serie NOVA TERRA nº 49

90 that it was affected by high-P and low-to-intermediate-T eo-Variscan metamorphism reaching the blueschist and eclogite facies. The origin and geological history of this terrane are still under discussion, and the complex tectonothermal evolution makes dif fi cult to deduce the original setting and provenance of the protoliths of these metasedimentary rock series using traditional techniques. These series include clastic rocks suitable for a provenance study based on geochemical methods. Only fewworks have applied so far this methodology in the metasedimentary rocks of the Variscan Belt ( Fuenlabada et al., 2010; Linnemann et al., 2004, 2007; Ugidos et al., 2003 ). Moreover, the progressive incoming and comparison of this kind of data may help to correlate the terranes that bound the suture zone of the Variscan Belt. Fig. 1. (a) Location of the study area in the Variscan belt. (b) Map showing the terranes involved in the Variscan suture exposed in NW Iberia and the location of the analysed sam- ples. (c) Representative cross section showing the general structure. Note the nappe stacking and the position of the lower and upper metasedimentary rock sequences. Top-to-the- ESE kinematics often represents thrusting, whereas top-to-the-WNW movements are related to post-nappe stacking gravitational extension. The general map and section of NW Iberia are based in previous data and maps by Díaz Garcia et al. (1999) , Arenas et al. (2009) , Martínez Catalán et al. (2009) and Díez Fernández et al. (2010) . 197 J.M. Fuenlabrada et al. / Lithos 148 (2012) 196 – 208