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Geochronology and nature of the Palaeoproterozoic basement in the Central African Copperbelt (Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo), with regional implications

Rainaud, C.; Master, S; Armstrong, Richard; Robb, L

Description

U-Pb SHRIMP zircon age data, together with geochemical analyses, from the basement to the Katanga Supergroup in the Central African Copperbelt reveal the existence of a widespread Palaeoproterozoic magmatic arc terrane. The Lufubu schists represent a long-lived calc-alkaline volcanic arc sequence and, where dated in both Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), yield ages of 1980 ± 7, 1968 ± 9, 964 ± 12 and 1874 ± 8 Ma. The oldest dated unit from the region, the Mkushi granitic gneiss...[Show more]

dc.contributor.authorRainaud, C.
dc.contributor.authorMaster, S
dc.contributor.authorArmstrong, Richard
dc.contributor.authorRobb, L
dc.date.accessioned2015-12-13T22:43:13Z
dc.identifier.issn0899-5362
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/1885/79102
dc.description.abstractU-Pb SHRIMP zircon age data, together with geochemical analyses, from the basement to the Katanga Supergroup in the Central African Copperbelt reveal the existence of a widespread Palaeoproterozoic magmatic arc terrane. The Lufubu schists represent a long-lived calc-alkaline volcanic arc sequence and, where dated in both Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), yield ages of 1980 ± 7, 1968 ± 9, 964 ± 12 and 1874 ± 8 Ma. The oldest dated unit from the region, the Mkushi granitic gneiss from south-east of the Zambian Copperbelt, has an age of 2049 ± 6 Ma. The copper-mineralized Mtuga aplites, which crosscut the foliation in the Mkushi gneisses, have mainly xenocrystic, zoned zircons with cores dated at ca. 2.07-2.00 Ga. Overgrowths on these cores are dated at 1059 ± 26 Ma, which is interpreted as the intrusive age of the aplites. An augen gneiss from the Mulungushi Bridge locality yielded an emplacement age of 1976 ± 5 Ma. The Mufulira Pink Granite has an age of 1994 ± 7 Ma, while the Chambishi granite has been dated at 1983 ± 5 Ma, an age within error of Lufubu schist metavolcanics from elsewhere in the Chambishi basin. The gneisses, granitoids and acid-intermediate calc-alkaline metavolcanics are considered to represent stages in the evolution of one or more magmatic arcs that formed episodically over a 200 million year period between 2050 and 1850 Ma. We suggest naming this assemblage of rocks the "Lufubu Metamorphic Complex". The rocks of the Lufubu Metamorphic Complex are interpreted to be part of a regionally extensive Palaeoproterozoic magmatic arc terrane stretching from northern Namibia to northern Zambia and the DRC. This terrane is termed the Kamanjab-Bangweulu arc and is inferred to have collided with the Archaean Tanzanian craton during the ca. 2.0-1.9 Ga Ubendian orogeny, to produce a new composite minicontinental entity that we term the "Kambantan" terrane. The Kambantan terrane was accreted onto the southern margin of the Congo craton during the ca. 1.4-1.0 Kibaran orogeny.
dc.publisherPergamon-Elsevier Ltd
dc.sourceJournal of African Earth Sciences
dc.subjectKeywords: craton; geochronology; mineralization; Proterozoic; regional geology; Africa; Copperbelt; Southern Africa; Sub-Saharan Africa; Zambia Copperbelt; Geochronology; Magmatic arc; Neoproterozoic; Palaeoproterozoic
dc.titleGeochronology and nature of the Palaeoproterozoic basement in the Central African Copperbelt (Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo), with regional implications
dc.typeJournal article
local.description.notesImported from ARIES
local.description.refereedYes
local.identifier.citationvolume42
dc.date.issued2005
local.identifier.absfor040303 - Geochronology
local.identifier.absfor040311 - Stratigraphy (incl. Biostratigraphy and Sequence Stratigraphy)
local.identifier.ariespublicationMigratedxPub7622
local.type.statusPublished Version
local.contributor.affiliationRainaud, C., University of the Witwatersrand
local.contributor.affiliationMaster, S, University of the Witwatersrand
local.contributor.affiliationArmstrong, Richard, College of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, ANU
local.contributor.affiliationRobb, L, University of the Witwatersrand
local.description.embargo2037-12-31
local.bibliographicCitation.startpage1
local.bibliographicCitation.lastpage31
local.identifier.doi10.1016/j.jafrearsci.2005.08.006
dc.date.updated2015-12-11T10:11:15Z
local.identifier.scopusID2-s2.0-29244462009
CollectionsANU Research Publications

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