Jiří Žák on the Orogenies that Shaped Central Europe
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In the podcast, Jiří Žák describes the two main orogenies whose remnants figure prominently in central European geology: the Cadomian orogeny that lasted from the late Neoproterozoic to the early Cambrian (c. 700 Ma to c. 425 Ma) and the Variscan orogeny that occurred in the late Paleozoic (c. 380 Ma to 280 Ma). The Cadomian took place on the northern margins of Gondwana, only later to rift and travel north to form what was to become Europe. The Variscan was caused by the collision of Gondwana with Laurussia in the final stages of the assembly of the supercontinent Pangea. Both orogenies have been heavily eroded, and we see their imprint in the form of metamorphic rocks, volcanic rocks, granites, and deformation structures. These are scattered across Europe, from southern Britain to eastern Europe.
Žák has been studying the geology of central Europe for over 25 years using methods ranging from structural studies in the field to detrital zircon geochronology. He is a Professor in the Institute of Geology and Paleontology at Charles University in Prague.
Podcast Illustrations
Images courtesy of Jiří Žák unless otherwise noted.
Map of the main geological units as defined by their structural origin and presumed terrane provenance. The map also shows the main suture zones. The following units contain rocks formed during the Cadomian orogen: