Orthogneisses in the Spessart Crystalline Complex, north-west Bavaria: Silurian granitoid magmatism at an active continental margin

The Spessart Crystalline Complex, north-west Bavaria contains two orthogneiss units of granitic to granodioritic composition, known as the Rotgneiss and Haibach gneiss, respectively, which are structurally conformable with associated metasediments. The igneous origin of the Rotgneiss is apparent from field and textural evidence, whereas strong deformation and recrystallization in the Haibach gneiss has obscured most primary textures. New geochemical data as well as zircon morphology prove the Haibach gneiss to be derived from a granitoid precursor, which was chemically similar to the Rotgneiss protolith, thus suggesting a genetic link between those two rock units. Both gneiss types have che…