K-Ar ages of some metamorphic rocks of Oban massif and their implications for the tectonothermal evolution of Southeastern Nigeria.

Abstract

The following K-Ar ages have been obtained on mineral separates from some metamorphic rocks in the Oban massif: amphibolites (592-930 Ma), banded gneisses (492-538 Ma), granodioritic gneiss (502 Ma), schists (514-519 Ma) and charnockite (481 Ma). Comparison of these ages with previous dates obtained by the Rb-Sr whole rock method and the Pb-Pb evaporation technique on single zircon throws light on the cooling history and orogenic events in the Oban massif. The banded gneiss in the Oban massif yields a zircon age of 1932±5 Ma, indicating that it was emplaced during the early Proterozoic (Eburnean orogeny). The K-Ar age of 492-538 Ma suggests that these rocks were metamorphosed during the Pan-African orogeny. This age is similar to the Rb-Sr isochron age of 510±10 Ma earlier suggested to be the age of migmatization in the Oban massif. The amphibolite yielded Rb-Sr isochron ages of 784±31 Ma and 1313±37 Ma. The age of 1313±37 Ma fits into the Kibaran event. The K-Ar hornblende age of 930±37 Ma on the same amphibolite strongly suggests that this amphibolite belongs to an event older than Pan-African (600±150 Ma) and has not been reset perfectly by the Pan-African event. The migmatitic schists in the Oban massif yielded a Rb-Sr isochron age of 527±16 Ma which has been interpreted as the age of its migmatization. One sample of this schist, however, gave a model age of 676±24 Ma. The K-Ar ages for the Oban massif schists (514-519 Ma) are close to the Rb-Sr isochron age of ca. 527 Ma and confirm that a metamorphic event occurred in the area at this time. This was followed by final cooling at 515±10 Ma. Charnockite in the Oban area has yielded a zircon age of 584±20 Ma, which is Pan-African. The age possibly dates the time of formation of the charnockites. The K-Ar age (481 Ma) obtained in this study is approximately 100 Ma younger than the zircon age and possibly dates the subsequent cooling of the charnockite through hornblende blocking temperature.