Suturing the Pangea supercontinent in Europe
Our studies show that the formation of Pangea supercontinent is a two stage process which started by west directed amalgamation of N-S trending continental ribbons driven by movements of Panthalassan (Paleopacific) convective cell from Silurian to Early Carboniferous times. The rapid anticlockwise rotation of Gondwana related to closure of Paleotethys ocean led to shearing and folding of N-S trending and previously assembled Variscan belt (Edel et al., 2013). The geodynamic records of the two main orogenic events are currently studied in both African and European continents. The kinematics of block amalgamation, role of transcurrent faults on block rotations and final N-S shortening of the belt are currently examined using both structural-geochronological techniques and paleomagnetic surveys.