Reworking of Archaean and Palaeoproterozoic crust in the Mozambique belt of central Tanzania as documented by SHRIMP zircon geochronology

Abstract New SHRIMP zircon ages for high-grade rocks from the Pan-African Mozambique belt (MB) of central Tanzania document reworking of Archaean–Palaeoproterozoic crust during the formation of this Neoproterozoic collisional orogen. Several gneisses and granulites from the Great Ruaha river area yielded late Archaean emplacement ages of 2575–2680 Ma for their magmatic precursors. Core-rim relationships in some zircons revealed new zircon growth during relatively short episodes of granitoid magmatism. Metamorphic zircons, dated at 1925 Ma, provide new evidence for high-grade metamorphism during formation of the Palaeoproterozoic Usagaran mobile belt. Metamorphic rims around magmatic cores i…

SHRIMP zircon ages for post-Usagaran granitoid and rhyolitic rocks from the Palaeoproterozoic terrain of southwestern Tanzania

We report SHRIMP zircon U-Pb ages for post-Usagaran granitic- to granodioritic intrusives and a rhyolitic agglomerate from the Palaeoproterozoic terrain of southwestern Tanzania. This terrain consists of strongly deformed and metamorphosed rocks ascribed to the ca. 2 Ga Usagaran mobile belt, voluminous post-Usagaran granitoids, and minor supracrustal successions. The southeastern part of this terrain is characterized by the occurrence of little deformed and virtually unmetamorphosed rhyolithic, dacitic and andesitic volcanic rocks which overlie the older Usagaran basement. These rocks extruded between 1820 and 1921 Ma, as documented by SHRIMP zircon ages, which are in good agreement with pr…

Has the East African Orogen Played Any Role in the Formation and Breakup of the Supercontinent Rodinia and the Amalgamation of Gondwana? New Evidence from Field Relationship and Isotopic Data

Single-zircon geochronology and Nd isotopic systematics of Proterozoic high-grade rocks from the Mozambique belt of southern Tanzania (Masasi area): implications for Gondwana assembly

The Mozambique belt of southern Tanzania is underlain by locally restricted 1100–950 Ma (late Kibaran) granitoid gneisses that were derived from remelting of Archaean continental crust, as suggested by Nd isotopic systematics. These rocks were deformed and metamorphosed during an intense Neoproterozoic (Pan-African) event at around 630 Ma together with tectonically interlayered and widespread 800–650 Ma granitoid gneisses and minor clastic metasediments. The 800–650 Ma granitoids were derived predominantly from Neoproterozoic juvenile melts. There is no evidence for pre-800 Ma deformation. The 630 Ma event led to extensive migmatization in all gneisses and caused local melting. Similarities…

Isothermal decompression history in the “Western Granulite” terrain, central Tanzania: Evidence from reaction textures and trapped fluids in metapelites

Abstract The Mozambique Belt (MB) of the East Africa Orogen contains large areas of granulite-facies migmatitic gneisses with Archaean and Palaeoproterozoic protolith ages and that were recycled during the Neoproterozoic Pan-African orogeny. The study area is situated along the Great Ruaha River and within the Mikumi National Park in central Tanzania where migmatitic gneisses and mafic to intermediate granulites are interlayered with Neoproterozoic granulite-facies migmatitic metapelites. Mineral textures suggest isothermal decompression, with the peak mineral assemblage comprising Grt–Bt–Ky–Kfs–Pl–Qtz ± Phn ± Ti-Oxide ± melt and amphibolite-facies retrograde assemblage Grt–Bt–Sil–Ms–Kfs–Pl…

Metamorphic petrology and zircon geochronology of high-grade rocks from the central Mozambique Belt of Tanzania: crustal recycling of Archean and Palaeoproterozoic material during the Pan-African orogeny

New data on the metamorphic petrology and zircon geochronology of high-grade rocks in the central Mozambique Belt (MB) of Tanzania show that this part of the orogen consists of Archean and Palaeoproterozoic material that was structurally reworked during the Pan-African event. The metamorphic rocks are characterized by a clockwise P–T path, followed by strong decompression, and the time of peak granulite facies metamorphism is similar to other granulite terranes in Tanzania. The predominant rock types are mafic to intermediate granulites, migmatites, granitoid orthogneisses and kyanite/sillimanite-bearing metapelites. The meta-granitoid rocks are of calc-alkaline composition, range in age fr…

Archaean and Palaeoproterozoic gneisses reworked during a Neoproterozoic (Pan-African) high-grade event in the Mozambique belt of East Africa: Structural relationships and zircon ages from the Kidatu area, central Tanzania

Abstract This study presents new zircon ages and Sm–Nd whole-rock isotopic compositions for high-grade gneisses from the Udzungwa Mountain area in the central part of the Mozambique belt, Tanzania. The study area comprises a succession of layered granulite-facies para- and orthogneisses, mostly retrograded to amphibolite-facies. The original intrusive contacts became obscured or severely modified during non-coaxial ductile deformation, and extensive shearing occurred during retrogression. Structures reflecting the early deformational history were mostly obscured when the rocks were transported into the lower crust as documented by severe flattening. Only the fragmented gneisses in the easte…

Vestiges of the Mesoproterozoic Events in the Neoproterozoic Mozambique Belt: the East African Perspective in the Rodinia Puzzle

Abstract Most of the geological and palaeogeographical models consider the Neoproterozoic supercontinent Gondwana (∼650-550 Ma) as the direct offspring of the disintegrated Mesoproterozoic supercontinent Rodinia (∼1300-750 Ma). One of the main classical sutures along which the dispersing Rodinia fragments were fused into a new supercontinent (Godwana) is identified as the Mozambique belt of East Africa. The calc-alkaline magmatism (∼1200-950 Ma) in northern Mozambique, southern Malawi and southern Tanzania is regarded as the sole evidence for fragmentation of Rodinia, which is traced within this Neoproterozoic orogenic belt. There are no unequivocal Mesoproterozoic (Kibaran) sediments in th…

Single-zircon geochronology and Nd isotopic systematics of Proterozoic high-grade rocks from the Mozambique belt of southern Tanzania (Masasi area): implications for Gondwana assembly

The Mozambique belt of southern Tanzania is underlain by locally restricted 1100–950 Ma (late Kibaran) granitoid gneisses that were derived from remelting of Archaean continental crust, as suggested by Nd isotopic systematics. These rocks were deformed and metamorphosed during an intense Neoproterozoic (Pan-African) event at around 630 Ma together with tectonically interlayered and widespread 800–650 Ma granitoid gneisses and minor clastic metasediments. The 800–650 Ma granitoids were derived predominantly from Neoproterozoic juvenile melts. There is no evidence for pre-800 Ma deformation. The 630 Ma event led to extensive migmatization in all gneisses and caused local melting. Similarities…