The Caledonides are a major orogenic belt that stretches from the Arctic, through Scandinavia, East Greenland, Britain and Ireland into the Atlantic coast of North America. Following the break-up of Rodinia, the Caledonides formed in the Palaeozoic by the drifting of various continents and their eventual aggregation in the Silurian and Devonian. The orogen subsequently fragmented during the opening of the Atlantic Ocean. This volume brings together 25 papers presenting the results of modern research that investigates the orogenic processes and the provenance of specific components of the belt. The contributions reflect different lines of research, linking traditional field studies with modern analytical techniques. In addition three overview papers summarize the main features of the belts in Scandinavia, Svalbard, East Greenland, Britain and Ireland, highlighting the advances made since the last major synthesis of the Scandinavian Caledonides 30 years ago, and discussing important open questions.

The solid rock mass of Sweden forms a natural field laboratory revealing insight into the westward growth and reworking of one of the planet’s ancient continental nuclei. Three major geological units are exposed in different parts of the country: the western part of the Fennoscandian Shield, mainly sedimentary rocks deposited on this crystalline rock mass and the Caledonide orogen. This volume synthesizes the tectonic evolution of Sweden over more than 2500 million years from the Neoarchean to the Neogene. Following an introduction describing the lithotectonic framework of the country and the organization of the volume, the tectonic evolution is addressed essentially chronologically. Different phases of intracratonic rifting, accretionary orogeny, continent-continent collisional orogeny and platformal sedimentation are identified. Sweden is one of Europe’s major suppliers of metals, and the country’s mineral resources are also presented in the context of the lithotectonic framework. Sweden: Lithotectonic Framework, Tectonic Evolution and Mineral Resources has been designed to interest a professional geoscientific audience and advanced students of Earth Sciences.

"This volume provides a comprehensive overview of our understanding of the evolution of the Appalachian-Caledonian-Variscan orogen. It takes the reader along a clockwise path around the North Atlantic Ocean from the U.S. and Canadian Appalachians; to the Caledonides of Spitsbergen, Scandinavia, Scotland and Ireland; and thence south to the Variscides of Morocco"--

"To recognize the 25th anniversary of the Circum-Arctic Structural Events program, an effort organized by the Bundesanstalt fèur Geowissenschaften und Rohstoffe, this volume presents results from 18 major field expeditions involving 100+ geoscientists from a spectrum of disciplines. The volume focuses on the Proterozoic to Cenozoic tectonic evolution of the circum-Arctic region with correlations to adjacent orogens"--

The 5-year Circum-Arctic Lithosphere Evolution (CALE) program developed new constraints on the tectonic history of the central Amerasia basin of the Arctic Ocean. This volume is the final synthesis of the CALE program, which brought together an international team of scientists to develop integrated, multi-disciplinary understanding of the region. This approach, based on the integration of much new geological and geophysical data from onshore and offshore , is necessary to advance our understanding of this basin. Regional onshore-to-offshore transects are central to the 18 papers in this volume. The diverse science supporting these crust-to-mantle regional transects includes structural, geochronological, isotopic, potential fields, and seismic reflection and refraction data. Four chapters present circum-Arctic investigations by the regional CALE teams. The final chapter addresses pan-Arctic themes. This unique collaboration, relying on new data and new syntheses of existing data sheds new light on the history of the Arctic Ocean.

The Connemara region in Western Ireland is world-renowned for its outstanding geology that is blended with spectacular landscapes. This book and its many colourful illustrations, maps, diagrams, field and landscape images detail the origin and formation of Connemara’s metamorphic and igneous rocks in deep time from 700 to 380 million years ago. It combines many field geology observations and current research results, and describes the many geological processes involved in the formation of the bedrock foundations of Connemara: plate tectonics, granite magmatism, deformation, metamorphism and mineral deposits. An amazing book for students and geological societies that visit the region annually. Features The only book available on the formation of the igneous and metamorphic rock complexes in Connemara Explores the regional geological context of Connemara from ~700 Ma to 385 Ma Incorporates the most up-to-date research results and many useful field images, maps and schematic diagrams for teacher and student alike Describes the deformation, metamorphic and magmatic histories in Pressure-Temperature-time (PTt) space Includes a chapter dedicated to the application of fluid inclusion studies to magmatic and hydrothermal mineralization in the Galway Granite Complex and its environs This book serves as a resource for professionals, academics and senior undergraduate and graduate students working and studying in the fields of geology, earth sciences and environmental sciences.

This book contains a comprehensive field guide, including detailed itineraries and supporting data, to the Geology of Western Ireland, a classic site for world geology. It facilitates study into the rock record of the Neoproterozoic ‘birth’ to the Devonian ‘death’ of the Iapetus Ocean along the Laurentian (North American) margin. The enormous variety of lithologies and processes available for study in this spectacularly exposed region include: fluviatile to deep-sea sediments; layered ultramafic intrusions to reverse zoned granite batholiths; zeolite to eclogite facies metamorphic assemblages; continental rifting; subduction processes; island arc evolution; arc-continent collision; Andean margin development; and continent-continent collision. An introduction to the geology, that includes information relevant to the planning and execution of field trips in the region, is followed by nine chapters each providing the necessary background, field itineraries, exercises and points for debate, covering: the Laurentian basement and Neoproterozoic cover of North Mayo, Sligo, the Ox Mountains and Connemara; the metamorphic nappes and syn-orogenic intrusions of the Ordovician Grampian Orogeny; the Cambro-Ordovician subduction-accretion complex of Clew Bay; the obducted Ordovician fore-arc basin of South Mayo; the post-subduction flip late-Ordovician of South Connemara; the Silurian successor basins deformed during the final closure of the Iapetus Ocean; the late to post-orogenic Devonian sediments; the Devonian Granite batholiths ; and the post-orogenic Carboniferous cratonic sediments. Two final chapters summarise: the current tectonic interpretation of this region; areas for future research; and the extensive sources of geochemical and geophysical data.

A cross-border approach to exploration, appraisal and development is important in mature areas, such as the Atlantic Margin, and in frontier areas, such as the Barents Sea. An approach of this nature emphasizes the need to see the basin as one geological entity to maximize economic recovery and prepare the area for the energy transition. This volume offers an up-to-date, ‘geology-without-borders’ view of the stratigraphy, sedimentology and tectonics trends in these areas. It also looks at the challenges associated with differences in data continuity and nomenclature across median lines. A companion volume (SP494), Cross-Border Themes in Petroleum Geology I: The North Sea, provides a similar cross-border analysis for the North Sea Basin across the offshore boundaries of Germany, the Netherlands, Norway and the UK. Cross-Border Themes in Petroleum Geology II: Atlantic Margin and Barents Sea will be a valuable reference for every geoscientist working in the Atlantic Margin and the Barents Sea for years to come.

North Sea and onshore Netherlands and Germany, Paleozoic hydrocarbon plays across parts of NW Europe remain relatively under-explored both onshore and offshore. This volume brings together new and previously unpublished knowledge about the Paleozoic plays of NW Europe to describe significant additional exploration opportunities outside and below existing plays. The volume contains papers on Paleozoic plays in the North Sea, Irish Sea, onshore UK, France and Switzerland. They highlight how improvements in seismic data quality and the availability of previously unpublished well datasets form the basis for improved understanding of local to regional interpretations that move forward from generalized basin development models. The improved structural trap and source rock basin definition feeds to better constrained, locally variable burial, uplift, maturation and migration models. Particularly notable are the significant mapped extents and thickness of Paleozoic source, reservoir and seal rocks in areas previously dismissed as regional highs and platforms.