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January 2005 – Volume 1 Number 1 

Fluids in Planetary Systems

GUEST EDITOR
Robert J. Bodnar

PRINCIPAL EDITORS
Rodney C. Ewing, Michael F. Hochella, Jr., and Ian Parsons

March 2005 – Volume 1 Number 2 

Diamonds

GUEST EDITOR
George E. Harlow and Rondi M. Davies

PRINCIPAL EDITOR
Ian Parsons

June 2005 – Volume 1 Number 3 

Genesis: Rocks, Minerals, and the Geochemical Origin of Life

GUEST EDITOR
Robert M. Hazen

PRINCIPAL EDITOR
Michael F. Hochella, Jr.

September 2005 – Volume 1 Number 4 

Toxic Metals in the Environment: The Role of Surfaces

GUEST EDITOR
Donald L. Sparks

PRINCIPAL EDITOR
Michael F. Hochella, Jr.

December 2005 – Volume 1 Number 5 

Large Igneous Provinces: Origin and Environmental Consequences

GUEST EDITOR
Andrew D. Saunders

PRINCIPAL EDITOR
Ian Parsons

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December 2025 --The Variscan Orogeny in Europe – Understanding Supercontinent Formation

The Variscan orogen formed between 380 and 300 million years ago through several accretionary and collisional cycles, culminating with the construction of the Pangea supercontinent. This process occurred via sequential opening and closure of oceanic basins, synchronous detachment of Gondwana derived continental ribbons, and their outboard amalgamation onto the Laurussia margin. The Variscan orogen is rather unique compared with other orogenic belts on Earth: its overthickened and dominantly magmatic crust in the central belt, surprisingly minor mantle involvement in the magmatic and geodynamic processes, coherent and pulsed magmatism along the collision suture, and its complex accretionary history. Because its final product, Pangea, is the youngest and best-understood supercontinent on Earth, the Variscan orogeny offers clues for understanding the mechanisms of supercontinent formation.