Solid Earth, 12, 1165–1184, 2021 https://doi.org/10.5194/se-12-1165-2021 © Author(s) 2021. This work is distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License. Rock alteration at the post-Variscan nonconformity: implications for Carboniferous–Permian surface weathering versus burial diagenesis and paleoclimate evaluation Fei Liang1, Jun Niu1,2, Adrian Linsel1, Matthias Hinderer1, Dirk Scheuvens1, and Rainer Petschick3 1Material and Geosciences, Institute of Applied Geosciences, Technical University of Darmstadt, Darmstadt 64287, Germany 2Faculty of Petroleum, China University of Petroleum-Beijing, Karamay Campus, Karamay 834000, China 3Faculty of Geosciences and Geography, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt 60438, Germany Correspondence: Jun Niu (
[email protected]) Received: 29 December 2020 – Discussion started: 25 January 2021 Revised: 17 March 2021 – Accepted: 19 April 2021 – Published: 25 May 2021 Abstract. A nonconformity refers to a hiatal surface located overall order of element depletion in both basaltic andesite between metamorphic or igneous rocks and overlying sedi- and gabbroic diorite during the weathering process is as fol- mentary or volcanic rocks. These surfaces are key features lows: large-ion lithophile elements (LILEs) > rare earth ele- with respect to understanding the relations among climate, ments (REEs) > high-field-strength elements (HFSEs). Con- lithosphere and tectonic movements during ancient times. In cerning the REEs, heavy rare earth elements (HREEs) are this study, the petrological, mineralogical and geochemical less depleted than light rare earth elements (LREEs). Our characteristics of Variscan basement rock as well as its over- study shows that features of supergene physical and chemi- lying Permian volcano-sedimentary succession from a drill cal paleo-weathering are well conserved at the post-Variscan core in the Sprendlinger Horst, Germany, are analyzed by nonconformity despite hypogene alteration.