Devono-Carboniferous river systems and sediment dispersal from the orogenic belts and cratons of NW Europe

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Abstract
Summary: Facies, palaeocurrent and provenance analysis combine to give vital information concerning hinterland tectonic events, particularly when continental facies are used to assess orogenic and/or epeirogenic uplift. In Palaeo-Europa steady progress has been made in this area but much integrative tectono-sedimentary study is still needed. Six palaeogeographic maps are presented in the paper with continental/alluvial facies (‘molasse’) and turbiditic continental margin facies (‘flysch’) mapped out. Palaeocurrent data is ‘distilled’ to highlight impressions of terrestrial drainage trends. Clastic wedges are identified within basins caused by major tectonic events, and include the following: (a) Lower—Middle Devonian successor basins within the Caledonides (fore-arc and inter-arc types, and Pannonian types); (b) Lower Devonian-Lower Carboniferous back-arc and foreland tilt block basins related to lithospheric stretching caused by Acado-Ligerian subduction and collision; (c) Upper Devonian-Upper Carboniferous foreland basins formed by diachronous closure of the Rheno-Hercynian back-arc successions by thrust stacking; (d) Middle-Upper Carboniferous passive thermal cooling of the stretched Caledonian lithosphere; (e) final Upper Carboniferous collision of Gondwanaland and tightening of the Ibero-Armorican arc. No tectonic explanation is yet forthcoming for the growth and development of the huge ‘Pennine’ drainage system which dominated sedimentation over large areas of Ireland, Scotland, England and the North Sea during Middle-Upper Carboniferous times.