The early evolution of SW Europe Variscides started by opening of the Rheic ocean at ∼500 Ma, splitting Avalonia from Armorica/Iberia. Subduction on the SE side of Rheic generated the Paleotethys back‐arc basin (430–390 Ma, splitting Armorica from Iberia), with development of Porto‐Tomar‐Ferreira do Alentejo (PTFA) dextral transform defining the boundary between continental Armorica and Finisterra microplate to the W. Obduction of Paleotethys was followed by Armorica/Iberia collision and emplacement of NW Iberian Allochthonous Units at 390–370 Ma, whereas toward the west of PTFA, there was antithetic ophiolite obduction (Beja‐Acebuches and Rheic ophiolites plus Finisterra continental slices) on top of Ossa‐Morena Zone, with simultaneous development of eclogites and orogenic magmatism under a flake–double wedge tectonic regime. Continued convergence (<370 Ma) proceeded by intracontinental deformation, with progressive tightening of the Ibero‐Armorican Arc through dextral transpression on the Cantabrian Indentor, from Iberia to Armorica. The proposed model is discussed at the light of the driving mechanism of “soft plate tectonics.”

One of the most important seismic areas in Brazil is the northeastern region with earthquake activity occurring mainly in the exposed Precambrian basement around the Potiguar Mesozoic marginal basin. Since 1986, temporary seismographic networks have been deployed at many sites near the border of the Potiguar basin and also further inland. This instrumental effort has allowed a better understanding of the seismicity patterns and crustal stresses in the region.  The seismicity in NE Brazil occurs mainly in swarms (lasting from months to many years) with shallow earthquakes (depths <12 km). These features and the large number of granitic/gneissic outcrops of the Precambrian basement allowed us to obtain good quality seismographic records, with clear P and S arrivals. Even with few stations and analogue recordings, reliable hypocentres and composite focal mechanisms have been determined with simple velocity models. The seismicity shows poor correlation with mapped faults. Several composite and single focal‐mechanism solutions were determined: strike‐slip faulting predominates in the area. Most nodal‐plane solutions are in good agreement with the fault planes determined from the distribution of hypocentres.  The principal stress directions, obtained with inversion of focal mechanisms, show a strike‐slip stress field in the upper crust with maximum stress orientation ranging from SE–NW to E–W, roughly parallel to the northern coastline. Well‐bore breakouts in the Potiguar basin also show that the maximum horizontal compression is roughly parallel to the northern coast line. It is suggested that this pattern is the superposition of E–W compressional regional stresses, generated mainly by ridge push and collisional boundary forces on the South American plate, with local extensional stresses perpendicular to the coast, generated both by the continent—ocean structural transition and by flexural forces from sediment loading at the continental shelf.

In the Iberian Pyrite Belt, volcanic rocks are relatively scarce, accounting for approximately only 25% of the geologic record, with the remaining 75% consisting of sedimentary units. This association is very clear in the host succession to the Neves Corvo massive sulfide deposit in Portugal. The Neves Corvo host succession comprises the products of explosive and effusive rhyolitic eruptions intercalated with mudstone that records a submarine below-wave-base environment and provides precise biostratigraphic age constraints. The first and second volcanic events involved eruptions at local intrabasinal vents. The first event generated thick beds of fiamme breccia that are late Famennian in age. The fiamme were originally pumice clasts produced by explosive eruptions and were subsequently compacted. The second event was the late Strunian (latest Famennian) effusion of rhyolitic lava that was pervasively quench-fragmented. The third and final event is younger than the massive sulfide deposits poorly represented in the mine area and minor compared with the two other events. The integration of biostratigraphic data with the volcanic facies architecture indicates that the Neves Corvo ore deposits are similar in age to the late Strunian rhyolitic lava. Although regionally the Iberian Pyrite Belt is essentially a sedimentary succession, ore formation at Neves Corvo can be closely linked to discrete volcanic events that produced a relatively narrow range of volcanic facies.

a b s t r a c t a r t i c l e i n f oIn this paper we present a new basement (defined here as Paleozoic, Precambrian and Mesozoic igneous rocks) map of the Lower Tagus Valley area. This map is a contribution to the understanding of the structural evolution of the top of the basement in the Lower Tagus Valley area during the Mesozoic and Cenozoic Eras. The map was produced using aeromagnetic, well, seismic reflection and geological outcrop data. It shows unprecedented details of the geometry of the basement rock's surface with higher resolution and covers a larger area than the previous basement map of the study area. In spite of an estimated average error of 200 m in depth and an horizontal resolution of 4 km, our map not only reproduces with accuracy several well known basement structures but it also emphasizes previously unknown features. Major basement faults were inferred from large depth variations at the top of the basement, magnetic 2D Euler deconvolution and horizontal gradient analysis and are compatible with surface geological structures, well data and hydrogeological information. Implications to the geodynamic evolution of the SW European Variscides and consequences to Meso-Cenozoic tectonics are discussed. The correlation of the basement structures with instrumental seismicity is carried out and their neotectonic activity is discussed on the basis of existing geological outcrop data.

The Ordovician-Silurian transition and the lower part of the Silurian (southeastern Armorican Massif, France). A new section in the Silurian graptolitic 'phtanites' (black cherts) of Les Fresnaies at Chalonnes-sur-Loire (SE Armorican Massif) shows for the first time that these rocks (1) succeed conformably to Uppermost Ordovician (Hirnantian) glaciomarine deposits and (2) contain successive graptolite assemblages that characterise the base of the Silurian, the whole Rhuddanian and Aeronian stages and the lower part of the Telychian.