Provenance of lower Palaeozoic metasediments of the East Odenwald (Mid-German-Crystalline Zone, Variscides)—a correlation with the East European Platform (Poland)

Abstract U–Pb age spectra of detrital zircons related to the East European Platform could be traced in paragneiss through whole Mid-German-Crystalline Zone (Variscides, Central Europe) from Odenwald via Spessart Ruhla crystalline forming an exotic unit between Armorica and Laurussia. The depositional ages are defined by youngest oldest intrusion as Ordovician Silurian. Ediacaran dominated spectrum suggests latter derived shelf (Baltica), which was influenced 1.5 Ga old detritus delivered a giant (Mazury granitoid, Poland). zircon lower Palaeozoic sandstone northern Holy Cross Mountains identical. pure Sveconorwegian quartzite Spessart, (Kirchner Albert Int J Earth Sci 2020) (Zeh Gerdes Gondwana Res 17:254–263, 2010) sourced Bornholm southern Sweden. A with 88% volcano-sedimentary rock is interpreted Silurian magmatic arc (46%), probably generated during drift micro-continent south. tentative plate tectonic model presented taking into account (a) (b) metasediments (c) Early Devonian plutonic volcanic rocks (d) Middle high-grade metamorphism. Platform-related part micro-continent, drifted Rheic Ocean south collided Saxothuringian (Armorican Terrane Assemblage) Devonian. Such large-scale transport continent also known SW Iberia, where Laurussia-related suture zone explained large scale escape (Braid et al. Geol Soc Lond 168:383–392, 2011).