Superposition of tectono-thermal episodes in the southern Cantabrian Zone (foreland thrust and fold belt of the Iberian Variscides, NW Spain)

摘要

The combined use of the illite "crystallinity" Kübler index (KI) and the conodont colour alteration index (CAI) has revealed the existence of three thermal episodes in an area affected by thin-skin tectonics, close to the internal zones of the Variscan orogen in NW Spain. In the southernmost part of the study area, the first episode gave rise to a regional syntectonic Variscan metamorphism. The associated deformation involves the development of a slaty cleavage, which is mainly recognized in Precambrian rocks. Towards the foreland, the syntectonic metamorphism disappears and only an incipient burial metamorphism, giving rise to anchizonal conditions in the basal part of the thrust units, is observed.