A Damara orogen perspective on the assembly of southwestern Gondwana

The Pan-African Damara orogenic system records Gondwana amalgamation involving serial suturing of the Congo-Sao Francisco and Ro ´o de la Plata cratons (North Gondwana) from 580 to 550 Ma, before amalgamation with the Kalahari - Antarctic cratons (South Gondwana) as part of the 530 Ma Kuunga-Damara orogeny. Closure of the Adamastor Ocean was diachronous from the Aracuao ´ Belt southwards, with peak sinistral transpressional deformation followed by craton overthrusting and foreland basin development at 580- 550 Ma in the Kaoko Belt and at 545-530 Ma in the Gariep Belt. Peak deformation/metamorphism in the Damara Belt was at 530-500 Ma, with thrusting onto the Kalahari Craton from 495 Ma thro…