Geodynamic Processes in the European Craton

The European Craton represents one of the most ancient and stable segments of continental lithosphere, encompassing the East European Craton and its complex suture zones. Its evolution is marked by successive episodes of assembly during the Precambrian, extensive Ediacaran–Early Paleozoic rifting that initiated the break-up of Rodinia, and later Variscan and Alpine inversion phases that reshaped its margins. The Trans-European Suture Zone demarcates the contact between the rigid Precambrian core and younger Phanerozoic domains, recording a history of crustal necking, mantle upwelling and sedimentary basin formation. Geophysical imaging—ranging from seismic tomography and shear-wave splitting to potential-field inversions—reveals lateral variations in lithospheric thickness, anisotropic fabrics and heat flow. These findings highlight the interplay between inherited structural heterogeneities, rheological contrasts and mantle dynamics in governing rift localisation, basin development and orogenic reactivation. Such processes control the distribution of natural resources, influence seismic hazard patterns and inform models of continental stability under changing tectonic regimes.

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Geodynamic Processes in the European Craton publication trend

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Technical terms

Craton: A stable and rigid interior portion of continental lithosphere, typically of Precambrian age, characterised by thick, cold crust and mantle lithosphere. Trans-European Suture Zone (TESZ): A major tectonic boundary separating Precambrian cratonic domains from younger Phanerozoic terranes across Europe. Rifting: The process of lithospheric extension leading to crustal thinning, basin formation and, in some cases, continental breakup. Inversion tectonics: Structural reactivation in which extensional basins or faults are later subjected to compressional forces, reversing their kinematics. Lithosphere–asthenosphere boundary (LAB): The transition zone between the rigid lithospheric plate and the underlying, mechanically weaker asthenosphere. Crustal necking: Localised narrowing of the crust and mantle lithosphere during extension, often forming a zone of pronounced thinning.

References

1. Pre-existing lithospheric weak zone and its impact on continental rifting – The Mid-Polish Trough, Central European Basin System. Global and Planetary Change (2021).
2. Depth-to-basement for the East European Craton and Teisseyre-Tornquist Zone in Poland based on potential field data. International Journal of Earth Sciences (2018).
3. Together but separate: decoupled Variscan (late Carboniferous) and Alpine (Late Cretaceous–Paleogene) inversion tectonics in NW Poland. Solid Earth (SE) (2022).
4. Mantle lithosphere transition from the East European Craton to the Variscan Bohemian Massif imaged by shear-wave splitting. Solid Earth (SE) (2014).
5. Upper mantle structure around the Trans-European Suture Zone obtained by teleseismic tomography. Solid Earth (SE) (2015).
6. Thermal properties of the crust and the lithosphere–asthenosphere boundary in the area of Poland from the heat flow variability and seismic data. International Journal of Earth Sciences (2019).