A new model for the Hercynian Orogen of Gondwanan France

Abstract

The study by Shelley and BossieÁre (2000) is an important contribution to the discussion concerning the Ibero±Armorican arc (IAA) generation model. This model comes as one of a sequence of previous ideas already published in several papers (Bard, 1971; Matte and Ribeiro, 1975; Lefort and Ribeiro, 1980; Ribeiro et al., 1980; Burg et al., 1981; Brun and Burg, 1982; Julivert, 1987; Ribeiro et al., 1990; Dias and Ribeiro, 1995; Ribeiro et al., 1995; Silva, 1997). A common feature of the interpretations in these papers is the great importance attributed to two major transcurrent faults: the dextral Porto±Tomar shear zone (PTSZ) and the sinistral Tomar±Badajoz±Cordoba shear zone (BCSZ), to explain the extension of the Iberian structures into the Armorican Massif in the form of trace the arcuate shape of the IAA.