The Iberian Massif constitutes the southwestern most and largest fragment of the Amorican Plate, which appears to have been separated from North America, Baltica and Gondwana during the early Paleozoic, but was involved in considerable orogenesis during later Paleozoic time. A variety of plate tectonic models and continental reconstructions have been proposed, however knowledge of the critical Amorican plate has prevented resolution of the tectonic history of these plates. Recent detailed mapping carried out by the Spanish Geologic Survey (IGME) provides the basis for this research which involves systematic determination of 40 Ar/39 Ar mineral and whole-rock phyllite ages within representative areas of the five major lithotectonic elements which comprise southern portions of the Iberian Massif. These data on the tectonothermal evolution of this area would permit a more critical analysis of the contrasting plate tectonic models and aid in definition of exotic terranes within southern Iberia.
