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Geological Society, London, Special Publications; 1988; v. 38; p. 275-290;
DOI: 10.1144/GSL.SP.1988.038.01.17
© 1988 Geological Society of London

Arenig-Wenlock Activity in the Caledonian-Appalachian Orogen

Ordovician to Silurian volcanism in the Appalachian—Caledonian orogen

C. J. Stillman

Department of Geology, Trinity College, Dublin, Eire

Ordovician to Silurian volcanism in the orogen was primarily associated with the change from a spreading to a closing ocean basin and with the converging margins which involved the development of volcanic arcs, marginal basins and active continental margins as arc-trench systems approached and in some cases were subducted beneath the continental crust. Volcanism was controlled by plate-margin dynamics which differed according to the margin concerned but show remarkable similarities along the length of the orogen.

Arenig to Wenlock volcanism in N America, the British Isles, Europe and Scandinavia are surveyed in this paper in the framework of current plate-tectonic models, and the value of volcanic rocks in tectono-stratigraphic compilation is demonstrated.

Extensive destruction of oceanic crust and margins took place during major Ordovician orogenic events but, although parallel developments on both margins of Iapetus are noted, these events were not synchronous. Similarly, whilst subsequent volcanism was produced by both subduction-related and within-plate activity in most regions, the differences in the timing of this activity lend support to the concept of terrane accretion for the assembly of crustal blocks which make up the Caledonide orogen in its entirety.





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