Changing Trace Element Cycles in the 21st Century Ocean

Human activity is altering the ocean. This is happening through climate change, the release of pollutants, and direct exploitation of the marine environment. Recent advances in understanding the chemical cycling of trace elements within the global ocean comes at a critical time. Society is now increasingly viewing the ocean as a resource while also recognising that ocean systems are vulnerable to change.

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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.