The pre-Alpine basement of the Apuseni Mountains (Romanian Carpathians) comprises three terranes: Someş, Baia de Arieş and Biharia. Metaigneous rocks within these terranes record Late Cambrian–Ordovician U–Pb zircon crystallization ages. Two samples from an orthogneiss layer in the Someş terrane yielded an age of 459.8 ± 2.7 Ma. In the Baia de Arieş terrane, an augen gneiss yielded an age of 470.8 ± 3.8 Ma, a porphyroid yielded an age of 467.8 ± 3.8 Ma and two metagranites yielded ages of 467.8 ± 4.7 Ma and 467.1 ± 3.9 Ma, respectively. Three samples from a metagranitoid outcrop located in the lower part of the Biharia terrane yielded an age of 495.0 ± 2.1 Ma. Three other samples from a metabasite layer situated lithostratigraphically several hundred metres above the metagranitoid yielded an age of 477.8 ± 3.2 Ma. Detrital U/Pb zircon ages from a paragneiss interlayered within the Baia de Arieş terrane scatter between 548 and 3518 Ma. Detrital zircon ages together with the inherited ages recorded by magmatic zircon populations suggest a northeastern Gondwanan provenance for the Someş, Baia de Arieş and Biharia terranes, adjacent to the Arabian–Nubian Shield. Lead loss in some zircons is interpreted to have taken place during the Variscan orogeny. Supplementary material: Coordinates for samples from the Apuseni Mountains, Palaeozoic palaeogeographical models of Gondwana, Laurentia and Baltica to the formation of Pangaea, sample preparation and analytical procedures, sample description, and age measurements of zircon grains are available at http://www.geolsoc.org.uk/SUP18425 .

ABSTRACT. Serpierite Ca(Cu,Zn) 4 (OH) 6 (SO 4 ) 2 ·3H 2 O occurs as small blue crusts covering millimeter-size gypsum crystals on the ceiling of a small mining gallery in Trestia-Băiţa area, Metaliferi Mountains. X-ray diffraction, optical, and scanning electron microscope with EDX and Raman spectroscopy have been used to identify the mineral. Genetically, serpierite derived from weathering of primary hydrothermal cooper and lead deposits. This is the first reported occurrence of serpierite in Romania.

Abstract. The lithology, sedimentology and biostratigraphy of the Bozeş Formation, which crop out in the SE Metaliferi Mountains (Apuseni Mts.) have been investigated in order to establish the age of the deposits and the depositional environment. The sedimentary structures and facies are interpreted as indicating a deep-water depositional environment, representing part of a submarine fan lobe. Three facies assemblages have been identified and described. Calcareous nannofossils were used to determine the age of the investigated deposits. The presence of Lucianorhabdus cayeuxii and Calculites obscurus indicates the CC17 biozone, while UC13 Zone is pointed out by the continuous occurrence of Arkhangelskiella cymbiformis and the absence of Broinsonia parca parca. Thus, the age of the studied deposits is Late Santonian -?Early Campanian.

Abstract.A geochemical study of the Neogene volcaniclastic deposits from the south-eastern part of the Zărand Basin (Apuseni Mts., Romania) was performed. The investigated rocks are represented by medium-K calc-alkaline andesites. Their geochemical features are similar with those of other Neogene volcanic rocks from the Apuseni Mts. However, the investigated rocks also display a few particularities: limited variation of some major oxides and trace elements content, much lower content of Nb or of light REE. As for the other Neogene volcanic rocks from Apuseni area, the geochemical evidence supports a magma source located close to the boundary between crust and garnetfree lithospheric mantle, minor fractional crystallization processes affecting the magma. A subduction signature was identified for the investigated samples, and, similar to other Neogene volcanic rocks from Apuseni Mts., was interpreted as being related to some enrichment in fluids of the magma source. Based on the location and geochemical similarities with those of other Neogene volcanic rocks from the Apuseni Mts, the assumed age range of volcanic activity generating the volcaniclastic rocks of the study area is 13.8-10 Ma, while the source of the volcaniclastic material is most probably the Bontău volcanic structure.

Abstract. In order to establish the age of the Bozeş Formation, which crops out in the SE Apuseni Mts., calcareous nannofossils investigations and U-Pb detrital zircon dating were performed in the Stăuinii Valley section. The results were correlated, and further compared with previous fossil age data. The U-Pb detrital zircon age spectrum reveals a consistent Late Cretaceous grain population, which yielded an age of 83 Ma (concordia age of 82.87±0.59 Ma), interpreted as the maximum deposition age, thus, marking the Early Campanian as the initiation of sediment deposition. Based on the presence of some important taxa in the calcareous nannofossil assemblage, the age of studied section was assigned to Late Santonian? -late Late Campanian.