The paleotectonic evolution of the western Mediterranean: provenance insights from the internal Betics, southern Spain

Since the early Cenozoic, closure of Alpine Tethys in Western Mediterranean has been accomplished by protracted subduction, followed collision and orogenic collapse. The internal zones Betic Cordillera (southern Spain) Rif (northern Morocco) experienced subduction metamorphism subsequent exhumation due to westward migration system. detrital provenance these meta-sedimentary units contains crucial insights into their pre-subduction stratigraphic arrangement, which is essential constrain pre-Cenozoic paleogeography tectonic evolution Mediterranean. This study focuses on Nevado-Filábride Complex (NFC) Eastern Alpujárride Internal Cordillera. New depth-profile zircon U-Pb LA-ICP-MS data from NFC ( N = 72) 21) situ apatite a metabasite within allow us establish stratigraphy, sedimentary provenance, paleotectonic configuration Iberian rifted margin during Paleozoic–Early Mesozoic. Our dataset demonstrates that represents an intact Devonian Early Jurassic sequence records Variscan orogeny rifting opening Tethys. Detrital age modes remain remarkably similar for over 200 Myr with only differences being progressive addition new related depositional ages. Additionally, comparison between record reveals notably signatures Carboniferous Permian strata. reports first Triassic–Jurassic strata Additional evidence present metabasites Veleta unit yielding ages 197 Ma, recording CAMP magmatism demonstrate palinspastic connection Alpujárride. Based extensive data, we propose both represent adjacent attenuated continental fragments are separated southern narrow oceanic domain