A new geological map of the outcrop areas of the Brabant Massif (Belgium)

Abstract

1. Introduction As a result of the “new geological map of Wallonia” program undertaken by the Walloon Government since 1990, the maps covering the entire southern outcropping part of the Brabant Massif (BM) have been finalised (Fig. 1). These 19 maps at 1/25 000 scale (12 full and 7 partial, Fig. 2; Annex 1), were realized between 1993 and 2017 by several teams of the universities of Brussels (ULB), Louvain (UCL) and Mons (Umons), with occasional input from experts from UGent and KULeuven. During the last two decades the authors’ research has been heavily focused on the geology of the Brabant Massif and they have contributed to the realization of half of these maps, particularly those that cover the Dyle and the Senne valleys (e.g. Verniers et al., 2005; Debacker et al., 2005b, 2011; Herbosch et al., 2008a; Herbosch & Verniers, 2013, 2014, 2015; see also Annex 1). Figure 1. (A) Position of the Brabant Massif within the Anglo-Brabant Deformation Belt (ABDB) along the NE-side of the Midland Microcraton (MM) in the context of Laurentia, Baltica, Avalonia and Armorica (modified after Winchester & PACE TMR Network team, 2002; Sintubin et al., 2009). Abbreviations: IS: Iapetus Suture; LCS: Le Conquet Suture; LNSM: Luneberg-North Sea Terrane; (MM): extension of the Midland Microcraton to the southeast under the Variscan Front; TS: Tornquist Suture; RHS: Rhenohercynian Suture; RS: Rheic Suture; VF: Variscan Front; WB: Welsh Basin. (B) Geological subcrop map of the Brabant Massif, a