Because magmatism associated with subduction is thought to be the principal source for continental crust generation, assessing the relative contribution of pre-existing (subducted and assimilated) continental material to arc magmatism in accreted arcs is important to understanding the origin of continental crust. We present a detailed Nd isotopic stratigraphy for volcanic and volcaniclastic formations from the South Mayo Trough, an accreted oceanic arc exposed in the western Irish Caledonides. These units span an arc–continent collision event, the Grampian (Taconic) Orogeny, in which an intra-oceanic island arc was accreted onto the passive continental margin of Laurentia starting at ∼ 475 Ma (Arenig). The stratigraphy corresponding to pre-, syn- and post-collisional volcanism reveals a progression of εNd(t) from strongly positive values, consistent with melt derivation almost exclusively from oceanic mantle beneath the arc, to strongly negative values, indicating incorporation of continental material into the melt. Using εNd(t) values of meta-sediments that represent the Laurentian passive margin and accretionary prism, we are able to quantify the relative proportions of continent-derived melt at various stages of arc formation and accretion. Mass balance calculations show that mantle-derived magmatism contributes substantially to melt production during all stages of arc–continent collision, never accounting for less than 21% of the total. This implies that a significant addition of new, rather than recycled, continental crust can accompany arc–continent collision and continental arc magmatism.

Chitinozoans are considered as reproductive bodies of marine invertebrates, called chitinozoophorans. These chitinozoophorans were most likely to have been small, pelagic or necto-pelagic, soft-bodied, probably wormlike animals, and judging from the size of chitinozoans, they probably measured from a few millimetres to a few centimetres in length. The chitinozoophorans most likely survived by grazing on phytoplankton. There is no evidence of a large colonization of the pelagic niche in the Cambrian, but from the Early Ordovician onward, this niche was exploited chiefly by graptolites and chitinozoophorans. Both groups inhabited nearshore and offshore habitats, but in contrast to the graptolites, the chitinozoans displayed their highest diversity at high latitude, in less distal (that is, upper and lower offshore) environments. The chitinozoan group evolved rapidly during the Ordovician and reached its maximum Ordovician diversity in the late Darriwilian. From the first occurrence of chitinozoans in early Tremadocian times, to the biodiversity crisis in latest Ordovician times, nearly 80 % of the morphological innovations took place. Until their extinction in the latest Devonian, chitinozoans survived through several biodiversity crises: in the early Late Ordovician, late Hirnantian, late Wenlock, earliest Emsian, and in the latest Frasnian (Kellwasser event). During the melting of the Hirnantian ice sheet, most Ordovician genera and species became extinct, but some genera extended beyond the boundary (e.g. Spinachitina, Belonechitina, Cyathochitina, Ancyrochitina). The Hirnantian glaciation was not directly responsible for the dramatic extinction of organic-walled microfossils, but it certainly accelerated the extinction of lineages that had already been weakened since the early to mid-Katian. The late Wenlock and earliest Emsian graptolite crises affected the chitinozoophorans to a lesser degree, and the latest Frasnian Kellwasser event did not greatly affect chitinozoophorans. The disappearance of the chitinozoan group at the end of the Famennian resulted from a combination of factors, for example, the chitinozoophorans probably no longer had the genetic potential for successful adaptations to successive drastic environmental changes (only one species is known from the latest Famennian), their usual niche was invaded by more efficient groups, and their usual food supply disappeared or was no longer sufficient. The latter factor is supported by the contemporaneous decline in phytoplankton.

The Caledonian Hecla Hoek succession in Ny Friesland, eastern Svalbard has been interpreted, for many decades, to be a continuous stratigraphic sequence. Early Palaeozoic and Neoproterozoic strata in its upper parts pass more or less conformably down into amphibolite facies rocks (Stubendorffbreen Supergroup) at depth. Recent isotopic age-determination and structural studies have indicated that the Stubendorffbreen succession is tectonostratigraphic and made up of at least three major thrust sheets. This paper provides new data from two meta-igneous units within the succession, the Bangenhuk and Instrumentberget gneisses. Both are granitoid sheets, consisting mainly of red, strongly lineated gneisses of monzogranitic composition; the Bangenhuk unit also contains some lenses of little deformed granitoids, as well as cross-cutting aplite dykes, amphibolitized dolerites and subordinate metasedimentary rocks. The latter are locally cut by granitoids. U—Pb zircon dating of six samples of variably deformed Bangenhuk granitoids, including one cross-cutting aplitic dyke, has yielded ages between 1720 and 1770 Ma, the higher values generally from the less deformed samples. The Instrumentberget gneissic granite yielded an age of 1737+46−41 Ma. These ages are interpreted to date the time of intrusion of the granitoids at around 1750 Ma; the younger ages may have been slightly lowered by Caledonian deformation, particularly those from specimens located close to a major fracture (the Billefjorden Fault Zone) in Wijdefjorden—Austfjorden. U—Pb dating of titanite from the least deformed granitoid also yields comparable Palaeoproterozoic ages; in the more deformed rocks, however, titanites give evidence of Caledonian ductile deformation at c. 410 Ma. The Rb—Sr system of the corresponding whole rock samples has been disturbed and yields an errorchron age of about 1650 Ma and, for some samples, an impossibly low initial Sr ratio. The Sm—Nd system may be more intact and yields initial εNd values of −2 to −3, suggesting some contribution from older crustal material to the granitoid magmas. The results indicate the presence of extensive units of Palaeoproterozoic granitic basement within the Lower Hecla Hoek succession of Ny Friesland, supporting the hypothesis that the latter is composed of tectonically intercalated basement and cover units.

The deformation of continental crust during continental collision by folding and thrusting follows three types of structural styles: (1) in a true thin-skinned style only cover rocks are involved; (2) in the case of a thin-skinned basement-involved style, thin slabs of crystalline basement rocks are piled up into a nappe stack; (3) in a true thick-skinned style, the entire upper crust is involved in the deformation. In the Alps all three styles can be recognized. The Helvetic nappes and parts of the Penninic nappes exhibit true thin-skinned style tectonics. Triassic evaporites, Jurassic shales and Cretaceous marls acted as detachment horizons. Basement-involved thin-skinned tectonics is typical for the Penninic nappes in the core of the orogen. The thickness of the basement thrust sheets is controlled by the effects of Mesozoic rifting, by deep burial and heating of the subducting crust and by the presence of Late Palaeozoic structures. Thick-skinned style is observed in the more external parts of the orogen, the external massifs and the Southalpine nappe system. It occurred in the late phase of collision and involved the entire upper crust. The basal detachment occurred possibly along phyllonites generated by the breakdown of load-bearing feldspar. Considering the Alpine orogen as a whole, the lower crust deformed seemingly independently from the upper crust. The detachment of the cover units by thin-skinned tectonics occurred prior to thrusting related to basement-involved thin-skinned tectonics. Thrust faults of both types were overprinted by ‘post-nappe folding’.

The nomenclature of the fishes of the Old Red Sandstone of Great Britain, with the exception of the Cephalaspidæ, revised some years ago by Professor Lankester, is at present in a very unsatisfactory state. A vary large number of the species named by Agassiz, as well as by McCoy, were undoubtedly founded upon deceptive characters, due partly to different modes of preservation in different rocks, partly also to those apparent variations in external form, which are inevitable in such ancient fossil fishes devoid of a fully ossified internal framework, without which the original outline cannot be expected to be constantly preserved. In specimens from one locality the external ganoid surface of the scales may be well shown, in those from another it may be constantly hidden or obscured, while the proportional measurements in the very same species may vary infinitely, by the fish being lengthened out, or shortened up by changes, which have occurred after death or during the consolidation of the enclosing rock. These and kindred sources of fallacy can only be guarded against by long experience in deciphering such remains, coupled with the examination of an immense number of specimens.

Work by the author on the rocks of the Upper Ordovician and Lower Silurian in Central Wales has led to a comparison with deposits of similar horizons in other areas. Several points of interest have arisen out of the investigation and may be of value in delimiting the zones of the Upper Ordovician and also in indicating the best workable definition of the base for the Silurian.

Finger-like protrusions of peridotite are developed on Rhum where peridotite is overlain by allivalite. These structures, which were described by Brown as ‘upward-growing pyroxene structures’, are found in the following environments: at the main intra-unit junctions; along the upper surface of subsidiary peridotites in certain allivalites; and along the lower surface of allivalite blocks in some peridotites.

The structures generally take the form of parallel-sided or tapering protrusions with circular cross-sections. The tops of fingers are conical or hemispherical in shape. Typical dimensions are: finger amplitude, 2–5 cm; finger diameter, up to 3 cm; and finger wavelength, 5–10 cm. Peridotite in the finger is modally and texturally similar to the underlying layer, varieties range from feldspathic peridotite to dunitic peridotite. In the field the fingers apparently cut through layering, laminae and lamination without any associated disruption of the planar structures.

Two contrasting mechanisms of formation are discussed: vertical deformation of crystal mushes, and metasomatic replacement. On balance, we prefer to interpret the fingers as evidence for the replacement of pre-existing allivalite by secondary peridotite. Replacement was achieved by pore magma from the underlying peridotite migrating upwards into the overlying allivalite, in response to compaction. This pore magma was able to resorb plagioclase but crystallize olivine and pyroxene in its place.

New petrological and U–Pb zircon geochronological information has been obtained from intrusive plutonic rocks and migmatites from the Cap de Creus massif (Eastern Pyrenees) in order to constrain the timing of the thermal and tectonic evolution of this northeasternmost segment of Iberia during late Palaeozoic time. Zircons from a deformed syntectonic quartz diorite from the northern Cap de Creus Tudela migmatitic complex yield a mean age of 298.8±3.8 Ma. A syntectonic granodiorite from the Roses pluton in the southern area of lowest metamorphic grade of the massif has been dated at 290.8±2.9 Ma. All the analysed zircons from two samples of migmatitic rocks yield inherited ages from the Precambrian metasedimentary protolith (with two main age clusters at c. 730–542 Ma and c. 2.9–2.2 Ga). However, field structural relationships indicate that migmatization occurred synchronously with the emplacement of the quartz dioritic magmas at c. 299 Ma. Thus, the results of this study suggest that subduction-related calc-alkaline magmatic activity in the Cap de Creus was coeval and coupled with D2 dextral transpression involving NNW–SSE crustal shortening during Late Carboniferous – Early Permian time (c. 299–291 Ma). Since these age determinations are within the range of those obtained for undeformed (or slightly deformed) calc-alkaline igneous rocks from NE Iberia, it follows that the Cap de Creus massif would represent a zone of intense localization of D2 transpression and subsequent D3 ductile wrenching that extended into the Lower Permian during a transitional stage between the Variscan and Cimmerian cycles.

Knowing when the Tibetan Plateau reached its present elevation is important for understanding the uplift history of Tibet. Recently, Rowley & Currie (2006) suggested that central Tibet exceeded 4000 m from 35 Ma to the Pliocene using the oxygen-isotope composition of calcareous minerals in Lunpola basin sediments. However, they adopted a poor age assignment for the Dingqing Formation in the Lunpola basin based on previous microfossil studies. In this study, we present SIMS U–Pb zircon dates from a bentonite layer intercalated within the middle to lower Dingqing Formation. Twenty-six measurements yield a highly reliable U–Pb age of 23.5 ± 0.2 Ma (2σ, MSWD = 1.1), suggesting that the deposition age of the Dingqing Formation is late Oligocene to early Miocene, much older than the Miocene–Pliocene age used by Rowley & Currie (2006). This age robustly constrains the age of Cenozoic sedimentary strata in central Tibet, and hence provides an important basis for estimating the palaeoelevation in the high Tibet during the geological past.

A magnetostratigraphic study of Upper Proterozoic to early Cambrian sediments at 4 localities in Central Australia reveals the presence of a magnetic polarity pattern composed of 2 long quiet intervals, first of reversed then of normal polarity, which is then succeeded by a long mixed interval. Lithologic comparisons suggest that this pattern is a reflection of the behaviour of the geomagnetic field at that time, and probably is not a result of varying sedimentation rates. Two sampled sections in the Arumbera Sandstone separated by 80 km both contain the long normal interval followed by the interval of mixed polarity, the detailed comparison of which demonstrates that the Arumbera-Box Hole boundary is unconformable. Elements from the late Precambrian Mt Skinner fauna in the Arumbera Sandstone indicate that the long normal interval is entirely pre-Cambrian, and that the base of the Cambrian occurs within the interval of mixed polarity.

A comparison with an additional site sampled across a fossil occurrence in the Central Mount Stuart Formation at Central Mount Stuart indicates that at least 1 of the Upper Proterozoic fossils, Hallidaya brueri, has a considerable vertical distribution in time.

If used properly, the magnetic polarity pattern discussed herein offers the possibility of precise intercontinental correlations of stratigraphic sequences near the base of the Cambrian. It is suggested that a stratotype sequence for the base of the Cambrian be chosen in such a manner that the boundary position corresponds to a geomagnetic reversal.

Carbon replicas of coccoliths examined under the electron microscope reveal structural details which are invisible under an oilimmersion microscope, but are essential for a systematic study of these minute bodies. In an appendix, one new genus and six new species are described. Some of these appear to have a limited vertical range within the English Chalk.

Preliminary multidisciplinary investigations were carried out in a 105 m thick late Pleistocene terrestrial sequence in the Lamayuru basin, Ladakh Himalaya. Palaeomagnetic studies reveal a reversal of polarity at about 35 ka BP. This is the only report of this reversal event in the late Pleistocene terrestrial sequences of the Indian subcontinent. The valley fill sequence is the product of an interplay of lacustrine with fluvio-deltaic to colluvial processes. Four fossiliferous horizons have yielded ostracods and gastropods indicating shallow freshwater conditions. The Lamayuru lake was created by tectonically induced instability about 35–40 ka BP, an event that may be represented widely throughout the Himalaya.

Gondwanan Neoproterozoic tectonothermal events (Pan-African and Brasiliano) are represented in northern mainland of Nova Scotia by volcanic and sedimentary rocks assigned to the Jeffers and Georgeville groups and by gabbroic to granitoid plutons. These rocks comprise part of Avalonia, an exotic terrane in the Appalachian orogen that was deposited in an arc-related environment along the periphery of Gondwana prior to accretion to Laurentia. Lavas sampled in the basal units of the Jeffers and Georgeville groups yielded slightly discordant U–Pb zircon and monazite data that fall on chords with upper intercept ages of 628 Ma and 617.7±1.6 Ma, respectively. Syntectonic to late syntectonic plutons intruded into these groups yielded U–Pb zircon ages of 606.6±1.6 Ma and 603+9−5 Ma. The former intrusion also yielded a concordant titanite age of 607±3 Ma. When combined with previously published ages, these data indicate that the back-arc deposition recorded in these groups lasted 10–15 million years (628–613 Ma) and was closely followed by c. 613–595 Ma metamorphism, intrusion and heterogeneous strike-slip related deformation. Assuming no significant shuffling of fault blocks, the relative locations of the Cobequid–Antigonish back-arc basin and the southern Cape Breton Island volcanic arc are consistent with their genesis above a north-west-dipping subduction zone. The age range of arc-related magmatism in Nova Scotia is similar to that of Avalonian rocks in southeastern Newfoundland and Britain, lending support to hypotheses of Neoproterozoic linkages.

Mesozoic picritic and alkali basalts from central Lebanon represent a significant part of an extension-related Upper Jurassic to Upper Cretaceous discontinuous volcanic belt which occurs throughout the Middle East. Volcanism was associated with an episode of intraplate extension that followed a period of continental break-up, where Mesozoic micro-continental blocks separated from Gondwana as the Neotethys ocean opened in Jurassic times. This volcanic episode produced mafic lava flows ranging in thickness from 5 to 20 m, along with some minor pyroclastic flows. These flows are stratigraphically intercalated with thick carbonate platform deposits. The basalts are made up of about 15–20% olivine (Fo78–91), 30–35% clinopyroxene (salite), 40–50% plagioclase (An56–71) and opaque Fe–Ti oxides (∼5%). Geochemically, the rocks exhibit a relatively wide range of SiO2 (40.4 to 50.5 wt%) and MgO (5.1 to 15.5 wt%) contents, are relatively enriched in TiO2 (1.7 to 3.7 wt%) and vary in composition from alkali picrite and basanite to alkali basalt. The Mg numbers range from 0.56 to 0.70, with an average of 0.63. The rocks are enriched in incompatible trace elements such as Zr (86–247 ppm), Nb (16–66 ppm) and Y (19–30 ppm). Such compositions are typical of those of HIMU-OIB and plume-related magmas. The REE patterns are fractionated ((La/Yb)N = 11), LREE enriched, and are generally parallel to subparallel. Elemental ratios such as K/P (1.1–4.7), La/Ta (11–13), La/Nb (0.57–0.70), Nb/Y (0.68–1.55) and Th/Nb (0.20–0.36) suggest that crustal contamination was minor or absent. This may be related to a rapid ascent of the magma, in agreement with the nature (mafic, oceanic-like) and the small thickness (about 12 km) of the Mesozoic crust of the Eastern Mediterranean region. The 143Nd/144Nd isotopic compositions of the lavas range from 0.512826 to 0.512886, and 87Sr/86Sr from 0.702971 to 0.703669, suggesting a HIMU-like mantle source. Trace element compositions indicate a melt segregation depth of 100–110 km, well within the garnet lherzolite stability field. The geochemical characteristics of the rocks are typical of within-plate alkali basalts, and suggest that the magmas were derived from a fertile, possibly plume-related, enriched mantle source. Petrogenetic modelling indicates that the magmas were produced by very small degrees of batch partial melting (F = 1.5%) of a primitive garnet-bearing mantle source (garnet lherzolite).

Potassium–argon (K–Ar) ages on whole rock samples have been measured on lavas from the subaerial Samoa Islands, which form a broadly linear volcanic chain that extends from the ESE to the WNW for about 360 km. The Manu'a Islands near the southeast limit of the chain exhibit youthful ages, with most <0.4 Ma, in keeping with the geological observations. Tutuila consists of several volcanoes, and previous work yielded a mean K–Ar age of 1.26 ± 0.15 Ma for the shield-building volcanism. Upolu, to the WNW of Tutuila, gives a mean age of 2.15 ± 0.35 Ma for the shield-building phase, represented by the Fagaloa Volcanics, with much of the island covered by significantly younger volcanic rocks. Savai'i, further to the WNW, is dominated by youthful volcanism, extending into historic times. In a restricted area, adjacent to the NE coast of Savai'i, previously thought to have volcanic rocks correlating with the Fagaloa Volcanics of Upolu, the ages are much younger than those on Upolu, lying between 0.32 and 0.42 Ma. Considering only the subaerial volcanism from Ta'u to Upolu, but also including Vailulu'u, the volcanism has migrated in a systematic ESE direction at 130 ± 8 mm a−1 over 300 km in the last 2.2 Ma. This rate is nearly twice that obtained from GPS measurements of Pacific Plate motion of 72 mm a−1 at N64°W in this area. However, if the much older age of shield-building volcanism from the submarine foundations of Savai'i is included, the regression yields a volcanic migration rate of 72 ± 14 mm a−1, in keeping with the measured GPS rate and consistent with a hotspot origin for the island chain. This suggests that the volcanic migration rates determined from the age of subaerial volcanism can be considerably overestimated, and this is now evident in other Pacific Ocean island chains. Clearly, the ages of the main shield-building volcanism from subaerial volcanism are minima, and if the older submarine lavas can be measured, these may yield a migration rate more in keeping with current plate motions.

We describe the first occurrence of the problematic fossil Gaojiashania outside China, in the Ediacaran Yudoma Group of the Siberian Platform. In both areas, Gaojiashania characterizes the lower upper Ediacaran strata and precedes the appearance of Cloudina and other skeletal fossils, which highlights its significance for the Ediacaran subdivision and correlation. Features of this fossil such as indeterminate length, the absence of a distinct growth pattern, and self-avoiding behaviour indicate its trace fossil origin but do not necessarily imply metazoan affinities for its producers. Several organisms including stem-group social amoebozoans and unicellular protists may have been Proterozoic trace fossil producers.

We use detrital provenance data from Cambrian sandstones to examine whether the Yangtze and Cathaysia blocks in South China were separated by an ocean during the Cambrian period. Zircons from the Cambrian sandstones exhibit a dominant ~ 800 Ma age peak in the central Yangtze Block, being sourced from the western Yangtze Block, whereas a ~ 980 Ma peak dominates in the northwestern Cathaysia Block, being sourced from an exotic continent once connected to Cathaysia. A mixed provenance with both age peaks is found in Cambrian sandstones from the southeastern Yangtze Block, indicating that detritus can travel from the Cathaysia Block to the Yangtze Block, and therefore arguing against the existence of a broad Cambrian ocean.

Abundant arthropod trackways, assigned to Diplichnites gouldi, are described from the Lower Old Red Sandstone (Early Devonian; Lochkovian) of Pant-y-Maes quarry, Brecon Beacons, South Wales. The trackways are preserved on bedding planes of finely laminated planar and rippled siltstones. The sedimentology of the succession indicates that these units represent bar top and marginal deposits in a braided fluvial setting. Two trackway types are recognized (Type A and B); comparisons with contemporaneous myriapodous producers favour kampecarid and eoarthropleurid myriapods, respectively. Functional analysis of the trackways indicates that the producers were not using the most efficient, stable, walking techniques, but instead utilized in-phase ‘swimming stroke’-like gaits. Together with their occurrence on rippled surfaces, and lateral displacement of some trackways (attributed to currents), this indicates that they were produced sub-aqueously.

New details from remotely sensed images of the structure and disposition of broad lithological variations in the Pan-African of northern Eritrea are discussed in the context of accretionary tectonics. The recognition of major north-south structural discontinuities allows the area to be divided into three discrete terranes with apparently different histories of deformation and metamorphism, magmagenesis and sedimentation. The central Hagar Terrane is dominated by large ultramafic masses with a volcano-sedimentary layered sequence, and shows the effects of major sinistral transpression and lateral expulsion. It is bounded to the west by a major fault, the Barka suture, and abuts the older Barka Terrane that comprises metasediments with evidence for polyphase ductile deformation and pre-kinematic dyke emplacement. The Hagar Terrane is thrust against the eastern Nacfa Terrane, which is dominated by low-grade calc-alkaline metavolcanics and immature volcanoclastic sediments intruded by syn-kinematic plutons. These units are pre-dated by an earlier high-grade basement and post-dated by high-level unmetamorphosed silicic volcanics and redbed sediments. The complex is suggested to have been assembled by oblique accretion from the southeast after arc volcanism in the Nacfa Terrane and back-arc extension in the Hagar Terrane ended with the cease of subduction.

Many deep water marine muds, including lower Palaeozoic mudstones from Britain, have thin graded beds in which mud and silt laminae alternate, with the silt becoming finer and less abundant upwards. Of the known deep-sea depositional processes, turbidity currents are the most likely cause of such graded laminated beds. The lamination may be produced by alternating cohesive and granular bed conditions. Much more careful examination of laminated fine grained terrigenous sediment is needed.