A reappraisal of the structure of the Spanish segment of the Iberian Pyrite Belt

The major structural features of the Iberian Pyrite Belt are described in terms of geometry, deformation mechanisms, scale, timing, kinematics and the mutual relationships among the various architectural elements. The result of such an analysis allows this zone to be considered as a S-verging, thin-skinned, fold and thrust belt propagating southwards over a mid-crustal basal detachment. This was the response in the footwall of the suture to the major phase of Hercynian oblique collision between the South Portuguese Plate and the Ossa-Morena Zone of the Iberian Autochthon. This thin-skinned event inverted a previous extensional structure acquired during the initial stages of the collisional process and intimately linked to the formation of the ore deposits that make this region a world-class metallogenic province.