The Nhlangano gneiss dome in south-west Swaziland – A record of crustal destabilization of the eastern Kaapvaal craton in the Neoarchaean

Abstract The Nhlangano granite-gneiss in south-west Swaziland, dated at 2.98 Ga, forms an elliptical dome of remobilised, migmatitic crust. Strongly deformed supracrustal rocks wrap around or form synformal keels infolded with subdomes of Nhlangano Gneiss and represent Mesoarchaean Pongola Supergroup strata at amphibolite- to granulite-facies metamorphic grade. Amphibolites represent the metamorphosed equivalents of Nsuze Group basalts and andesites on the basis of similar trace element and Nd isotope data. Garnetiferous Mahamba Gneiss, dated at c. 2.96 Ga, represents the metamorphosed equivalents of felsic to intermediate volcanic rocks and minor pelitic interflow sedimentary units of the …