The Variscan collage and orogeny (480–290 Ma) and the tectonic definition of the Armorica microplate: a review

The Variscan belt of western Europe is part of a large Palaeozoic mountain system, 1000 km broad and 8000 km long, which extended from the Caucasus to the Appalachian and Ouachita mountains of northern America at the end of the Carboniferous. This system, built between 480 and 250 Ma, resulted from the diachronic collision of two continents: Laurentia–Baltica to the NW and Gondwana to the SE. Between these two continents, small, intermediate continental plates separated by oceanic sutures mainly have been defined (based on palaeomagnetism) as Avalonia and Armorica. They are generally assumed to have been detached from Gondwana during the early Ordovician and docked to Laurentia and Baltica before the Carboniferous collision between Gondwana and Laurentia–Baltica. Palaeomagnetic and palaeobiostratigraphic methods allow two main oceanic basins to be distinguished: the Iapetus ocean between Avalonia and Laurentia and between Laurentia and Baltica, with a lateral branch (Tornquist ocean) between Avalonia and Baltica, and the Rheic ocean between Avalonia and the so‐called Armorica microplate. Closure of the Iapetus ocean led to the Caledonian orogeny: a belt resulting from collision between Laurentia and Baltica, and from softer collisions between Avalonia and Laurentia and between Avalonia and Baltica. Closure of the Rheic ocean led to the Variscan orogeny by collision of Avalonia plus Armorica with Gondwana. A tectonic approach allows this scenario to be further refined. Another important oceanic suture is defined: the Galicia–Southern Brittany suture, running through France and Iberia and separating the Armorica microplate into North Armorica and South Armorica. Its closure by northward (or/and westward?) oceanic and then continental subduction led to early Variscan (430–370 Ma) tectonism and metamorphism in the internal parts of the Variscan belt. As no Palaeozoic suture can be detected south of South Armorica, this latter microplate should be considered as part of Gondwana since early Palaeozoic times and during its Palaeozoic north‐westward drift. Thus, the name Armorica should be restricted to the microplate included between the Rheic and the Galicia–Southern Brittany sutures.