The Brunovistulian: Avalonian Precambrian sequence at the eastern end of the Central European Variscides?

Abstract

Abstract An outline is presented of the present state of research on the Precambrian evolution history of the Brunovistulian, a large (30 000 km 2 ), mainly sediment covered Peri-Gondwana basement block at the eastern end of the Central European Variscides. On the basis of recent chemical, isotopic and geochronological data it is argued that the eastern half of the Brunovistulian (Slavkov Terrane) originated in an island-arc environment, documenting the rare case of Neoproterozoic crustal growth in central Europe. The western half of the Brunovistulian, the Thaya Terrane, includes more mature, recycled cratonic material and is considered to have been originally part of the Neoproterozoic Gondwana continent margin. A phase of regional metamorphism at c. 600 Ma, followed by extensive granitoid plutonism, probably marks the stage when the Slavkov Terrane was accreted to the Thaya Terrane by arc-continent collision. A belt of metabasites, which is intercalated between the two terranes, may represent relics of the incipient arc or a back-arc basin. A comparison of geochronological data shows that the timing of geological events recorded in the Brunovistulian does not correlate with the evolution history of the Cadomian crust in the Teplá-Barrandian zone and the Saxo-Thuringian belt. This supports the theory that the Brunovistulian is not part of Armorica but derived from a different sector of the Neoproterozoic Gondwana margin. A correlation with the Avalonian superterrane appears feasible.