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, kinemati cs and the mutual relationships among the various architectural elemen ts. The result of such an analysis allows this zone to be considered a s a S-verging, thin-skinned, fold and thrust belt propagating southwar ds over a mid-crustal basal detachment. This was the response in the f ootwall of the suture to the major phase of Hercynian oblique collisio n between the South Portuguese Plate and the Ossa-Morena Zone of the I berian Autochthon. This thin-skinned event inverted a previous extensi onal structure acquired during the initial stages of the collisional p rocess and intimately linked to the formation of the ore deposits that make this region a world-class metallogenic province.