Abstract
The provenance of top-Famennian sedimentary rocks linked to the Hangenberg Crisis from the northern Rhenish Massif (Germany) was investigated by the means of detrital zircon U-Pb geochronology. Based on the obtained age spectra, three main tectonothermal domains are recognized as possible sources: Paleo- and Mesoproterozoic (~ 2000–1000 Ma) units of Baltica and Early Paleozoic Caledonian orogen (~ 500–400 Ma). Our interpretation of the detritus having been derived from northern source areas, i.e., Baltica and the Scandinavian Caledonides, with a minor input of German-Polish (Rügen-Pomeranian) Caledonides, contradicts the traditional view that, during the Upper Devonian, the northern Rhenish Massif was supplied by detritus from the south. Complementary mineralogical, textural and geochemical analyses point to a derivation of the detritus of Drewer and Hangenberg Sandstones mainly from felsic, recycled continental crust. The elevated concentrations of Pb and Zn in the studied sections are a feature attributed to hydrothermal alteration related to the terminal Devonian synsedimentary volcanism or post-depositional Variscan deformation.
Highlights
The Rhenish Massif in western Germany with its complex Paleozoic evolution represents a piece of puzzle in the understanding of the processes that led to the polyphaseElectronic supplementary material The online version of this article contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.1 3 Vol.:(0123456789)International Journal of Earth Sciences (2018) 107:2645–2669 zircons from Upper Devonian clasticsediments of the Böllstein Odenwald (Mid-German-Crystalline-Zone)
The main aim of this paper is to define the source areas of uppermost Fammenian siliciclastic rocks from the northern Rhenish Massif based on U-Pb dating of detrital zircon and mineralogical and geochemical analysis of the sedimentary rocks
We focus on the two youngest units, i.e., the Drewer and Hangenberg Sandstones (Figs. 2, 3)
Summary
The provenance of Upper Devonian sedimentary rocks of the northern part of the Rhenish Massif has not been studied in detail before. The main aim of this paper is to define the source areas of uppermost Fammenian siliciclastic rocks (sandstone, siltstone and mudstone; see below for explanation) from the northern Rhenish Massif based on U-Pb dating of detrital zircon and mineralogical and geochemical analysis of the sedimentary rocks. These data allow to test the presence of the GermanPolish (Rügen-Pomeranian) Caledonides as an uplifted land in the Rügen area during the Upper Devonian
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