The paleogeographic evolution of the Moroccan Variscides has been a matter of discussion for several decades, with current theories mostly based on classical geological correlations. In this regard, the scarce number of studies devoted to U-Pb geochronological analyses of detrital zircon populations is particularly limiting when trying to ascribe the different domains to a single continental piece either derived from the West African Craton or to different sources, with some located in the Nubian Shield or the Saharan Metacraton. In this work, detrital zircon grains from 10 samples of sandstones from the Paleozoic (Ordovician to Devonian) sequence of the Eastern Meseta and Middle Atlas were dated in order to identify possible sediment sources and elucidate the paleogeography of this easternmost portion of the Moroccan Variscides. The main detrital zircon populations have Ediacaran-Cryogenian ages (610-670 Ma, related to the Cadomian and/or Pan-African orogeny) and middle Paleoproterozoic ages (1980-2080 Ma, related to the Eburnean orogeny), which are in agreement with previous data from the Western Meseta, suggesting similarity between both Mesetas, and strong West African Craton affinity. Such an affinity verifies the most accepted paleogeographic interpretation considering that the Moroccan Mesetas remained attached to northern Gondwana during the entire Paleozoic period. The main differences between our samples and those from the Western Meseta concern the minor detrital zircon populations, such as the Cambro-Ordovician and the Tonian-Stenian ones. In particular, Eastern Meseta and Middle Atlas samples lack a Cambro-Ordovician detrital zircon population, usually interpreted as related to the rifting that opened the Rheic Ocean. This population is locally reported in the Western Meseta and widely described in southwestern Europe, where magmatism of this age is well known. Furthermore, the most northeastern samples are also characterized by a Tonian-Stenian detrital zircon

The deformed Paleozoic succession of the Eastern Moroccan Meseta crops out in relatively small and isolated inliers surrounded by Mesozoic and Cenozoic rocks. Two of the largest inliers (Mekkam and Debdou) are characterized by a monotonous succession of slates and greywackes affected by polyphasic folding that occurred at low‐ to very low grade metamorphic conditions. New U‐Pb ages on detrital zircon grains from the Debdou‐Mekkam metasediments constrain the maximal depositional age as Late Devonian, interpreted to be close to the true sedimentation age. Furthermore, the εHf values of the Devonian detrital zircons, together with the presence of a series of scattered zircon grains with ages between c. 0.9 and c. 1.9 Ga, suggest provenance from a subduction‐related magmatic arc located on the Avalonian margin. The Debdou‐Mekkam massif is characterized by an Early Carboniferous first deformational event (D1), which gave way to a pervasive cleavage (S1) associated with plurikilometric‐scale, tight to isoclinal, overturned to recumbent folds. Later events (Dc) occurred at Late Carboniferous time and generated variably developed crenulation cleavages (Sc) associated with variously oriented metric‐ to kilometric‐scale folds, which complicate the pattern of both D1 intersection lineations (L1) and axial traces. The restoration of this pronounced curved pattern yields originally SW‐NE‐oriented D1 fold axes with regional SE‐vergence. This important Early Carboniferous shortening and SE‐directed tectonic transport can be explained by closure of the Rheic Ocean and the first phases of the collision between the northern passive margin of Gondwana and an Avalonian promontory.

The Apenninic fold-and-thrust belt in Italy represents one of several interconnected circum-Mediterranean orogens developed after the Late Cretaceous-early Cenozoic closure of Tethys and convergence between the European and African plates. The Geological Map of the Aventino River Valley, at 1:25,000 scale, provides original mapping of the outermost sector of Central Apennines in the Abruzzi region. Focusing on detailed mapping of the crosscutting relationships between the main regional thrust faults and tectonically driven stratigraphic unconformities, the map describes the complex structural and stratigraphic relationships between the Outer Abruzzi units (i.e. Porrara Unit), Apulia-Adriatic deformed units (i.e. Majella and Casoli Units), and the allochthonous Molise and Sicilide units. These tectono-stratigraphic relationships result from four main tectonic stages that occurred sequentially over a short time interval from late Messinian to early Pliocene.

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