The Bazar Ophiolite of NW Iberia: a relic of the Iapetus–Tornquist Ocean in the Variscan suture

Abstract

The Bazar Ophiolite, one of the ophiolitic units involved in the Variscan suture of NW Iberia, is mainly formed by metagabbroic high T amphibolites with N-MORB affinity. The ophiolite appears accreted under an arc-derived upper terrane affected by intermediate-P granulite facies metamorphism dated at 496– 484 Ma. U-Th-Pb geochronology and Lu-Yb-Hf isotope geochemistry of zircons allow recognizing two growth stages. The first occurred during crystallization of the gabbroic protolith and has been dated at 495 ± 2 Ma, whereas the second one, interpreted as dating the high T metamorphism, yielded an age of 475 ± 2 Ma. The chronology of the Bazar Ophiolite and its accretionary history suggest that this unit is a relic of the Cambrian ocean located to the North of Gondwana, the Iapetus–Tornquist Ocean, accreted to a dissected arc during or before the early stages in the opening of the Rheic Ocean.