Journal of the Virtual Explorer

It is now well acknowledged that the middle part of the European continent was built up in Paleozoic times by the welding of three continental masses, namely Baltica, Laurentia and Gondwana and several intervening microcontinents such as Avalonia or Armorica (e. g. Matte, 1986, 2001; Van der Voo, 1993; Paris and Robardet, 1990; Tait et al., 1997; Cocks, 2000; Franke, 2000; Robardet, 2003; Von Raumer et al. 2003). This process led to the formation of the thousands kilometers long and hundreds kilometers wide Variscan orogen which is often compared to the Cenozoic Alpine-Himalayan orogen. Within this bulk framework, the precise timing and geodynamic significance of the tectonic-magmatic-metamorphic events are still controversial. This paper aims to critically review the available database for the French Massif Central and Massif Armoricain. A geodynamic scenario that places emphasis on a polycyclic evolution characterized by an Early Paleozoic (Cambrian to Early Devonian) cycle of rifting and convergence of microcontinents and a Late Paleozoic (Devonian to Late Carboniferous) cycle corresponding to the true continental collision is proposed.