahara Belt suggests that this mega-cordillera acted as a barrier, in paleogeographic terms, separating the Sahara Metacraton from Iberia. In Iberia, the opening of the system to Stenian-Tonian detrital zircons during the Ordovician indicates that, at that time, the Trans-Saharan Belt had already become a vast peneplain, which favoured a large drainage system with a long-distance transport mechanism that fed the passive continental margins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the so-called exotic nature of the South Portuguese Zone relatively to the other major domains of the Iberian Massif of peri-Gondwanan affinity, Devonian detrital rocks of the oldest strata in the Iberian Pyrite Belt have a remarkable resemblance with the Ossa-Morena Zone's Neoproterozoic-Cambrian rocks and the West Meguma's Cambrian-Ordovician rocks, presenting the so-called "West African signature".Using published U-Pb detrital zircon data, we discuss the similarities and dissimilarities between the Iberian Pyrite Belt, Ossa-Morena Zone and West Meguma Terrane through multidimensional scaling, comparing them with other zones of the Iberian Massif, Saxo-Thuringian Zone, Avalonia-Ganderia, and the North African cratonic regions. Our findings show that multidimensional scaling is not entirely effective in displaying the dissimilarities between the peri-Gondwanan terranes due to the background noise caused by the overwhelming number of Cadomian-Panafrican ages. However, it becomes a powerful tool if these ages are filtered. A dominant Meguma-type provenance (Cambro-Ordovician) for the Middle-Upper Devonian rocks of the Iberian Pyrite Belt is demonstrated, mainly attending to their similar Birimian-Eburnean pattern. The possibility of minor contributions from the lower Cambrian rocks of the Ossa-Morena Zone into the Iberian Pyrite Belt quartzites is unlikely, as the latter lack the 1.9Ga peak that characterises the Ossa-Morena Zone sediments. Additionally, the remarkable similarities between Ossa-Morena Zone's and West Meguma's detrital rocks strongly suggest a similar paleogeographic setting (but diachronic) for both terrains from the Ediacaran to Lower Ordovician times relative to the North African blocks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Geological mapping, structural data, and analytical modeling by Díez Fernández et al. (2021), https://doi.org/10.1029/2021tc006791 supported that the Central Unit belonged to a rootless Devonian suture zone contiguous to the SW of its exposure and under the upper section of the footwall to the Azuaga Fault. Late exhumation of the Central Unit was via extrusion from the upper‐middle crust under inclined triclinic sinistral transpression, which favored upright folding of the suture zone. Azor and coworkers argue that the upright folds that affect the Central Unit are local, despite geological maps and structural data demonstrate they are km‐scale and occur all across the Central Unit. Besides ignoring structural data regarding the kinematics of the Azuaga Fault, Azor et al. (2022), https://doi.org/10.1029/2021TC006982 fail to recognize the net upthrown movement of the NE side of the Azuaga Fault, as the Central Unit in that side is juxtaposed against syn‐orogenic strata that rest unconformably onto other metamorphic units in the SW side of the fault. Seismic data that image the Central Unit as a NE‐dipping rock package is used as an argument against the proposal by Díez Fernández et al. (2021), https://doi.org/10.1029/2021tc006791. However, the section of the Central Unit those data account for, are from a different part of the Central Unit, the real dip of some structures in the seismic image is not properly interpreted, and the model by Díez Fernández et al. (2021), https://doi.org/10.1029/2021tc006791 is compatible with a Central Unit that also dips to the NE. Overall, the model proposed by Díez Fernández et al. (2021), https://doi.org/10.1029/2021tc006791 remains valid. Key Points: The Central Unit belonged to a rootless Devonian suture zone contiguous to the SW of its exposureThe late exhumation of the Central Unit was via extrusion from the upper‐middle crust under inclined triclinic sinistral transpressionLate exhumation favored upright folding of the suture zone, exposing it in a tectonic window at the core of the Ossa‐Morena Complex [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The existence of forms sculpted by fluvial erosion is frequent in Bedrock Rivers. Since 1999, the Area of Physical Geography of the University of Vigo (Ourense Campus) has been conducting research on these rock cavities in various reaches of the middle Miño River. The exploratory study that is presented corresponds to the case of a section upstream of the Barbantiño river waterfall (Ourense, Galicia). Carried out within the framework of a research line with the objectives of inventorying, characterizing, interpreting and evaluating the erosive forms in the rocky channels of the Miño River and its tributaries, the employed methodology included phases of field work, creation of a database, and statistical analysis. From the records in the sampled sectors of the Barbantiño River, an inventory was made with 60 erosive forms, considering quantitative variables (measurements of length, width, depth) and qualitative variables (morphology of the bottom, state of the walls, and presence of deposits). The preliminary results of the exploratory analysis provide new information on the sculpted forms in bedrock, allowing comparison with previous studies. The erosive forms of the studied section are characterized by great variability in their depth (between 2 cm and 2.7 m), length (between 7 cm and 2.5 m) and width (between 4 cm and 2 m); the strong correlation between surface and bottom dimensions (Spearman's r> 0.85); and the coexistence of cavities in an incipient state, furrows and potholes. These results contribute to the advancement of knowledge of a natural legacy that is part of the geodiversity of the Miño River basin, with a complex of values associated with its condition of geomorphological heritage.

The Sierra Bermeja Pluton (∼60 km2 surface area) exemplifies a type of controversial granites of the Iberian Massif (European Variscan Belt), the cordierite-bearing ‘Serie Mixta’ (mixed series) monzogranites. The pluton is included almost completely in the Cornalvo Natural Park (Badajoz, Spain), a relevant target area in Roman times. The geological mapping summarised in the presented map at 1:10,000 scale has revealed a complex intrusive assemblage. Three main cordierite-bearing monzogranite types that show local varieties constitute most of the massif. Monzogranite intrusions are younger towards the centre of the pluton and gave rise to outstanding mappable mingling/mixing zones in some areas. A NE–SW trending reduced dyke complex composed by vaugnerite series rocks, lamprophyres, aplites and quartz dykes, completes the lithological assemblage of the pluton. An inventory of Geologic Points of Interest to promote the geological knowledge of this remarkable protected area and its geoconservation is also presented.

The Cadomian basement in central and southern Europe is composed by Ediacaran–Early Cambrian sequences that appear dismembered along the Variscan Orogen. These ancient series contain geochemical and isotopic keys related to their deposition in different basins located along the paleo margin of Gondwana. The southwest of Iberian Massif (Ossa–Morena Complex) contains an excellent representation of Cadomian basement. The oldest sedimentary succession of this region, the Serie Negra Group (c. 600–541 Ma), is composed by the Montemolín Formation which consists of metapelites, metagreywackes and abundant amphibolites; and the Tentudía Formation which consists of metagreywackes, black quartzites and metapelites. The whole-rock and Nd isotopic geochemistry of the Montemolín and Tentudía formations, are consistent with a deposition in a back-arc or fore-arc setting. Their Nd isotopic composition shows highly negative εNd(t) values in a range between − 6.9 and − 11.5, resulting in old Paleoproterozoic Nd model ages between 1.9 and 1.7 Ga. The Nd isotopic signatures obtained for the Cadomian basement in the Iberian Massif are almost identical to those obtained for equivalent sedimentary series in the Saxo-Thuringian Zone (Bohemian Massif), where Nd model ages range between 2 and 1.6 Ga. The limited variability of these Nd-TDM ages suggests that the southwestern Iberian and North Bohemian series shared a common source during Ediacaran times, which would be located close to the periphery of the West African Craton. The Nd isotopic data considered herein provide solid evidence about the peri-Gondwanan location and correlation between the Cadomian basement of southwestern Iberia and North Bohemia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Eastern Galicia Magnetic Anomaly is the best studied anomaly of the Central Iberian Arc. This is due to its location, on the Lugo‐Sanabria gneiss dome, and to the fact that its source rocks crop out in the Xistral Tectonic Window. Multiple studies of this anomaly have been carried out, but still, new results keep on shedding light on its understanding. This paper presents the first results on rock magnetic analyses, natural remanent magnetization, anisotropy of the magnetic susceptibility, X‐ray diffraction, and stable isotopes geochemistry carried out on the source rocks of this anomaly. Results suggest that magnetization responds to the increase in oxygen fugacity underwent by rocks affected by late Variscan (330‐300 Ma) extensional tectonics. Extensional detachments were the pathways that allowed the entrance of fluids that led to syntectonic crystallization of magnetite and hematite in metasediments and inhomogeneous S‐Type granitoids derived from their partial melting. Accordingly, magnetization is not linked to lithologies, but to extensional structures developed in the late Carboniferous/earliest Permian, during the Kiaman reverse superchron. Systematic reverse magnetic remanence exhibited by hematite‐bearing samples confirms the age of the magnetization and adds complexity to the interpretation of the anomaly. Understanding the EGMA contributes to the interpretation of other anomalies existing in the CIA, also located on thermal domes. The observed extension‐related magnetization probably affected most of the NW Iberian Massif, thus hindering the study of previous tectonics by paleomagnetic techniques. This work aims to provide new hints to interpret magnetic anomalies located in extensional tectonic contexts worldwide. Plain Language Summary: This paper presents a further step in the understanding of the Eastern Galicia Magnetic Anomaly (Iberian Massif), the biggest and most studied magnetic anomaly in Spain. Understanding the source and age of magnetization of this anomaly is key to understand the age of the Central Iberian Arc as it allows (1) to infer the origin of other anomalies found in the internal zone of the Central Iberian Arc and (2) shed more light on the age of the arc itself. Previous papers on this matter are: Ayarza et al. (2007) and Martínez Catalán et al. (2018), https://doi.org/10.1029/2017tc004887. Both represent the evolution on the investigations carried out in this area after the papers by Aller et al. (1994), https://doi.org/10.1016/0040‐1951(94)90255‐0 and that of de Poulpiquet (2012). The MS submitted now includes new AMS, rock magnetism, NRM, field work, and geochemistry studies of the area and proves the role that late Variscan orogenic extension has played in magnetization. Key Points: NRM of the EGMA exhibits a component of inverse polarity coherent with the characteristics of the Kiaman superchronSynkinematic S‐Type granitoids of the Lugo‐Sanabria dome are heterogeneously but highly magneticLate Variscan extension produced the magnetization of EGMA and other areas at the core of the Central Iberian Arc during the Kiaman superchron [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Migmatite formation is dependent of several and inter-related factors, such as P-T conditions, protolith composition and the abundance of volatiles, which usually hinders the full understanding of anatectic progression and how it relates to orogenic evolution. We have constrained the petrological evolution of the anatectic complex (mostly metatexites and diatexites) of the Porto-Viseu Metamorphic Belt in the Central Iberian Zone (CIZ) using petrography, geochemical and isotopic data. Major and trace element geochemistry allowed us to conclude that the studied metatexites were formed through water-present melting of muscovite from metapelitic schists, whereas diatexites were mostly formed by dehydration-melting of muscovite and, occasionally, by the dehydration-melting of biotite. Additionally, melting evolution from incipient (metatexites) to pervasive (diatexites and anatectic granitoids) included SiO 2 enrichment and elemental depletion (except for Ca, P, Na and K). The geochemical evolution of these elements during melting progression was essentially controlled by fractionation/melting of plagioclase, K-feldspar, mica and apatite, whereas REE abundance was constrained by accessory minerals, such as monazite, apatite and zircon. In both cases, the geochemical control was variable and dependent on the fate of these mineral phases during the progression of melting, as well as the variable degree of melt loss or gain, with diatexites and granites being the result of substantial melt gain. The 87Sr/86Sr 320 values have a large dispersion (0.708–0.766), which is common for rocks that experienced these metamorphic conditions, whereas the εNd 320 values are less variable, roughly from −3 to −9 (diatexites: −8.24 to −2.96; metatexites: −8.79 to −5.15; staurolite-bearing schists: −7.57 to −5.19; granite: −8.21), being both isotopes independent of lithological type or degree of melting. Therefore, we interpret their Sr isotopic variation as mostly related to secondary alteration processes, whereas Nd isotopes, which are usually more immobile, should correlate to the initial protolith. In fact, their isotopic results are broadly consistent to the values of other CIZ metasediments that did not experience such high metamorphic conditions and melting (Douro-Beiras Supergroup), being most likely derived from these rocks, namely the Douro Group. [Display omitted] • Migmatites are complex and difficult to understand their formation. • PVMB metatexites formed by water-present melting of muscovite from schists • PVMB diatexites formed by dehydration-melting of muscovite and, rarely, biotite • REE patterns and isotope data similar to other Central Iberian Zone migmatites • Geodynamic setting (volcanic arc) and εNd similar to the Douro Group [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rare-element granites and pegmatites represent important sources of raw materials for “clean, green and high technologies”, such as lithium and tantalum, for example. However, mechanisms of rare-element granites and pegmatite’s origin are still far from being fully understood. Several rare-element pegmatite fields and a rare-element granite are known in the Variscan realms located in Iberia (Spain and Portugal), enhancing the interest of this area for studying the formation of these extremely fractionated melts. In situ U-Pb dating by LA-SF-ICP-MS of columbite-group minerals from rare-element granites and pegmatites of the Iberian Variscan belt provides new constraints on the generation of rare-element melts. Three events have been recognized: (i) Emplacement of the Argemela rare-element granite, in the Central Iberian Zone (CIZ), with an age of 326 ± 3 Ma; (ii) Emplacement of rare-element pegmatites from the Galicia-Trás-os-Montes Zone (GTOMZ), at an average age of 310 ± 5 Ma; (iii) Emplacement of rare-element pegmatites in the CIZ and in the southern GTOMZ at about 301 ± 3 Ma. These two last events are coeval with the two peaks of ages for the late orogenic magmatism at ca. 308 Ma and 299 Ma, and all dated rare-element pegmatites clearly emplaced during the late-orogenic evolution of the Variscan belt. Contemporaneous fields of rare-element pegmatites are arranged in belts following those formed by similar granitoid suites. Pegmatite fields from both the GTOMZ and the CIZ reveal a southward propagation of ages of emplacement, which matches the observed propagation of deformation, metamorphism and magmatism in the two different geotectonic zones. Existence of three successive rare-element events in the Iberian Massif argues against the involvement of lower crustal HP-HT metamorphism in the generation of rare-element melts. Possible sources of rare-element-enriched melts are more likely located in the middle to upper crust, as are the major components of granitic magmatism. Analyses of U and Pb isotopes from columbite-group minerals are very robust and reproducible, making them good candidates for dating ore deposits related to peraluminous magmatism as well as REE- and Nb-bearing deposits.

The Sierra Bermeja Pluton (∼60 km2 surface area) exemplifies a type of controversial granites of the Iberian Massif (European Variscan Belt), the cordierite-bearing 'Serie Mixta' (mixed series) monzogranites. The pluton is included almost completely in the Cornalvo Natural Park (Badajoz, Spain), a relevant target area in Roman times. The geological mapping summarised in the presented map at 1:10,000 scale has revealed a complex intrusive assemblage. Three main cordierite-bearing monzogranite types that show local varieties constitute most of the massif. Monzogranite intrusions are younger towards the centre of the pluton and gave rise to outstanding mappable mingling/mixing zones in some areas. A NE–SW trending reduced dyke complex composed by vaugnerite series rocks, lamprophyres, aplites and quartz dykes, completes the lithological assemblage of the pluton. An inventory of Geologic Points of Interest to promote the geological knowledge of this remarkable protected area and its geoconservation is also presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Voluminous peraluminous (biotite, biotite–cordierite and cordierite–muscovite-bearing) granitic plutons were emplaced in the southern part of the Central Iberian Zone (Iberian Massif) during the waning stages of the Variscan Orogeny. The role of the mantle and the nature of the crustal sources involved in the generation of these remarkable granites are still a matter of discussion. To address these issues, a detailed study of the Sierra Bermeja Pluton, a ~60 km2 cordierite-bearing monzogranite intrusion representative of the regional Nisa–Alburquerque–Los Pedroches Magmatic Alignment, has been carried out. This pluton was formed by an inward sequence of three distinct but near contemporaneous magma pulses: Outer Unit (OU), Middle Unit (MU) and Inner Unit (IU). The nested pluton is cut by a number of syn-plutonic vaugneritic dykes, while lamprophyres were distinctly later. The age of the Pluton has been established at ca. 306 Ma (309 ± 3 to 304 ± 3 Ma) by LA-ICP-MS U–Pb dating of zircon and monazite. The peraluminosity (A/CNK = 1.01–1.33) and P 2 O 5 contents (0.19–0.35 wt%) of the monzogranitic units increase inwards (OU → MU → IU). This is accompanied by an overall decrease in TiO 2 , MgO, CaO, and FeOt, and most trace-elements, including REE. The three units display similarly low 87Sr/86Sr 306Ma ratios (0.7033–0.7046) but decreasing εNd 306Ma (OU: ~ −2.7, MU: ~ −3.8, IU: −7.5 to −4.7). Vaugneritic rocks have homogeneous composition with similar 87Sr/86Sr 306Ma ratios (~0.7043) to those of the monzogranites but higher εNd 306Ma (~ +1.1) values. Whole-rock geochemical data imply a partial melting of mainly Cambro–Ordovician felsic metaigneous rocks (OU) with increasing proportion of Neoproterozoic–Lower Cambrian metasediments of the Schist–Greywacke Complex (MU) that formed, almost exclusively, the source of the IU. Thermobarometric data suggest that melting processes progressed upward through the geological record and magma emplacement took place at <3 kbar, with crystallization temperatures of 710–810 °C. Geochemical modelling implies that each monzogranitic unit could have evolved independently at the emplacement level by a 20–26% fractional crystallization of a mineral assemblage constituted by Kfs + Pl > Bt >> Ap + Mnz + Xtm. The present results could be extensible to other cordierite-bearing granites of the southern Central Iberian Zone although forthcoming experimental work and detailed comparisons are required to confirm such extrapolation. • Crd-monzogranites intruded by syn-plutonic vaugnerites (Sierra Bermeja Pluton). • Metaigneous + metasedimentary crustal sources (no mixing with vaugnerite). • Late-Variscan LA-ICP-MS U–Pb Zrn and Mnz age of ~306 Ma. • Crystallization at 710–810 °C and <3 kbar of Kfs + Pl > Bt >> Ap + Mnz + Xtm. • Model for peraluminous Crd-monzogranites of Central Iberian Zone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Highlights • Two different Ediacaran series (565 Ma) mark the boundary Central Iberia-Ossa Morena. • Sm-Nd isotopic compositions of greywackes show contrasting sources for these series. • These series were deposited in separated basins along the African margin of Gondwana. • These results can help to reconstruct the lost African margin of Gondwana. Abstract In the Iberian Massif, westernmost sector of the Variscan Orogen, the nature of the boundary between the Central Iberian Zone and the Ossa Morena Complex has been largely discussed. Peri-Gondwanan Ediacaran series similar in age (c. 565 Ma) but different in composition occur at both sides of that boundary. The Lower Alcudian Series (Central Iberian Zone) is located to the north, while the Serie Negra (Ossa-Morena Complex) can be found to the south of the boundary. Major and trace element compositions and Sm-Nd isotopic systematics of siliciclastic rocks from both series suggest a common active margin setting for their deposition, the Serie Negra likely occupying a more external (fore-arc) position within the arc-system relative to the Lower Alcudian Series, which would have been deposited within a large back-arc domain. TDM ages for these two series are notably different, yielding values of 1421–2040 Ma and 1256–1334 Ma for the Serie Negra and Lower Alcudian, respectively. These values suggest higher input from old cratonic sources in the Ossa Morena Complex, with probable participation of the West African Craton, which would be less prominent in the Central Iberia Zone. The whole data set indicate deposition of the Ediacaran series in separated basins, probably far away from each other along/across the margin of Gondwana. Current juxtaposition of these basins is explained by Variscan and probably also pre-Variscan tectonics. Similar conclusions could be also be extended to other similar boundaries in the Variscan Orogen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Calzadilla Ophiolite is an ensemble of mafic and ultramafic rocks that represents the transition between lower crust and upper mantle of a Cadomian (peri‐Gondwanan) fore arc. Mapping and structural analysis of the ophiolite demonstrates that it was obducted in latest Ediacaran times, because the Ediacaran‐Early Cambrian sedimentary series (Malcocinado Formation) discordantly covers it. The ophiolite and emplacement‐related structures are affected by Variscan deformation (Devonian‐Carboniferous), which includes SW verging overturned folds (D1) and thrusts (D2), upright folds (D3), extensional faults (D4), and later faults (D5). These phases of deformation are explained in the context of Variscan tectonics as the result of the progressive collision between Gondwana and Laurussia. Qualitative unstraining of Variscan deformation reveals the primary geometry of Ediacaran‐Cambrian structures and uncovers the generation of east verging thrusts as responsible for the primary obduction of the Calzadilla Ophiolite. Restoration of planar and linear structures associated with this event indicates an Ediacaran, east directed obduction of the ophiolite, that is, emplacement of the Cadomian fore arc onto inner sections of the northern margin of Gondwana. According to regional data, the obduction separates two extension‐dominated stages in the tectonic evolution of the African margin of northern Gondwana preserved in southern Europe. Preobduction extension brought about the onset and widening of fore‐arc and back‐arc basins in the external part of the continent, while postobduction extension facilitated the formation of extensional migmatitic domes, an oceanward migration of back‐arc spreading centers across peri‐Gondwana, and the eventual opening of a major basin such as the Rheic Ocean. Key Points: The Calzadilla Ophiolite is a fore‐arc ensemble obducted onto a section of a peri‐Gondwanan arc in latest Ediacaran timesOphiolite obduction was directed to the ESE (present‐day coordinates), following a vector directed to mainland GondwanaObduction preceded back‐arc and fore‐arc spreading in peri‐Gondwana and was followed by the onset of extensional domes and rifting [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract U Pb and Lu Hf isotope ratios measured in zircon crystals from magmatic and metamorphic rocks provide crucial information to understand the origin and tectonothermal evolution of allochthonous terranes, and can contribute to paleogeographic reconstructions and to the understanding of orogenic processes. We investigate the age of magmatic and tectonothermal events, and the provenance of a high-pressure unit from the Ossa-Morena Complex (SW Iberian Massif). Zircons for LA-ICP-MS analyses were separated form garnet-bearing amphibolites (retroeclogites) and quartzo-feldspathic gneisses from the Central Unit (Coimbra-Córdoba shear zone). Recent geological correlations propose that the high-pressure units cropping out in the Ossa Morena Complex of the SW Iberian Massif are equivalent to the Basal Allochthonous Units of NW Iberian Massif, and one of the objectives of the study is to check the validity of the proposed correlation. The new obtained ages presented in this study indicate that the high-pressure metamorphism of the Central Unit developed in the Variscan cycle. The metamorphic zircons reveal two distinct events: a younger one well constrained by an age of 339 ± 4 Ma and an older one of 377 ± 19 Ma. The former coincide with the age of the high-grade and post-high-P metamorphism described in other areas of the Ossa-Morena Complex, whereas the second one is interpreted as the age of the high-P metamorphism. The igneous ages of metabasites and metagranitoids (c. 585–615 Ma and c. 480–577 Ma, respectively) reveal a diachronism between magmatic events in Allochthonous Units from the SW and the NW Iberian Massif, suggesting that both domains were located in different parts of the North-Gondwanan margin. The magmatic ages of the metagranitoids resemble the evolution described for the lower paleozoic rifting in the Ossa-Morena Complex. The relatively juvenile character of the basic and acid Cadomian magmatism in the Central Unit, revealed by the new Lu Hf data, indicate limited mixing of mantle melts with crustal components, which is compatible with a generation in a continental magmatic arc. These similarities in the metamorphic and magmatic evolution support the correlation of the Basal Allochthonous Units from the SW and NW domains of the Iberian Massif. Highlights • The age of the High- P metamorphism in the Ossa-Morena Domain is Variscan. • The juvenile Cadomian magmatism points to generation in a continental magmatic arc. • The magmatic ages suggest diachronism along the North-Gondwanan margin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Eastern Galicia Magnetic Anomaly (EGMA) is a conspicuous feature of the aeromagnetic map of Iberia, which structurally overlaps the Lugo and Sanabria domes, two spatially linked late Variscan extensional structures that delineate a segment of the Ibero‐Armorican Arc. In the northern part of the Lugo Dome, the Xistral Tectonic Window exposes a deep section of the continental crust, which includes several extensional detachments and associated shear zones. The aim is to check whether or not there is a correlation between the extensional process and the EGMA. A map of the magnetic anomaly of the Xistral Tectonic Window acquired on land improves the resolution of the aeromagnetic data and shows that the EGMA is actually composed by several shorter wavelength anomalies reaching amplitudes up to 1,214 nT. Their location in relation to outcropping rocks and structures, together with 2‐D modeling, shows a conspicuous link between the anomalies and the extensional detachments. On a larger scale, the EGMA forms the northern part of a largeanomaly occupying the core of the Central Iberian Arc. This anomaly can be related to extension caused by gravitational collapse of the thickened Variscan crust, implying that like the EGMA, local anomalies might reflect extensional structures, many of which may remain buried. Our study may shed light on the origin of magnetic anomalies in other gneiss domes as it shows that they can be related with the doming process instead of being inherited from older rocks presently outcropping at the core of the domes. Key Points: Magnetic anomalies in the Lugo gneiss dome of the NW Iberian Massif are related with outcropping late Variscan extensional detachmentsThe sources of magnetic anomalies are high‐grade metamorphic rocks, including migmatites and inhomogeneous granitesThe Lugo Dome is one of a series that coincides with a broad, curved magnetic anomaly that delineates an orocline in NW Iberia [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Mora Formation (Narcea Group) is one of the oldest Precambrian supracrustal successions in northern Spain. Here, we use U–Pb and in situ Hf isotope analysis on detrital zircon to determine its age and provenance. The youngest U–Pb dates constrain the maximum depositional age of the Mora Formation at 565 ± 11 Ma. Results indicate: (1) a dominant Ediacaran zircon population (33%; 565–633 Ma, Cadomian) within a spectrum of Neoproterozoic ages (40%; 636–996 Ma); and (2) smaller Mesoproterozoic (5%; 1004–1240 Ma), Palaeoproterozoic (11%; 1890–2476 Ma) and Archean (11%; 2519–3550 Ma) populations. Results here do not point to one specific cratonic source area; instead, detritus may have been derived from the West African craton and Amazonia, or even the concealed Iberian basement. The lack of 1.3–1.8 Ga grains suggests exclusion of the Sahara Craton as a major source, but this is not certain. This mixed composition favours a complex source history with reworking of detritus across terrane/craton boundaries. Hafnium isotope compositions indicate a range of crustal and juvenile sources, with initial εHf values between −15.8 and 11.1, and Hf model ages from 0.8 to 3.7 Ga. For Neoproterozoic zircons (80%), juvenile components (εHf(i) ~+10) may be related to Rodinia fragmentation and the onset of an active margin setting leading to the Cadomian orogeny. Palaeoproterozoic to Paleoarchean grains (20%) all have negative εHf values and Meso- to Eoarchean Hf model ages. This indicates an early (Archean) sialic crustal component for northwestern Gondwana. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• T DM ages suggest a different Cadomian provenance for Variscan Iberian terranes. • Two contiguous Cadomian sedimentary basins were located along the North Gondwana margin. • A western basin (close to the WAC) for Iberian allochthonous sedimentary rocks. • An eastern basin (close to the SMC) for Iberian autochthonous sedimentary rocks. • A bipartite shelf along the North Gondwana margin would extend into Ediacaran times. The Cadomian Orogeny encompassed the opening and closure of oceanic domains and associated sedimentary basins in the northern margin of Gondwana from Ediacaran to Early Cambrian time. In the Iberian Massif, these Cadomian basins are included in autochthonous and allochthonous (far-travelled) terranes of the Variscan Orogen. A compilation of Nd isotope information of Ediacaran-Lower Cambrian siliciclastic series supports previous proposal for variability in the sources along the North Gondwanan margin that continued during the Early Paleozoic. Older T DM model ages ranging from 1361 to 2357 Ma of the Variscan allochthonous Ediacaran-Lower Cambrian siliciclastic series indicate proximity to Archean and Paleoproterozoic old crustal sources of the West African Craton and represent deposition on a western Cadomian basin. In turn, the autochthonous Ediacaran-Lower Cambrian siliciclastic series show relatively younger T DM values ranging from 1179 to 2114 Ma, suggesting derivation from more juvenile magmatic rocks that are well represented further east. The Ediacaran-Lower Cambrian siliciclastic series of the autochthonous terranes formed in an eastern Cadomian basin located near the Sahara Metacraton, the Trans-Saharan Orogen and the Tuareg and Arabian-Nubian shields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Los Pedroches batholith (SW Spain) is one of the most salient igneous alignments of the Iberian massif. The batholith is considered one of the best examples of post-collisional batholiths of Iberia and is dominated by a biotite granodiorite that was emplaced in the shallow crust postdating the main deformation phases of the Variscan orogeny. In the Quintana de la Serena area, to the northwest of the batholith, granodiorites were partially emplaced into dacites characterized by the presence of abundant orthopyroxene. The quality of outcrops and abundant quarries in the area, together whit the near absence of local crustal contamination, make this zone an ideal location for petrogenetic studies about the origin of granodiorite magmas and their related microgranular enclaves. We present in this paper new SRHRIMPII-based zircon geochronology data that indicate orthopyroxene-bearing subvolcanic rocks emplaced and cooled at the age of 310 ± 2 Ma, slightly earlier than the intrusion and cooling of the massive granodiorites (307 ± 1 Ma and 306.6 ± 0.7 Ma) and their related mafic microgranular enclaves (307.8 ± 0.8 Ma). Whole rock geochemistry demonstrates that the three groups of rocks, dacites, granodiorites and mafic microgranular enclaves, define a coherent geochemical trend indicating that they are cogenetic and related by fractionation of a common parental magma. This study proves the role played by intermediate magmas of sanukitoid affinity in the generation of the most abundant and massive granodiorite rocks that form large post-collisional batholiths in Iberia. • Granodiorites, enclaves and subvolcanic orthopyroxene-bearing rocks form a continuous series. • All rocks were emplaced at ca. 307 Ma, postdating Variscan orogenic episodes. • Granodiorites were generated by fractionation of a parental sanukitoid magma. • Intrusive and subvolcanic rocks of Quintana form part of a large post-collisional batholith. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Santa Eulália-Monforte massif is a post-kinematic Late Carboniferous-Early Permian calc-alkaline composite massif (LC-EP) located in the Ossa-Morena Zone (OMZ, Portugal). This paper examines the field relationships between pinkish granites and mafic-intermediate rocks from the external ring of this massif and presents new U-Pb zircon age determinations. The estimated 206Pb/238U ages, 297±4Ma for the pinkish granite and 303±3Ma for a gabbro-diorite point to a short time interval between the crystallization of both magmas. At outcrop scale, contacts of the mafic-intermediate rocks with the host pinkish granite are sharp and corroborate this age relationship, but do not justify why the host-enclave contacts often has curved and irregular shapes, indicating liquid-liquid interaction. A full analysis of the distribution of U-Pb zircon ages and respective Th/U ratios suggests that the compositionally distinct magmas were roughly contemporaneous. The obtained ages also fit the LC-EP Iberian calc-alkaline suite that was formed contemporaneously to the development of the Iberian-Armorican Arc and when the Paleotethyan oceanic Plate subducted under the Eurasian active margin. Taking this geodynamic setting as a reference, the LC-EP Iberian calc-alkaline magmatism can be interpreted as most probably related to the Cimmerian cycle instead of the traditionally accepted model that ascribe a closer connection of this magmatism with the Variscan cycle. The Santa Eulália-Monforte massif is a post-kinematic Late Carboniferous-Early Permian calc-alkaline composite massif (LC-EP) located in the Ossa-Morena Zone (OMZ, Portugal). This paper examines the field relationships between pinkish granites and mafic-intermediate rocks from the external ring of this massif and presents new U-Pb zircon age determinations. The estimated 206Pb/238U ages, 297±4Ma for the pinkish granite and 303±3Ma for a gabbro-diorite point to a short time interval between the crystallization of both magmas. At outcrop scale, contacts of the mafic-intermediate rocks with the host pinkish granite are sharp and corroborate this age relationship, but do not justify why the host-enclave contacts often has curved and irregular shapes, indicating liquid-liquid interaction. A full analysis of the distribution of U-Pb zircon ages and respective Th/U ratios suggests that the compositionally distinct magmas were roughly contemporaneous. The obtained ages also fit the LC-EP Iberian calc-alkaline suite that was formed contemporaneously to the development of the Iberian-Armorican Arc and when the Paleotethyan oceanic Plate subducted under the Eurasian active margin. Taking this geodynamic setting as a reference, the LC-EP Iberian calc-alkaline magmatism can be interpreted as most probably related to the Cimmerian cycle instead of the traditionally accepted model that ascribe a closer connection of this magmatism with the Variscan cycle.