Archaean to Neoproterozoic magmatic events in the Kaoko belt of NW Namibia and their geodynamic significance

Abstract Age relationships in the N–S trending Neoproterozoic (Pan-African) Kaoko belt of northwestern Namibia are still poorly constrained. U–Pb and Pb–Pb zircon age determinations by single grain evaporation, conventional multigrain fraction analyses and ion microprobe (SHRIMP) from a profile along the E–W Hoanib River reveal various episodes of zircon growth, ranging from late Archaean to late Neoproterozoic. From the eastern part of the profile we report crystallization ages of gneiss protoliths from 2645 to 2585 Ma, the oldest ages so far found in Namibia. Sm–Nd isotope data suggest the involvement of still older crustal material in the generation of these gneisses. A thermal event at …