Abstract The North German Basin is part of a Central European-wide sedimentary recycling system that has existed since at least the Neoproterozoic. Understanding the evolution of such a system is crucial for further studies, as the North German Basin inherits vast natural gas resources and may act as an intermediate sink for younger strata. This study presents new detrital zircon morphology, trace element and U–Pb age data obtained from Upper Rotliegend II strata (Upper Permian). Detrital zircon dating revealed Cambrian, Carboniferous and Permian main age clusters. There are also several minor Paleo-, Meso- and Neoproterozoic age clusters. Zircon grain morphologies show completely unrounded to completely rounded grains throughout each age range. The heterogeneity of the data is key to deciphering the sedimentary history of the Central German Basin, as the basin fill is most likely a mixture of (repeatedly) recycled material and also directly derived from bedrock sources. These results are supported by trace element data, which show a wide range of values indicating different magma sources. This study further explores the dispersal patterns of detrital zircon over time and demonstrates their complexity.

Abstract U–Pb ages of detrital ( n = 2391) and magmatic ( n = 170) zircon grains from the Harz Mountains were obtained by LA-ICP-MS for provenance studies and absolute age dating. Results point to a complete closure of the Rheic Ocean at c. 419 Ma. A narrow Rhenish Seaway then re-opened in Emsian to mid-Devonian time ( c. 390–400 Ma). Devonian sedimentary rocks of the Harz Mountains were deposited on the northwestern (Rheno-Hercynian) and on the southeastern (Saxo-Thuringian) margins of the Rhenish Seaway. A new U–Pb zircon age from a plagiogranite (329 ± 2 Ma) within a harzburgite makes the existence of oceanic lithosphere in the Rhenish Seaway probable. The Rhenish Seaway was completely closed by Serpukhovian time ( c. 328 Ma). Existence of a terrane in the seaway is not supported by the new data. Provenance studies and spatial arrangement allow reconstruction of the thin- to thick-skinned obduction style of the Harz Mountains onto the southeastern margin of East Avalonia (Rheno-Hercynian Zone) during the Variscan orogeny. Detrital zircon populations define Rheno-Hercynian and Saxo-Thuringian nappes. Intrusion of the granitoid plutons of the Harz Mountains occurred in a time window of c. 300 to 295 Myr and constrained the termination of Variscan deformation.