Palaeomagnetism and Palaeozoic palaeogeography of Gondwana and European terranes

Abstract Neoproterozoic to Late Palaeozoic times saw the break-up of the supercontinent Rodinia, and the subsequent construction of Pangaea. The intervening time period involved major redistribution of continents and continental fragments, and various palaeogeographical models have been proposed for this period. The principal differences between these models are with regard to the drift history of Gondwana, the timing of collision between northern Africa and Laurussia, and formation of Pangaea. Palaeomagnetic evidence provides basically two contrasting models for the Ordovician to Late Devonian apparent polar wander (APW) path for Gondwana involving either rapid north and southward movement of this continent, or gradual northward drift throughout Palaeozoic time. In contrast, palaeobiogeographical models suggest contact between Laurussia and Gondwana as early as mid-Devonian time with the continents basically remaining in this configuration until break-up of Pangaea in the Mesozoic era. This is in conflict, however, with most palaeomagnetic data, which demonstrate that in Late Devonian time, north Africa and the European margin of Laurussia were separated by an ocean of at least 3000 km width. This is also in agreement with the geological record of present-day southern Europe, which argues against any collision of northern Africa with Europe in Devonian time. With regard to formation of Laurussia, however, palaeobiogeographical and palaeomagnetic data are in excellent agreement that by mid-Devonian time the oceanic basins separating Baltica, Laurentia, Gondwana-derived Avalonia and the Armorican Terrane Assemblage (ATA) had all closed. Palaeomagnetic and geological data are also in agreement that the Palaeozoic basement rocks of the European Alpine realm formed an independent microplate, which was situated to the south of Laurussia. In Late Silurian times it was separated by an ocean of c. 1000 km, and by Late Devonian time was approaching the southern Laurussian margin. According to palaeomagnetic data, the northern margin of Gondwana was still further to the south in Late Devonian time, and according to the geological record in southern Europe, the main continent-continent collision of northern Africa with European Laurussia and closure of the intervening ocean occurred in Late Carboniferous times. Location of this suture is situated to the south of the Palaeozoic alpine units (e.g. the Greywacke zone, Carnic Alps, Sardinia and Sicily), but has been obscured by younger deformational events and cannot be precisely positioned. Assessing available evidence and as discussed in the text, it is proposed that the most likely scenario is that the northern margin of Gondwana drifted gradually northwards from Ordovician to Late Carboniferous times when it collided with Laurussia, resulting in formation of Pangaea.