The Sudetes as a Palaeozoic orogen in central Europe

Abstract

Two metasedimentary complexes are exposed in the Sudetes Mountains of Poland, Germany and the Czech Republic. Succession I comprises pelites and greywackes of Neoproterozoic–Cambrian age, deformed and metamorphosed prior to intrusion by S-type porphyritic granites at 515–480 Ma. Succession II comprises a sandstone–mudstone–chert sequence and turbidite sequence of Ordovician–early Carboniferous age accompanied by bimodal volcanogenic rocks. Both successions were intruded by late- to post-orogenic granitoid intrusions at 340–300 Ma. The sedimentary rocks of succession II show increasing maturity until mid–late Devonian times. Inversion of the basins, commencing in late Devonian–early Carboniferous times, was reflected in the emplacement of turbidites and olistostromes, concurrent with the uplift of a metamorphic core complex of succession I rocks. The original stratigraphic order of the successions was maintained, thus crustal imbrication was not significant. Instead, extensional faulting became important, followed by transpression on almost orthogonal fault zones, resulting in the presently observed juxtaposition of crustal blocks. The Palaeozoic sequences developed in mainly ensialic basins on Cadomian and older basement, parts of which became strongly reworked (2.6 to 0.54 Ga zircon inheritance ages) and incorporated into the Palaeozoic structures. The orogen developed either on the rifted margin of peri-Gondwana or on a rifted-away fragment of pre-Baltica. The Sudetic section of the Variscan Orogen is of broadly Alpine style, with significant basement involvement, but apparently without evidence for long-lived subduction of wide oceans or the accretion of numerous exotic terranes.

222Rn and 226Ra activity concentrations in groundwaters of southern Poland: new data and selected genetic relations

“…Igneous rocks (like granitoids or ryolites) and metamorphic rocks (gneisses and many varieties of schists) can be found in close proximity to each other. The latter are very often rich in uranium [7, 22, 25–29]. …”

Devonian deep-crustal metamorphism and exhumation in the Variscan Orogen: evidence from SHRIMP zircon ages from the HT-HP granulites and migmatites of the Góry Sowie (Polish Sudetes)

“…1; for regional geological context see [21][22][23][24]). It comprises high-grade metamorphic rocks, mainly gneisses and migmatites, with minor inliers of granulites and garnet meta-peridotites.…”

“Granite tectonics” revisited: insights from comparison of K-feldspar shape-fabric, anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility (AMS), and brittle fractures in the Jizera granite, Bohemian Massif

“…The tectonic evolution of the area is thought to involve early subduction (Maluski and Patočka 1997;Patočka and Pin 2005), followed by collision and nappe stacking, strike-slip faulting, and late extension during the Variscan orogeny (for reviews and further information see Aleksandrowski et al 1997Aleksandrowski et al , 2000Aleksandrowski and Mazur 2002;Cymerman et al 1997;Hladil et al 2003;Marheine et al 2002;Mazur 2002;Mazur and Aleksandrowski 2001;Mazur et al 2006;Werner et al 2000;Winchester et al 2003;Zelazniewicz 1997).…”