• 3.28 Ga Mapepe Formation records deep-water hemipelagic sedimentation. • Dominantly mafic–ultramafic sources with subordinate felsic contributions. • Chert-plate conglomerate generated by gravity-driven flows in deep-water basin. • Ce anomalies in Mapepe BIF reflect late goethite-related alteration. To illustrate the peculiarity of early Earth sedimentary dynamics and terrigenous pathways to the first oceans, a detailed sedimentological, petrographical, and geochemical study was conducted on a 40 m succession of the 3.28–3.23 Ga Mapepe Formation in the Barberton greenstone belt (South Africa). The “Tsunami conglomerate locality” includes terrigenous sediments (sandstones, conglomerates) and chemical sediments consisting of banded ferruginous chert (BFC) and banded iron formation (BIF). These deposits reflect a deep-water hemipelagic depositional system dominated by chemical sedimentation, punctuated by discrete terrigenous lobes and slope aprons. The 4.5-m-thick chert-plate conglomerate, known as the “Tsunami conglomerate”, represents high-density flow deposits, indicating gravity-driven instabilities near an abyssal plain. Although it lacks petrographically identifiable terrigenous material, these gravity-reworked BFC deposits exhibit a trace element signature indicating 10 % terrigenous inputs. Trace element signatures of terrigenous rocks indicate a source of 70 ± 10 % (ultra)mafic (75 % basalt, 25 % komatiite) and 30 ± 10 % felsic volcanic material, likely from erosion of the (ultra)mafic Onverwacht Group and related felsic volcanic deposits. These findings fill a gap in sample representativeness at the base of the Mapepe Formation in the Lower Manzimnyama Jaspillite Syncline and challenge previous interpretations of a gradual provenance shift from felsic to mafic sources. Instead, they suggest a predominantly mafic–ultramafic source for most of the Mapepe Formation, except for the lowermost Loenen Member, which consists almost entirely of felsic volcaniclastic material. Finally, most BFC, BIF, and terrigenous-rich units at the studied locality display highly variable Ce anomalies, suggesting that these rocks experienced syn- or post-depositional oxygenated conditions. In-situ analyses indicate that positive Ce anomalies are generally associated with goethite-rich cements, whereas negative anomalies are linked to sericite-(+/- rutile)-rich cements. The preferential distribution of Ce anomalies in secondary minerals demonstrates that these redox features were likely not acquired during sediment deposition, but rather during post-depositional history.

Geology and timing of gold mineralization in the Nangodi greenstone belt: a case study of the Namdini Gold Project, NE Ghana

Corrigendum to “Missing crustal sources to Archean clastic sediments revealed by new U-Pb, trace element, Hf and O isotopic data from detrital zircons of the Barberton Greenstone Belt (South Africa)” [Precambrian Res. 435 (2026) 108016

Petrogenesis of tonalite-trondhjemite and potassic granite, Geita Greenstone Belt, Tanzania Craton: Implication for crustal evolution during Neoarchean plate tectonic initiation

Abstract The Val-d’Or gold district (Abitibi greenstone belt) hosts atypical Cu-Au occurrences associated with the Archean East Sullivan stock, located north of the Cadillac-Larder Lake fault zone. This study integrates geologic, geochemical, isotopic, and Re-Os geochronological data to characterize this intrusion-related system and its association with orogenic gold mineralization. The East Sullivan stock is a highly oxidized, water-rich, fertile, porphyritic, monzonitic-syenitic sanukitoid intrusion that crystallized at ca. 2684 Ma (U-Pb zircon). At least two mineralization styles are associated with the East Sullivan stock: (1) porphyry-style Cu-Mo-Au mineralization hosted within the East Sullivan stock, partly associated with a vuggy endoskarn facies; molybdenite from this style yields an Re-Os age of ca. 2695 ± 12 Ma, constraining the timing of porphyry mineralization; and (2) extensive Cu-Au-Ag exoskarn mineralization hosted in adjacent volcanic rocks of the Héva Formation. The exoskarn developed through a garnet-dominated prograde stage, followed by a calc-silicate–dominated retrograde stage that is associated with the main Cu-Au-Ag mineralization. We suggest that the East Sullivan stock is an Archean porphyry skarn system linked to sanukitoid magmatism that formed ~40 m.y. before the main orogenic gold events (~2643 Ma) in the district. These temporally distinct magmatic-hydrothermal and orogenic systems highlight the protracted, multistage metallogenic evolution of this major Archean gold camp.

Abstract The multimillion-ounce Fenelon gold deposit is a postvolcanic pre-Timiskaming deposit located in the north-western part of the Neoarchean Abitibi greenstone belt, Canada. Two stages of epigenetic gold mineralization are recognized: an early stage (M1) characterized by quartz veins with native gold and molybdenite, and a later stage (M2) with sulfide-rich mineralization accompanied by native gold and Bi-Ag tellurides. Both occur within high-strain zones along lithological contacts and foliation planes. Multiple sulfur isotope analyses of M2 pyrrhotite, chalcopyrite, arsenopyrite, and pyrite yielded near-zero Δ33S values and positive δ34S values (+2.0‰ avg), contrasting with those for diagenetic pyrrhotite in the sedimentary host rocks (Δ33S = +0.45‰ avg, δ34S = +0.6‰ avg). Some sedimentary-rock-hosted mineralization exhibits elevated Δ33S values (up to +0.54‰) and lower δ34S values (down to +0.90‰), consistent with local dissolution and reprecipitation of sedimentary sulfide. The sulfur isotope signature is that of fluids exsolved from crystallizing intrusions or metamorphic devolatilization of igneous rocks. A progressive increase in δ34S values is observed throughout the paragenesis, including within concentrically zoned M2 pyrite, where δ34S values increase from cores (+1.7‰ avg) to rims (+3.6‰ avg), accompanying inclusions of native gold and pyrrhotite. This trend is consistent with a progressive decrease in fluid fO2, likely due to interaction of the fluid with graphite in the sedimentary host rocks. These results show that the Fenelon deposit is either an intrusion-related deposit or, less likely, an early orogenic deposit formed from metamorphic fluids derived from igneous rocks. The results also underline the importance of fluid reduction by carbonaceous sedimentary rocks in gold mineralization.

Reanalysis of 6636 organic-rich lake-sediment samples, for 65 elements, from the Geological Survey of Canada's archive, collected from a large region of northern and northeastern Labrador, has improved the definition of five previously known anomalous signatures. It has also enabled the identification of two additional anomalies of unknown or partly known provenance. . In most cases, the signatures are defined by multiple elements. Profiling, filtering, and smoothing techniques were applied to the data. Some known mineral occurrences, including the Voisey's Bay Ni-Cu-Co deposit, and rock types of distinctive composition such as the Florence Lake greenstone belt have characteristic dispersion patterns of varying strength. In contrast, the response to other well-documented mineralized occurrences, such as those around the U occurrences at Moran Lake, are weak to absent. Potential bedrock sources for other strong anomalies have not yet been identified. It is important to take into account that the anomalous results occur in, or are derived from, glacial sediments formed from one or more complex erosion and deposition events that the region has undergone. The new geochemical analyses have added value to archived lake-sediment samples by improved detection limits, and include elements not analyzed previously, such as suites of rare-earth and other critical elements such as Bi, Ge, In, Pd, Pt, Sn and Te. They should find application in future exploration programs, as demand for these commodities continues.

Artisanal and Small-scale Gold Mining (ASGM) in Archaean greenstone provides a significant source of income for rural communities. Understanding of the particle size distribution of gold is an important parameter for its recovery as it determines the most appropriate and effective mineral processing methods. However, published information is scarce. This study set out to determine the particle size distribution of gold in the ASGM areas in Migori, southwest Kenya. The Neoarchaean Migori Greenstone Belt in southwest Kenya hosts the ‘Migori Goldbelt’. Gold mainly occurs in coarsely crystalline quartz 'reef' veins associated with sulphide mineralisation as well as in banded iron formations and more disseminated in tuffaceous rocks. Based on scanning electron microscope grain count data, the mean particle size of the gold grains was found to be 3.5 μ m, too fine-grained for effective recovery by sluice boxes. Taking the weight of the gold particles into consideration, 80 per cent of the weight of the gold is coarser than 15 μ m and could be recovered using a shaking table. Adopting improved ASGM practices would increase the recovery of fine-grained gold and help to reduce the amount of hazardous substances used in the recovery process. Improved gold recovery would help to boost local economies, secure livelihoods and enhance the quality of life for ASGM communities.

Whether early Earth had a mobile lithosphere and plate tectonics is debated. We present paleomagnetic data quantifying differential motion between lithospheric blocks at ~3.48 billion years ago (Ga). This manifested as [Formula: see text]centimeters per year latitudinal motion of the East Pilbara Craton (Western Australia) across high latitudes, whereas the Barberton Greenstone Belt (South Africa) was stationary at low latitudes. Comparison of this plate motion with candidate analogs suggests either rapid collisional plate tectonics (i.e., an "active-lid") or an episodically mobile lithosphere. We also document the oldest known geomagnetic reversal at ~3.46 Ga, consistent with an axial dipolar dynamo that reversed less frequently than today's. The existence and rates of these surface and core geophysical phenomena provide geodynamic context to Earth's early geophysical and biological evolution.

The Menge area in the Benishangul-Gumuz Regional State of western Ethiopia represents a prospective gold mineralization zone within the Arabian-Nubian Shield.This study presents a comprehensive geochemical investigation of current gold deposits using field mapping, petrographic analysis and whole-rock geochemical data.Eight representative samples were analysed for major oxides and trace elements using XRF and ICP-MS techniques.The results reveal that gold mineralization is primarily hosted in shear zone-related quartz veins within low-grade metamorphic rocks including metadiorite, metagranite, metavolcanic rocks and quartzite.Gold concentrations range from 4.14 to 15.13 ppm, with the highest values associated with quartzite units.Assay values of up to 2.2 ppm Au and quartzite samples exceeding 15 ppm Au confirm significant gold enrichment.The mineralization style corresponds to mesothermal orogenic gold deposits, with hydrothermal fluids likely derived from metamorphic devolatilization.Geochemical signatures indicate evolved tholeiitic magmas of mantle origin with bimodal affinity.Hydrothermal alteration patterns include chloritization, sericitization, silicification and carbonatization.The structural setting, alteration assemblages and ore mineral paragenesis are consistent with mesothermal orogenic gold deposits similar to other Ethiopian gold occurrences.These findings suggest significant potential for economic gold mineralization in the western Ethiopian greenstone belt.

Isotope records of carbon, oxygen and sulfur reveal the role of sulfate evaporites in the formation of Sakatti Cu-Ni-PGE sulfide ore, Central Lapland Greenstone belt, Finland

Banded Iron Formations (BIFs), authigenic marine sedimentary rocks, preserve insights into the composition of Precambrian seawater and early Earth marine environments. The Paleoarchean (~3.37–3.50 Ga) Algoma-type Tomka BIF from the Daitari Greenstone Belt, India, experienced only greenschist-facies metamorphism, in contrast to Eo- to Paleoarchean amphibolite-facies BIFs. Its potential as a seawater archive for palaeo-environmental reconstructions is explored herein. To better constrain the age and the paleo-environmental conditions during deposition of the Tomka BIF, we analysed major- and trace element concentrations together with radiogenic Hf-Nd isotope ratios of individual Fe- and Si-rich BIF layers and an associated shale. Tomka BIF samples, devoid of detrital contamination and post-depositional alteration, show typical Archean shale-normalised seawater-like rare earth and yttrium (REYs N ) patterns with positive La SN , Eu SN, Gd SN anomalies, super-chondritic Y/Ho ratios, absence of negative Ce SN anomalies, and an enrichment of heavy over light REY SN. These signatures imply deposition in an anoxic marine setting influenced by submarine high-temperature hydrothermal systems. Samples with pristine Hf-Nd isotope compositions align along 176 Lu- 176 Hf and 147 Sm- 143 Nd age reference lines with the depositional age range (3.37 to 3.50 Ga). Initial εNd values (+0.1 to +5.3) suggest a juvenile source affecting Tomka seawater; the shale (−0.3 to 1.1) reflects a similarly juvenile source for the detrital component. The BIFs' εHf i values (−4.8 to +145) are decoupled from the Nd isotope system and from the terrestrial array. This decoupling likely indicates the emergence and weathering of zircon-bearing felsic crust of the proto-Singhbhum Craton, affecting Archean seawater composition at 3.37 billion years or earlier. • First major-trace element & Hf-Nd isotope data of Tomka BIF, Daitari Belt, India. • Majority of paleoarchean Tomka BIF samples are devoid of detrital contamination. • Deposition in a marine anoxic setting influenced by high-T hydrothermal systems. • Lu-Hf and Sm-Nd isotope reference lines confirm 3.50–3.37 Ga BIF depositional age. • Hf-Nd isotope decoupling indicates subaerial weathering of evolved landmasses.

Plume-lithospheric mantle interaction for the origin of Archean mafic–ultramafic volcanics of the Prithvipur Greenstone Belt, Bundelkhand Craton, India: Geochemical and Sm Nd isotopic constraints

Seafloor-derived silicified volcanic and sedimentary rocks provide unique records of hydrothermal systems that operated at the top of the Paleoarchean submerged crust. Based on petrographic, thermometric, and geochemical analyses, we distinguish the signatures of Paleoarchean hydrothermal activity from those due to subsequent metamorphism and weathering in silicified volcanic and sedimentary rocks sampled from the 3.5–3.2 Ga Barberton Greenstone Belt. Measured 138La-138Ce and 147Sm-143Nd isotopic compositions indicate that weathering by post-Archean oxidised fluids modified LREE abundances in samples displaying Ce anomalies. Raman spectroscopy of carbonaceous material, chlorite thermometry and oxygen isotope thermometry provide evidence for mineralogical resetting by regional metamorphism at ∼350 ± 50 °C, which arguably did not modify the bulk-rock geochemistry. Oxygen isotope fractionation in a quartz-carbonate assemblage preserved from subsequent resetting provides a minimum temperature of ∼110 ± 50 °C interpreted as the highest possible temperature of the Paleoarchean silicifying hydrothermal fluids. Y/Ho and Zr/Hf ratios are chondritic in silicified volcanic and clastic sedimentary rocks, which differentiates them from Archean orthochemical cherts with suprachondritic Y/Ho and Zr/Hf ratios. Finally, silicified volcanic rocks that are free of Ce anomalies (mostly unweathered by oxidising fluids) display slightly lower Sm/Nd ratios and more variable Lu/Hf ratios than non-silicified counterparts, which we ascribe to differential REE mobilisation by silicifying hydrothermal fluids. The modification of Sm/Nd and Lu/Hf ratios during Paleoarchean hydrothermal activity should be integrated in future Sm-Nd and Lu-Hf isotopic investigations of hydrothermal inputs to Archean ocean chemistry and of recycled seafloor-derived rocks.

This paper deals with new geological, mineralogical, isotopic-geochemical (major, trace, and rare earth elements, Sm–Nd isotopic data) characteristics of the unique Kalevian (1926–1923 Ma) komatiite-tholeiitic magmatic manifestation for the first time identified in the supracrustal Kaskama Formation from the Inari terrane of the Kola-Norwegian region Fennoscandian Shield. In the massive and porphyritic komatiites, the primary (magmatic) mineral paragenesis represented by olivine 20–40%, orthopyroxene up to 5%, hornblende up to 10%, clinopyroxene 20–40% and plagioclase 20–30% was identified. Liquidus temperatures for olivine and pyroxenes calculated in the COMAGMAT3.73 software suite are in the range of ~ 1500–1200 °C. The komatiites of the Kaskama Formation belong to the Al-nondepleted type and are characterized by low REEN content (1–2 relative to C1 chondrite), a total concentration ∑REEavr = 0.15–0.36 ppm, and an unfractionated distribution of REEs, which is a consequence of the generation and evolution of their primary melts outside the field of thermodynamic conditions of garnet stability. The Zr–Y–Nb and Sm–Nd isotopic systematics of the rocks of the komatiite-tholeiitic association indicates the origin of their high-temperature primary melts from a plume source in depleted mantle (εNd(T) = +3.2 ± 0.3), which is different from the mantle sources of the Jatulian-Ludicovian picrite-komatiite association of the Central Lapland greenstone belt of Finland and the Pechenga intracratonic structure. Considering the amphibolite facies metamorphic conditions of the Kaskama Formation, it can be assumed that the komatiite-tholeiitic association is a deeply eroded (at least 10 km) section of a supracrustal volcan.

The onset timing of plate tectonics and the main geodynamic mechanism responsible for subduction initiation are two crucial issues in current international Precambrian research. In this study, we identify two episodes of late Mesoarchean magmatic records (ca. 2.95 Ga and ca. 2.91−2.84 Ga) in the Kongling Complex of the Yangtze Craton, China. The first episode is dominated by ca. 2.95 Ga amphibolites that exhibit the chemical compositions characteristic of tholeiitic basalts. We infer that these rocks were generated by moderate-degrees of partial melting of spinel lherzolite from a depleted asthenospheric mantle source. The studied amphibolites, along with coeval komatiites/komatiitic basalts and tholeiitic basalts, were most likely formed in a rift setting associated with a mantle plume. The second episode mainly comprises ca. 2.91−2.90 Ga tonalite−trondhjemite−granodiorite (TTG) gneisses, ca. 2.88−2.87 Ga sanukitoids, and ca. 2.84 Ga TTG gneisses. We suggest that their parental magmas have complex origins, derived from the partial melting of a subducted oceanic slab (ca. 2.91−2.90 Ga TTGs), a fluids- and melts-metasomatized lithospheric mantle wedge (ca. 2.88−2.87 Ga sanukitoids), and a thickened mafic lower crust (ca. 2.84 Ga TTGs). The co-occurrence of slab-derived TTGs and sanukitoids therefore indicate a subduction setting during the late Mesoarchean. Combined with the presence of plume-related komatiites and tholeiitic basalts as well as subduction-related TTGs and sanukitoids in the Kongling Complex, we propose that a geodynamic transition from mantle plume to plate tectonic initially occurred at ca. 2.95−2.91 Ga in the northern Yangtze Craton. Similar tectonic evolution has also been recognized in many other Archean nuclei worldwide, such as the Sumozero-Kenozero, Wawa, Abitibi, and Bundelkhand greenstone belts, indicating that the upwelling of mantle plumes was one of the main geodynamic mechanisms responsible for the initiation of subduction on early Earth.

Arsenic (As) and fluoride (F⁻) in groundwater limit access to safe drinking water across East Africa, yet process-based understanding of their co-occurrence in Precambrian basement aquifers of northern Tanzania remains limited. This study analyzed groundwater samples (n = 88) from 13 wards in Geita district, Lake Victoria Basin, adjacent to large-scale and artisanal gold mining areas. An integrated approach combining hydrogeochemistry, geospatial analysis, and geochemical modeling was used to investigate spatial variability and the hydrogeochemical processes controlling the distribution of As and F⁻ in the aquifer. Arsenic concentrations ranged from 2.5 to 280 μg/L and F⁻ from 0.13 to 2.17 mg/L; with approximately 82% and 8% samples exceeding World Health Organization (WHO) guideline values, respectively. Groundwater pH was 5.7–7.5, electrical conductivity (EC) and total dissolved solids (TDS) indicated generally acceptable salinity and dissolved As occurred predominantly as As(V) species. As and F⁻ exhibited spatial clustering and co-occurrence associated with migmatite-granitoid-metasediment complexes and volcano-sedimentary Greenstone Belt lithologies, with higher concentrations observed in mining-affected areas. These patterns are interpreted within a Critical Zone framework, where coupled lithological, hydrological, and biogeochemical processes regulate weathering reactions, generate reactive Fe-oxide and clay surfaces, and establish pH and redox conditions that control trace element mobility. Variations in pH (5.7–7.5) influenced As mobility primarily through oxidative weathering of arsenopyrite and other sulfides, forming secondary Fe(III) oxides and hydroxides. Subsequent reductive dissolution of these Fe phases under favorable geochemical conditions released sorbed or co-precipitated As into groundwater, particularly within Ca-HCO3 type waters. Fluoride mobilization was enhanced under alkaline, Na–HCO₃ waters, low Ca²⁺ activity, elevated Na⁺ and HCO₃⁻, ion exchange, and calcite precipitation, which together favored fluorite dissolution and desorption. By linking observed spatial patterns to Critical Zone weathering processes, this study provided a mechanistic basis for As and F⁻ co-occurrence in Precambrian basement aquifers of Northwest Tanzania and offered insights for groundwater-risk assessment and the design of safe drinking-water supply strategies in mining-affected regions.

The Atlantic City–South Pass (ACSP) orogenic gold district, Wind River Mountains, Wyoming, occurs in the Archean South Pass Greenstone Belt primarily within greywackes and igneous rocks metamorphosed to the upper greenschist–lower amphibolite facies. Approximately 10 Mt of gold has been produced from pyrite and arsenopyrite-bearing quartz veins in deformation zones at the brittle–ductile transition. Multiple generations of primary and/or pseudosecondary fluid inclusions in gold-bearing quartz veins include one- and two-phase gaseous CO2-CH4 ± N2 inclusions and two- and three-phase gaseous CO2-CH4-H2O inclusions with rare NaCl daughter minerals. These primary/pseudosecondary inclusions show a broad range of homogenization temperatures (Th) of 177.2 to 420.0 °C, with salinities of halite-bearing inclusions of >26 wt. % NaCl, with a high concentration of CaCl2. Secondary aqueous inclusions formed at lower values of Th (80.9 to 243.4 °C, with one outlier of 301.1 °C). Carbon from graphitic schists associated with gold-quartz veins yields values of δ13C = −28.5 to −19.1 per mil, suggesting that the light C isotope compositions of some carbonates (δ13C = −11.0 to −1.5 per mil) involved exchange reactions with graphite in the schists. Isotopic compositions of sulfur in sulfides (δ34S = −1.0 to 3.6 per mil), oxygen in vein quartz (δ18O = 7.36 to 10.38 per mil), and hydrogen in fluid inclusions in vein quartz (δD = −125 to −55 per mil) are permissive of both magmatic-hydrothermal and metamorphic dehydration models for the origin of gold mineralization. However, a potential source of magmatic–hydrothermal fluids, the post-metamorphic Louis Lake granodiorite was unlikely to transport gold in a vapor state to become focused into shear zones as previously proposed. We favor a metamorphic dehydration model in which gold was derived from the South Pass supracrustal sequence and deposited in second-order shear zones that are spatially related to the first-order Roundtop Mountain Deformation Zone.

ABSTRACT Orogenic gold deposits form an economically important deposit type that are characterized by quartz-carbonate veins in the proximal parts of the deposits. Although these veins are visible to the human eye, detecting chemical and mineralogical differences in the carbonate minerals traditionally requires time-consuming laboratory work. Information about the mineralogical and chemical differences in the carbonate minerals can be particularly useful because some orogenic gold deposits have ferroan alteration halos larger than the deposit itself, and such information can be used for mineral exploration. Chemical variations within the carbonate minerals are well known to be detectable in the visible-near infrared and short-wave infrared wavelength regions (VNIR-SWIR; 400–2500 nm). However, there are not many studies that have assessed such variations in the mid-wave infrared (MWIR) and long-wave infrared (LWIR) wavelength regions between 2500 nm and 12,000 nm. To overcome this knowledge gap, we studied five spectral bands associated with carbonate minerals in the MWIR and LWIR wavelength regions to establish the ability to use them for mineral exploration. To this end, we used hyperspectral drill core data from the Hirvilavanmaa orogenic gold deposit in northern Finland. The results, validated using Mineral Liberation Analyser (MLA) and electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) data, suggest that mineralogical changes, associated with ore-forming processes, can be detected in all studied bands, providing a mineral exploration tool to complement the traditionally used hyperspectral sensing and laboratory analytical methods.

The south-eastern Mwanesi Greenstone Belt (MGB) comprises variably deformed pillowed and amygdaloidal basalt, variolitic pyroclastic breccia and minor felsic volcanic rocks intercalated with phyllite and iron formation. It is bound to the east and underlain by granitic orthogneiss. New structural analysis combined with mica 40 Ar/ 39 Ar geochronology allows for the reconstruction of the tectonic history of the area. The data reveal three tectonic events, D 1 -D 3 . D 1 is constrained at ca. 2680 Ma. In the phyllite of the MGB, it is characterized by recumbent F 1 folds and an axial planar cleavage S 1 that developed under greenschist facies metamorphic conditions. In the structurally underlying granite orthogneiss, D 1 is marked by a shallowly SW-dipping gneissic foliation S 1 and NW-plunging stretching lineation L 1 , associated shear sense indicators suggesting top-to-the-NW movement. We interpret D 1 as recording NW-directed transport of the MGB over the granite orthogneiss. Regionally, D 1 is likely related to a thrusting event that affected the entire craton. The D 2 event, dated at ca. 2575 Ma, led to the development of the N-S-striking Mhou Shear Zone (MSZ)—a one km-thick, steeply west-dipping structure that formed under upper greenschist to lower amphibolite facies metamorphic conditions. The shear zone is mainly localized within the granite orthogneiss and, to a lesser extent, within the MGB. The mylonitic foliation S 2 carries a subhorizontal stretching lineation L 2 with associated shear sense indicators suggesting sinistral movement. Outside the shear zone, the intensity of D 2 deformation progressively decreases eastward within the granite orthogneiss. This decrease is reflected by a change in fold style from isoclinal to open and gentle folds, associated with steep axial planar S 2 foliations, as well as steeply-dipping N-S-striking reverse faults. This suggests that the MSZ is a wrench-dominated sinistral transpressional shear zone which formed during regional NNW-SSE shortening. The parallel orientation of F 2 small-scale folds in the granite orthogneiss and the doubly plunging, NNE-trending MGB syncline supports its classification as a D 2 structure. At the regional scale, the D 2 event is considered a far-field effect of NNW-SSE thrusting in the Northern Marginal Zone of the Limpopo Belt. Local and weak Paleoproterozoic tectonic overprint D 3 , tentatively dated at ca. 2.0 Ga, is characterised by steeply NE-dipping axial planar cleavage S 3 and F 3 box folds developed under lower greenschist facies conditions. Our work in the south-eastern MGB demonstrates that orogenic events that affected the Zimbabwe Craton along its margins largely influenced the tectono-thermal evolution of the MGB. • We provide structural and Ar-Ar data from the south-eastern MGB. • Biotite and muscovite 40 Ar/ 39 Ar data constrains deformation at ca. 2.68, 2.58 and 2.0 Ga. • Ca. 2.68 Ga deformation synchronises with the craton-wide 2.6 Ga Zimbabwe Craton-wide west-directed thrusting. • Ca. 2.58 Ga strengthens the existence of far-field effects of Northern Marginal Zone thrusting in the central Zimbabwe Craton.