Chemical variations in clay minerals of the Archaean Barberton Greenstone Belt (South Africa)
Abstract Four rock profiles of shales, carbonates and greywacke-type sediments were sampled from the mafic compositional influenced sedimentary Fig Tree Group and from overlying, more felsic related, sedimentary Moodies Group of the Archaean Barberton Greenstone Belt in South Africa. Clay separates of forty sedimentary rocks were examined by XRD and SEM to study the mineralogical, chemical and morphological variations of the constitutive illite and chlorite. The clay minerals showed a significant K-enrichment in the illites and Mg- and Fe-depletions in the chlorites upwards the stratigraphic sequence. Three independent parameters influenced these variations: (1) a change in the origin of th…
Shear-zone patterns and eclogite-facies metamorphism in the Mozambique belt of northern Malawi, east-central Africa: implications for the assembly of Gondwana
Abstract We report on the first occurrence of Pan-African eclogite from the Mozambique belt of northern Malawi, east-central Africa. We describe aspects of (1) the pattern of Pan-African transcurrent and subhorizontal shear zones and how these shear zones relate to eclogite-facies metamorphism and (2) the P – T – t evolution of the eclogite. Finally, we discuss the significance of eclogite-facies metamorphism and shear-zone deformation for the assembly of Gondwana. The first major deformation event involved sinistral and dextral transcurrent and top-ESE shearing and occurred at ∼580–550 Ma. Transcurrent and top-ESE shearing resulted from ESE–WNW horizontal crustal shortening and commenced u…
Sm–Nd, Rb–Sr and Pb–Pb dating of silicic carbonates from the early Archaean Barberton Greenstone Belt, South Africa
Abstract Two silicic carbonate sequences occurring in the Onverwacht Group (OG) and the overlying Fig Tree Group (FTG) of the early Archaean Barberton Greenstone Belt, South Africa, contain silicified dolomites with primary structures and textures. They occur with volcanic rocks dated by single zircons. The associated Onverwacht felsic volcanics have an age of ∼3440–3416 Ma, whereas the Fig Tree volcanics are ∼3225 Ma old. Therefore, the depositional age of both sequences is between 3440 and 3225 Ma. Pb-isotopic data for different parts of a single OG whole rock sample form a linear array corresponding to a Pb–Pb age of 2632±99 Ma. Sm–Nd and Rb–Sr isotopes were analysed in four whole rock s…
Characterization, provenance, and tectonic setting of Fig Tree greywackes from the Archaean Barberton Greenstone Belt, South Africa
Abstract In this study, mineralogical and geochemical data, as well as Sr and Nd isotopic compositions of early Archaean greywackes from the Fig Tree Group are presented to provide further information about the evolution of the Barberton Greenstone Belt (BGB) of the Kaapvaal Craton, South Africa. The chemical data on the collected greywackes from the BGB suggest limited chemical modification of the source rocks. The Eu/Eu * anomaly is negative with an average value of 0.76 which is slightly higher than that of Eu-depleted crustal rocks (0.65). High Cr and Ni concentrations and a Cr/Ni ratio of about 1.6 indicate derivation from ultramafic sources without fractionation. Although rounded zirc…
Pb–Pb age, stable isotope and chemical composition of Archaean magnesite, Barberton Greenstone Belt, South Africa
International audience; Trace-element, carbon, oxygen and lead-isotope analyses were carried out to determine the formation mode and crystallization age of magnesite from the Budd ultramafic complex of the Archaean Barberton Greenstone Belt, South Africa. Its significantly high Ti contents probably relate to a soluble Ti-rich accessory mineral, probably dissolved during magnesite precipitation. Primitive mantle-normalized REE patterns of the magnesite show negative Ce and Eu anomalies induced by two events: (1) the Eu anomaly indicates reducing conditions probably induced by the emplacement of the ultramafic source rock; (2) the Ce anomaly implies oxidizing conditions, probably during a hyd…
A Mineralogical, Chemical and Isotopic Investigation of Shales from the Barberton Greenstone Belt, South Africa, To Constrain Source Materials and Post-Deposition Evolution
Major, trace and rare-earth elements were determined, together with their Rb-Sr, Sm-Nd and Pb-Pb isotopic systems, on shales from the ~3.5 to 3.1 Ga old Barberton Greenstone Belt in South Africa, to constrain their source materials and post-depositional evolution, on the basis of successive potential alteration impacts. A progressive change in the chemical composition has been identified from a dominant ultramafic-mafic (such as a komatiite end-member) source for the Fig Tree Group to a progressively felsic-plutonic (such as a granite end-member) provenance for the Moodies Group. The SiO 2 , K 2 O, U, Rb, Ba, and Sr contents, and the Zr/Y ratio increase upwards the stratigraphy, while the M…
Composition and provenance analysis of beach sands in an almost isolated sedimentary system – A field study of the Galápagos Archipelago
The Galapagos Archipelago is the surface expression of an active hotspot or long-lived mantle plume. The Archipelago consists of a group of 13 main islands which are located in the eastern central Pacific Ocean about 1,000 km west of the northern edge of the South American continent, east of the East Pacific Rise and south of the Galapagos spreading center. Because of the large distance to the nearest continental land mass, Galapagos can be seen as an almost isolated sedimentary system. A provenance study conducted on samples collected from seventeen beaches on eleven islands, demonstrates that mineral grains and particles were derived from weathering of predominantly basaltic rocks and wer…
Influence of anthropogenic activity on the lead isotope signature of Thau Lake sediments (southern France): origin and temporal evolution
Lead concentrations and isotopic compositions were determined on both bulk sediments deposited in the Thau lake in southern France during the last 200 years, and leachates derived from a series of sequential leachings of the sediments, making it possible to identify the sources, natural (i.e. indigenous lithologic) or anthropogenic, and to quantify the different inputs of Pb. Two distinct inputs of Pb could be distinguished. One of these corresponds to the terrigenous material entering the basin, representative of the local natural Pb ‘background’. Its supply remained steady most of the time with 206Pb/207Pb ratios of 1.200±0.003, except at the time of heavy storms producing voluminous and …
Crustal age domains in the Kibaran belt of SW-Uganda: Combined zircon geochronology and Sm–Nd isotopic investigation
Abstract Combination of geochemistry, Nd mean crustal residence ages and single zircon ages reveal distinct provinces not recognized previously within the Kibaran belt of SW-Uganda. Geochemical analyses (HFSE and REE) of four granitoids, namely the Ntungamo, Chitwe, Rwentobo and Kamwezi from the Karagwe Tinfield have been interpreted to be mainly composed of melt components from subduction modified parts of the continental lithospheric mantle. In addition we can demonstrate, from these distinctive batholiths crystallization ages that lead to the result of three age groups, one at around 1566 Ma, the second at 1444 Ma to and the third clusters between 1329 Ma and 1363 Ma. The eNd(t) values f…
Tracing the source of gypsum in New Caledonian soils by REE contents and SSr isotopic compositions
Gypsum minerals forming in pedogenic environments in New Caledonia were examined for their S and Sr isotope compositions and REE distributions. Three possible sources were identified: volcanic, soil-derived and marine. However, differentiation based only on the REE contents and normalized patterns was not possible, but, the best preserved volcanic sample yields a negative EuEu∗ anomaly and the lowest GdNYbN ratio due to the high content of organic matter. Mixing calculations of the δ34S values and 87Sr86Sr ratios confirmed that the marine gypsum has a δ34S value close to + 21‰ and an 87Sr86Sr ratio close to 0.70912, and that the volcanic gypsum has a δ34S value of 0‰ and an 87Sr86Sr ratio o…
Zircon Dates Long-Lived Plume Dynamics in Oceanic Islands
In this contribution we report the first systematic study of zircon U-Pb geochronology and δ 18O-εHf(t) isotope geochemistry from 10 islands of the hot-spot related Galapagos Archipelago. The data extracted from the zircons allow them to be grouped into three types: (a) young zircons (0–∼4 Ma) with εHf(t) (∼5–13) and δ 18O (∼4–7) isotopic mantle signature with crystallization ages dating the islands, (b) zircons with εHf(t) (∼5–13) and δ 18O (∼5–7) isotopic mantle signature (∼4–164 Ma) which are interpreted to date the time of plume activity below the islands (∼164 Ma is the minimum time of impingement of the plume below the lithosphere), and (c) very old zircons (∼213–3,000 Ma) with mostly…
Detrital-zircon geochronology and provenance of the El Oro Metamorphic Complex, Ecuador: Geodynamic implications for the evolution of the western Gondwana margin
Abstract The El Oro Metamorphic Complex (EOMC) in SW Ecuador has been the subject of debate for several decades. While previous studies have focused on the metamorphic and deformation history of the complex to determine its geodynamic evolution, the pre-metamorphic history and its association to units in the north-central Andes remains poorly understood. Here we present a U-Pb detrital zircon provenance study to provide insights into the depositional history and the geodynamic setting of the EOMC. Our results imply that the southern portion of the EOMC (the Tahuin division) is composed of an older Palaeozoic (pre-Famatinian) sequence in the south (El Tigre unit; c. 525-510 Ma), and younger …
Sequential leaching of silicified Archaean carbonates: A Rb-Sr, Sm-Nd and Pb-Pb isotopic contribution to their tectonic-thermal history (Kaapvaal Craton, South Africa)
Abstract Sequential leaching was completed by successive interactions of ultra-pure H2O, HAc, HCl and HNO3 with silicified/carbonated Archaean whole rocks from Barberton Greenstone belt of South Africa. The purpose of this experiment was an identification of the minerals interacting with each reagent and, therefore, a detailed succession of isotopically dated tectonic-thermal episodes recorded in these minerals. The contents of the major, trace and rare-earth elemental, together with the Sr, Nd and Pb isotopic compositions of untreated, leachate and residue triplets allowed identification and analysis of various types of carbonates and sulfates mixed with insoluble silicates. The samples yi…
Sm-Nd dating of Fig Tree clay minerals of the Barberton greenstone belt, South Africa.
Sm-Nd isotopic data from carbonate-derived clay minerals of the 3.22-3.25 Ga Fig Tree Group, Barberton greenstone belt, South Africa, form a linear array corresponding to an age of 3102 +/- 64 Ma, making these minerals the oldest dated clays on Earth. The obtained age is 120-160 m.y. younger than the depositional age determined by zircon geochronology. Nd model ages for the clays range from approximately 3.39 to 3.44 Ga and almost cover the age variation of the Barberton greenstone belt rocks, consistent with independent evidence that the clay minerals are derived from material of the belt. The combined isotopic and mineralogical data provide evidence for a cryptic thermal overprint in the …
Palaeoproterozoic granulite-facies metamorphism and granitoid intrusions in the Ubendian-Usagaran Orogen of northern Malawi, east-central Africa
Abstract The Paleoproterozoic basement of northern Malawi shows evidence for granulite-facies metamorphism older than the 1930±30 Ma-old Nyika Granite. Low-pressure granulite-facies metamorphism in regionally coherent and extensively exposed cordierite-garnet granulite reached 750–850°C and 5-5.5 kbar. The Chelinda Granite intruded during this event and has been dated by single zircons at 1995±0.4 Ma ( 207 Pb 206 Pb age; 2σ-mean errors). Anatectic melt which formed concurrently with cordierite growth in the cordierite-garnet granulite yielded a 207 Pb 206 Pb zircon age of 1988±0.6 Ma. These ages are interpreted to date the peak of regional low-pressure granulite-facies metamorphism. The Nyi…