Proterozoic Orogen Research Articles

Lead Isotopes Constrain Precambrian Crustal Architecture, Thermal History and Lithospheric Foundering in Laurentia

ABSTRACTLaurentia (ancestral North America) records nearly 4 billion years of crustal evolution. Here, a newly compiled continental‐scale Pb isotopic database is used to evaluate the Precambrian crustal evolution of Laurentia. Pb model ages yield a 2.7 Ga peak, a 2.5–1.8 Ga minimum and 1.8–0.9 Ga continuum. Pb model ages yield thermochronometric data and track crustal growth via arc‐related magmatism and accretionary orogenesis. Model 232Th/204Pb and 238U/204Pb broadly correlate with mapped crustal domains. More homogeneous and less radiogenic 238U/204Pb and 232Th/238U after 2.7 Ga suggests a shift to more juvenile sources, loss of early isotopic reservoirs and greater crustal reworking. U and Th are fractionated from Pb in Proterozoic orogens with abundant ferroan and anorthosite–mangerite–charnockite–granite(AMCG)‐suite magmatism. This fractionation suggests the removal of Pb‐rich lower crust, supporting petrogenetic models involving lithospheric foundering and magmatic underplating. Lithospheric thinning and associated magmatism may have contributed to high middle Proterozoic geothermal gradients.

Geochemical and geochronologic evidence for a contiguous northeastern Wyoming Province

The extent and nature of the Wyoming Province, an Archean craton in southwestern Laurentia, are poorly understood due to limited exposure between spatially isolated basement-cored uplifts. This lack of exposure has led to debate about whether the northeastern Wyoming Province is underlain by contiguous Archean crust or Proterozoic rocks and suture zone associated with the Trans-Hudson orogeny. To assess these models we analyzed samples recovered from drill cores in the buried northeastern Wyoming Province that straddle the proposed Proterozoic suture. Whole-rock geochemical and Nd-Pb-O isotopic data suggest the rocks formed by partial melting of > 3.5 Ga hydrated mafic to tonalitic sources similar to elsewhere in the northern Wyoming Province. Zircon U-Pb dates record Mesoarchean magmatism and metamorphism (3.0–2.8 Ga). Published whole-rock Rb-Sr, hornblende and biotite K-Ar, and apatite fission track dates suggest these rocks have not been heated above 300 °C since 2.5–2.1 Ga. Geophysical potential field data are consistent across northeastern Wyoming contrasting with major discontinuities associated with documented Proterozoic orogens on all other margins of the Wyoming Province. Hence, geochemical, isotopic, and geochronologic data along with geophysical imaging can be most simply interpreted in terms of continuous Archean crust in the northeastern Wyoming Province. A geophysically-imaged reflector east of the Bighorn Mountains may juxtapose Archean terranes with similar ages and sources, similar to the boundary between the Montana metasedimentary terrane and Beartooth-Bighorn magmatic zone in the northwestern Wyoming Province. This work emphasizes the value of integrating geologic and geophysical constraints to constrain Archean provinces and their tectonic evolution.

A multi-disciplinary geophysical approach reveals a Paleoproterozoic cryptic suture in the Amazon Craton – Implications for Proterozoic Supercontinent reconstructions

The Amazon Craton evolved in the Paleo-Mesoproterozoic through successive continental magmatic arcs, which ages decrease westwards. However, when and if these magmatic arcs collided with another continent, closing an ocean basin is a subject of ongoing debate. It is speculated that the Baltica and Amazon cratons formed a purely long-lived accretionary margin for at least 900 Ma and only collided during the formation of the Rodinia Supercontinent at 1.2 – 1.0 Ga. Identifying relicts of suture zones is challenging since Proterozoic orogens tend to preserve the continental arc and the reworked components so that less than 10 % of the orogens are composed of oceanic evidence. Moreover, the Phanerozoic cover overlays more than 50 % of the proterozoic rocks in the Amazon Craton. Therefore, we propose a robust geophysical assessment to investigate the upper and lower crusts. We acquired new magnetotelluric data and integrated it to the available potential field (satellite, airborne, and ground), geochronological data (magmatic and metamorphic ages), crustal thickness and depth to Curie temperature estimates. A major crustal-scale structure (more than 1000 km in extension) separates two tectonic fragments with remarkable differences in the magnetic gradient and structure trend. We also find along this major boundary high and low Bouguer anomalies of long-wavelength paired, a step in the Mohorovic discontinuity, and a lower crust conductor. This evidence supports the hypothesis of a collision in Paleoproterozoic times. Our findings suggest that the orogen did not remain purely accretionary and evolved to a collisional type between 1.63 and 1.69 Ga. This contrasts with the purely accretionary orogens described in the Baltica Craton, thereby undermining the hypothesis that the Amazon and Baltica cratons shared the same peri-Nuna subduction system from 2.0 to 1.3 Ga.

Age and origin of the West Kimberley lamproites, Western Australia

New high precision 40Ar/39Ar ages are presented which more tightly constrain the eruption ages of the West Kimberley lamproites of northwestern Western Australia. The data show a southward progression in ages of the lamproites over a distance of ∼135 km, from ∼22.5 Ma in the northernmost lamproites of the Ellendale Field to ∼19 Ma in the Noonkanbah Field in the south, excluding the Walgidee Hill lamproite. The large (∼490 ha) zoned Walgidee Hills lamproite at the northern edge of the Noonkanbah Field is the youngest of the West Kimberley lamproites and represents a later pulse of lamproite magmatism at 17.4 Ma, >1 Ma after the main lamproite magmatism.The southward progression of lamproite ages extends across a wide swath from the Proterozoic King Leopold Orogen at the southern margin of the Kimberley Craton to the Phanerozoic Fitzroy Trough in the Canning Basin. The magmatism does not appear to be the result of the migration of a mantle plume, but more likely reflects small degrees of partial melting of old, thick, metasomatised lithosphere extending from the craton margin beneath the basin, with melting triggered by regional uplift and/or small-scale mantle convection at the craton margin. Emplacement of the lamproites likely exploited ancient trans-lithospheric structures associated with the Proterozoic orogen at the craton margin and structures associated with the formation of the Canning Basin in the Phanerozoic.

Giant sheath-folded nappe stack demonstrates extreme subhorizontal shear strain in an Archean orogen

Abstract Giant sheath-folded nappes are associated with suture zones and emplacement of far-traveled allochthons in Phanerozoic orogens, demonstrating a rare but significant geologic phenomenon indicative of modern-style plate tectonics. We document the world's oldest-known subhorizontal mega-scale sheath fold from Archean Alpine-style nappes of the Central orogenic belt, North China craton. The Zanhuang nappes are recumbent Alpine-style forearc-affinity metabasaltic and metasedimentary nappes emplaced over a passive continental margin in the Archean, marking an ancient suture zone. Field evidence shows multiscale sheath folds from decimeters to tens of meters in size, and our three-dimensional fence profile, fold hinges, kinematic lineations, and lithological traces define an ~1-km-long (parallel to the x-axis) sheath fold in the core of the nappe stack. Structural analysis statistically demonstrates the macro-scale recumbent sheath-folded nappe preserves a complete 180° hinge-line curvature. The giant sheath fold plunges northwest, reflecting its formation during non-coaxial, top-to-the-southeast shearing with extremely high shear strain (γ ≥10), equated to >10 km of ductile slip on the bounding surfaces. Slip vectors derived from S-C fabrics on overturned limbs are consistent with rotation into the southeast-directed transport direction, parallel to the similarly rotated fold hinges. Comparison of the giant sheath-folded nappes from the Archean Zanhuang example with mega-scale sheath folds in Phanerozoic and Proterozoic orogens shows that Neoarchean lithosphere was stiff enough to allow tectonics to operate in a manner analogous to modern-style plate tectonics.

Enigmatic Mid‐Proterozoic Orogens: Hot, Thin, and Low

AbstractSince the Archean, secular change in orogenic style is demonstrated through evolution of metamorphic conditions and geochemical proxies. Linked to orogenic style is the amount of crustal thickening and elevation, whereas orogenic vigor is related to the supercontinent cycle. An array of Proterozoic orogens spanned the assembly of supercontinents Columbia and Rodinia, but the vigor of orogenesis is debated, with proposals for both Mesoproterozoic quiescence and climax. We show mid‐Proterozoic orogenesis occurred globally and was broadly continuous; furthermore, orogens exhibit elevated metamorphic thermobaric ratios with large volumes of high‐temperature felsic magmatic rocks. These features reflect higher mantle heat flux leading to increased mid‐crustal flow and lower elevation. In this context, proposals that geochemical proxies for crustal thickness record orogenic quiescence are inconsistent with the geological record. Alternatively, secular change in crustal thickness is attributed to orogenic style, namely the prevalence of hot, thin, and low orogens in the mid‐Proterozoic.

When Wyoming Became Superior: Oblique Convergence Along the Southern Trans‐Hudson Orogen

AbstractThe Trans‐Hudson orogen (THO) is one of the best‐preserved Proterozoic orogens on Earth, largely unaffected by subsequent tectonism, yet its southern extent lies concealed beneath the North American Central Plains. A new 3D resistivity model over the southern orogen is developed and interpreted alongside borehole, potential field, and seismic reflection data. We present the first synoptic crustal view of the southern THO and a new tectonic model of the orogen. Our model reveals high‐conductivity belts marking paleo‐subduction zones while the orogen center consists of deeply exhumed relatively dense and mostly magnetic juvenile crust preserved between the deformed margins of the Wyoming and Superior cratons. Complex structure along the western margin suggests convergence began with oblique subduction and the northward transport of severed fragments of the Wyoming Province. High‐conductivity belts are in places offset from upper‐crustal geophysical boundaries, consistent with the thrusting of accreted arcs over the Archean margins during terminal closure.

New 40Ar/39Ar geochronology data of the Fuping and Wutai Complexes: Further constraints on the thermal evolution of the Trans-North China Orogen

The Trans-North China Orogen has witnessed the assembly of the Western and Eastern blocks of the North China Craton during Late Paleoproterozoic. Numerous studies have focused on the subduction/collision timing and metamorphic evolution of the Trans-North China Orogen, whereas the thermal evolution and exhumation history are still poorly understood. The Fuping and Wutai Complexes are widely exposed of middle- to high-grade metamorphic rocks, which are excellent regions to investigate the thermal evolution and exhumation history of the Trans-North China Orogen. Previous U-Pb geochronological data of metamorphic zircon and monazite suggest that the peak granulite facies metamorphism in the Fuping Complex occurred during 1.92–1.80 Ga, and peak amphibolite facies metamorphism in the northeastern part of the Wutai Complex happened at 1.85–1.82 Ga. Here we report newly obtained hornblende 40Ar/39Ar age of 1813–1806 Ma in the Fuping Complex, and biotite 40Ar/39Ar age of 1802–1786 Ma in the northeastern part of the Wutai Complex, which representing the cooling ages. Combined with previous thermochronological data, the cooling rate of 2.0–8.5 °C/Ma was obtained for the middle to southern segments of the Trans-North China Orogen, possibly suggesting a moderate to fast exhumation relative to other Proterozoic orogens.

THE PHENOMENON OF RAPID ACCUMULATION OF SEDIMENTS BELONGING TO THE UDOKAN GROUP AND THE FORMATION OF THE UNIQUE UDOKAN COPPER DEPOSIT (ALDAN SHIELD, SIBERIAN CRATON)

We analyzed new geological and geochronological data on sedimentation and metamorphism in the junction area of the Aldan and Stanovoy Superterranes comprising the southern flank of the Siberian craton. The analysis was focused on early Proterozoic deposits belonging to the Udokan group. It is confirmed that highly metamorphosed rocks at the base of the Udokan group (Kolar subgroup of the Stanovoy suture zone) differ sharply from other rock associations included in this group (Chiney and Kemen subgroups of the Aldan Superterrane). They differ in the degree of metamorphic alterations, style of tectonic deformation, igneous complexes intruding them, and show a complete lack of copper mineralization. There are thus grounds to exclude the Kolar subgroup from the Udokan group. According to our data, the age of the sediments in the Udokan group, including the Chiney and Kemen subgroups, is 1.90‒1.87 Ga, i.e. in the study area, sedimentation lasted for no more than 30 Ma and proceeded simultaneously with the copper mineralization within the intracontinental extensional basin at the stage of collapse of the early Proterozoic orogen.

Gold metallogeny of the northern Capricorn Orogen: The relationship between crustal architecture, fault reactivation and hydrothermal fluid flow

The timing and distribution of gold mineralization in Proterozoic orogens is influenced by crustal architecture which is often established long before gold mineralization occurs. Gold occurrences in such settings are commonly associated with crustal-scale faults formed at cratonic margins. Once established, these faults provide critical pathways for hydrothermal and mineralizing fluids which during repeated fault reactivations can result in remobilization or introduction of new auriferous fluids resulting in overprinting gold events. Recently published geochronological data for the northern part of the Proterozoic Capricorn Orogen in Western Australia show it has experienced at least three episodes of gold mineralization occurring at c. 2400, 1770 and 1680 Ma. This information, combined with new data directly linking the timing of hydrothermal activity, gold mineralization and fault reactivation show that the crustal-scale Nanjilgardy and Baring Downs Faults, and their subsidiary structures, were (re)activated during discrete orogenic events. Many of the gold deposits are associated with intracratonic reworking during the 1820–1770 Ma Capricorn Orogeny and 1680–1620 Ma Mangaroon Orogeny. Intracratonic settings are not normally considered prospective for gold mineralization due to a lack of input of juvenile material. However, it appears that repeated hydrothermal fluid flow during intracratonic events, has the potential to upgrade gold mineralization or increase gold endowment throughout the orogen, either through gold remobilization or through introduction of new gold, increasing the potential for economic gold deposits.

About this title - Crustal Architecture and Evolution of the Himalaya–Karakoram–Tibet Orogen

This volume comprises 17 contributions that address the architecture and geodynamic evolution of the Himalaya–Karakoram–Tibet (HKT) system, covering wide aspects, from the active seismicity of the present day to the remnants of the Proterozoic orogen. The articles investigate the HKT system at different scales, blending field research with laboratory studies. The role of various lithospheric components and their inheritance in the geodynamic and magmatic evolution of the HKT system through time, and their links to global geological events, are studied in the field. The laboratory research focuses on the (sub-)micrometre scale, detailing micro-structural geology, crystal chemistry, geochronology, and the study of circulating fluids, their preservation (trapped in fluid inclusions) and their evolution, distribution, migration and interaction with the solid host. An orogen over 2000 km long can be understood only if the processes at the nanometre and micrometre scales are taken into account. The contributions in this volume successfully combine these scales to enhance our understanding of the HKT system.

Magnetotelluric Surveys Across Major Precambrian Tectonic Boundaries in Southern Western Australia

Magnetotelluric data have been recorded along two traverses in southern Western Australia. The survey locations were chosen so as to define conductivity structure in the deep crust and upper mantle across fundamental geological boundaries within and at the margin of the Yilgarn Craton. Data across the suture zone between the Archean Yilgarn Craton and the adjacent Proterozoic Albany-Fraser Orogen suggest major structures and crustal blocks have been successfully mapped based on their conductivity characteristics. The data are interpreted as showing the orogen is largely allochthonous and the suture zone may contain remanent oceanic crust and suspect terranes of continental affinity. Preliminary results from a survey across the southern Yilgarn Craton from the Southern Cross to Eastern Goldfields greenstone terrains suggest major fault structures, such as the Koolyanobbing shear zone, extend in to the deep crust and dip to the east. A zone of anomalously conductive mantle occurs beneath the Lake Johnston greenstone belt. This belt contains nickel sulphide deposits but the origin and significance of the mantle feature and any link to the mineralisation remains equivocal.

Geodynamics of the Arctic: From proterozoic orogens to present day seafloor spreading

The Circum-Arctic terrains comprise series of complex geological structures, with fragments of Archaean to Paleoproterozoic shields and platforms, remains of orogenic belts of Neo-proterozoic to Cenozoic ages, Paleozoic and Mesozoic platforms and sedimentary basins, large igneous provinces, and Mesozoic-Cenozoic rift structures and basin fill in the northern North Atlantic and Central Arctic Ocean. Major orogenic events include the Neoproterozoic Timian Orogeny, the Mid Paleozoic Caledonian and Eurekean orogenies, the Late Paleozoic to Early Mesozoic Ellesmerian and Uralian orogenies, and the Late Mesozoic to Cenozoic Eurekan orogeny. The breakup of Arctida-II in the Mesozoic and Cenozoic, and the Cenozoic sea-floor spreading in the North Atlantic and Polar Ocean, led to significant redistribution of land masses and to the formation of the present Arctic Ocean shelves and basins. The central Arctic Ocean remains one of the more debated areas in terms of plate tectonic evolution. Most models include spreading in the Canada Basin (southern Amerasia Basin) at ca. 125–80 Ma, the Makarov-Podvodnikov Basin (northern Amerasia Basin) at around 80–60 Ma, and the Eurasia Basin at ca. 55-0 Ma. Different crustal and tectonic models for the Amerasia and Eurasia basins and their margins are discussed, and present knowledge of the basin fill histories briefly reviewed. The present paper serves as an introduction to the current Special Issue on the Geodynamics of the Arctic.

Linking gold mineralization to regional-scale drivers of mineral systems using in situ U–Pb geochronology and pyrite LA-ICP-MS element mapping

Proterozoic orogens commonly host a range of hydrothermal ores that form in diverse tectonic settings at different times. However, the link between mineralization and the regional-scale tectonothermal evolution of orogens is usually not well understood, especially in areas subject to multiple hydrothermal events. Regional-scale drivers for mineral systems vary between the different classes of hydrothermal ore, but all involve an energy source and a fluid pathway to focus mineralizing fluids into the upper crust. The Mount Olympus gold deposit in the Proterozoic Capricorn Orogen of Western Australia, was regarded as an orogenic gold deposit that formed at ca. 1738 Ma during the assembly of Proterozoic Australia. However, the trace element chemistry of the pyrite crystals closely resembles those of the Carlin deposits of Nevada, with rims that display solid solution gold accompanied by elevated As, Cu, Sb, Hg, and Tl, surrounding gold-poor cores. New SHRIMP U–Pb dating of xenotime intergrown with auriferous pyrite and ore-stage alteration minerals provided a weighted mean 207Pb*/206Pb* date of 1769 ± 5 Ma, interpreted as the age of gold mineralization. This was followed by two discrete episodes of hydrothermal alteration at 1727 ± 7 Ma and 1673 ± 8 Ma. The three ages are linked to multiple reactivation of the crustal-scale Nanjilgardy Fault during repeated episodes of intracratonic reworking. The regional-scale drivers for Carlin-like gold mineralization at Mount Olympus are related to a change in tectonic regime during the final stages of the intracratonic 1820–1770 Ma Capricorn Orogeny. Our results suggest that substantial sized Carlin-like gold deposits can form in an intracratonic setting during regional-scale crustal reworking.

The composition and structure of the deep crust of the Capricorn Orogen

ABSTRACTUnderstanding how the Australian continent came together requires an understanding of structure in all levels of the lithosphere. Deep seismic reflection profiles across several Proterozoic orogens have revealed entirely buried tectonic elements, termed seismic provinces. Although undoubtedly important, the nature of these seismic provinces is typically not well characterised. The Capricorn Orogen is one such region, where the upper crust is relatively well known from geological and geophysical studies, but much of the deep crust is buried beneath Proterozoic basins. Here we combine geophysical datasets, including active and passive source seismic data and gravity data, to image the density, seismic velocity and compositional structure of the deep crust of the Capricorn Orogen. Crustal structure interpreted from deep seismic reflection studies is re-scaled using velocity information from receiver function studies. This modified geometry is used to construct a density model that satisfies Bouguer gravity data. Finally, after correcting for temperature and pressure dependencies, the velocity and density information is used to generate a compositional model of the orogen. This model indicates a varied structure with at least four distinct blocks between the Yilgarn and Pilbara cratons, bounded by major shear zones. We suggest that this variation is linked to multiple accretion events during the amalgamation of the West Australian Craton.

Provenance analysis of heavy minerals in beach sands (Falkland Islands/Islas Malvinas) – A view to mineral deposits and the geodynamics of the South Atlantic Ocean

Beach sands are ideal traps to collect heavy minerals (HM) from different geodynamic settings and mineral deposits. The coastal sediments contain a mixture of HM derived from the submarine shelf and from source rocks in the hinterland. This is true in a transgressive periglacial regime, where drowned valleys and estuaries are instrumental in draining HM to the arenaceous beach sediments from more distal basement lithologies. A scenario like this can be found in the Falkland Islands/Islas Malvinas. The site under study is the missing link between South Africa and South America, the splitting-apart of which is mirrored by the HM distribution predominantly concentrated in the backshore and dune belt along the coast. The HM are subdivided into three HM associations reflecting the geodynamic evolution of the South Atlantic Ocean and of some of the prominent mineral deposits on the Gondwana Continent: (1) Gondwana cratons and Proterozoic orogens, with Cr and BIF deposits (rutile, zircon, ilmenite, tourmaline, garnet, Cr spinel), (2) rift-related and break-apart magmatic lithologies with mantle-derived pipe rocks such as kimberlites (zircon, pyroxene, spinel, Mg ilmenite), (3) Cordillera-type lithologies with polymetallic stratabound deposits (tourmaline, amphibole, chlorite, REE phosphates). The variation of the major HM from the stable craton (Kalahari-Kaapvaal Craton) in the East to the mobile fold belt (Andes) in the West follows the order of stability of HM. In addition to these 3 geodynamic HM groups, sporadic occurrences of HM originating from alteration (leucoxene, chlorite s.s.s. (= solid solution series)) are part of armored relics such as “nigrine” which on transport disintegrated and thereby released these HM. The major ultrastable and stable HM zircon, rutile, tourmaline s.s.s., spinel s.s.s., and garnet s.s.s. are displayed in a synoptical x-y plot showing the mantle and crustal trends of fractionation and formation of cumulates by means of particular mineral associations as well as the chemical composition of their s.s.s. Five different geodynamic-lithological patterns, each represented by a set of type-lithologies are established for the cratonic magmatic-metamorphic lithosphere. Based on the HM, the geodynamic setting under study is dominated by source rocks typical of a primitive, cratonic setting.

Crustal structure of a Proterozoic craton boundary: East Albany-Fraser Orogen, Western Australia, imaged with passive seismic and gravity anomaly data

We use passive seismic and gravity data to characterize the crustal structure and the crust-mantle boundary of the east Albany-Fraser Orogen in Western Australia, a Proterozoic orogen that reworked the southern and southeastern margin of the Archean Yilgarn Craton. The crustal thickness pattern retrieved from receiver functions shows a belt of substantially thickened crust that follows the trend of the orogen, but narrows to the southwest. Common conversion point profiles show a clear transition from a wide, symmetric Moho trough in the northeast to a one-sided, northwestern Moho dip in the southwest, where the Moho appears to underthrust the craton towards its interior. This change appears to coincide with the inferred trace of the Ida Fault, a major terrane boundary within the Yilgarn Craton.Forward modelling of gravity anomaly data using the retrieved Moho geometry as a geometric constraint shows that a conspicuous, elongated gravity low on the northwestern side of the east Albany-Fraser Orogen is almost certainly caused by thickened Archean crust. To obtain a model that resembles the regional gravity pattern the following assumptions are necessary: high-density rocks occur in the upper crust of the Fraser Zone, at depth inside the Moho trough and in parts of the eastern Nornalup Zone east of the Moho trough. Although our gravity models do not constrain at which crustal level these high-density rocks occur, active deep seismic surveys suggest that large extents of the east Albany-Fraser Orogen’s lower crust include a Mesoproterozoic magmatic underplate known as the Gunnadorrah Seismic Province.The simplest interpretation of the imaged crustal structure is that the Gunnadorrah Seismic Province is underthrust beneath the Yilgarn Craton, likely as a consequence of crustal shortening during accretion further east. The imaged geometry overall appears to show a wedge of Archean lower crust that was driven between the exhumed Fraser Zone and the Gunnadorrah Seismic Province, effectively splitting the Paleo- to Mesoproterozoic crust of the east Albany-Fraser Orogen. The vertical splitting of Proterozoic crust by a cratonic crustal wedge, comparable to what we image in this study, may be a process that contributed to forming many craton margins around the world.

Deciphering the Paleoproterozoic cooling history of the northeastern Trans-Hudson Orogen, Baffin Island (Canada), using 40Ar/39Ar step-heating and UV laser thermochronology

The previously unstudied cooling and exhumation history of mid-crustal rocks exposed on southeastern Baffin Island (Canada) provides new insights into the post-orogenic evolution of the Paleoproterozoic Trans-Hudson Orogen (THO). New 40Ar/39Ar step-heat analyses of biotite, muscovite and phlogopite and core-to-rim intra-grain 40Ar/39Ar analyses of muscovite have a range of apparent ages compatible with slow regional cooling following peak metamorphism. Twenty-nine amphibolite- to granulite-facies rocks were dated using the 40Ar/39Ar step-heating laser (CO2) method. 40Ar/39Ar spot analyses were performed across muscovite grains from three samples using an ultraviolet (UV) laser to investigate intra-grain 40Ar/39Ar age variations. Step-heating apparent ages range from ca. 1788–1622Ma for biotite, 1720–1630Ma for phlogopite and 1729–1657Ma for muscovite. UV spot 40Ar/39Ar analyses in the three muscovite grains range from ca. 1661–1640Ma, 1675–1645Ma and 1680–1652Ma, with core-to-rim apparent age gradients of 20–30Myr. Previous studies resolved peak metamorphism in this region to between ca. 1860 and 1820Ma and identified late- to post-THO zircon and monazite populations at ca. 1800–1750Ma. Numerical diffusion models for Ar in muscovite were conducted to test different Proterozoic cooling and exhumation scenarios. Comparisons with our 40Ar/39Ar ages attest to cooling rates of ~1–2°C/Myr following peak metamorphism and ~1.5–2.5°C/Myr after ca. 1740Ma. Anomalously old apparent 40Ar/39Ar ages, in cases equivalent to U–Pb zircon rim and monazite ages, likely result from incorporation of excess Ar. The results suggest that mid-crustal rocks on southeastern Baffin Island remained hotter than ~420–450°C for ~150–200Myr after peak metamorphism, with subsequent slow cooling and denudation rates that are typical of Proterozoic orogens. The apparent absence of orogenic collapse implies that, despite high temperatures and estimated maximum crustal thicknesses comparable to those of large, hot orogens, the THO remained gravitationally stable during its terminal phase.

U–Pb detrital zircon and 39Ar–40Ar muscovite ages from the eastern parts of the Karagwe-Ankole Belt: Tracking Paleoproterozoic basin formation and Mesoproterozoic crustal amalgamation along the western margin of the Tanzania Craton

The Karagwe-Ankole belt forms part of a complex system of orogenic belts in Central-East Africa that record the amalgamation of Archaean and/or Paleoproterozoic continental kernels in the Proterozoic. The actual timing of tectonic processes, including initial basin formation and subsequent deformation, is only poorly constrained so that the geodynamic significance of the Karagwe-Ankole belt within the broader system of Proterozoic orogens in Central-East Africa is not well understood. This paper presents U–Pb ages of detrital zircons constraining the age of sediments of the eastern parts of the Karagwe-Ankole fold belt overlying the western Tanzania Craton and 39Ar–40Ar muscovite ages from mylonites and phyllonites associated with the main phase of subsequent shortening and fold-and-thrust tectonics (D2).39Ar–40Ar muscovite ages from the main detachment between Archaean basement gneisses and imbricated cover rocks of the Kagera Supergroup in the eastern, frontal parts of the Karagwe-Ankole Belt constrain the timing of the main fabric forming event and thrusting (D2) to 1326±10Ma. This age is at the young end of the age range for the main phase of granite plutonism and mafic dyke emplacement that have previously been related to crustal extension and associated intracontinental rifting. If correct and representative for the main phase of deformation in the rest of the Karagwe-Ankole belt, the ages may rather point to a collisional event between the Congo and Tanzania Cratons west of the Karagwe-Ankole belt in Mesoproterozoic times, indicating a closer correlation with rocks of the Kibara Belt (sensu stricto) to the immediate south.U–Pb detrital zircon ages for the older Muyaga and overlying Bukoba Group of the Kagera Supergroup confirm the Paleoproterozoic timing of sedimentation from ca. 1780Ma, but before ca. 1568Ma. The presence of a distinct group of ca. 1750–1790Ma zircons in the Bukoba Group indicate uplift, erosion and subsequent reworking of sediments and volcanic units contained in the Lower Muyaga Group to the west. The ages also suggest a correlation between the Bwezigoro Group of SW Uganda and the Bukoba Group indicating the presence of a far more extensive Paleoproterozoic and/or Early Mesoproterozoic foreland basin overlying the western margin of the Archaean Tanzania Craton and Paleoproterozoic Uganda Block.

Preservation and Recycling of Crust during Accretionary and Collisional Phases of Proterozoic Orogens: A Bumpy Road from Nuna to Rodinia

Zircon age peaks at 2100–1650 and 1200–1000 Ma correlate with craton collisions in the growth of supercontinents Nuna and Rodinia, respectively, with a time interval between collisions mostly <50 Myr (range 0–250 Myr). Collisional orogens are two types: those with subduction durations <500 Myr and those ≥500 Myr. The latter group comprises orogens with long-lived accretionary stages between Nuna and Rodinia assemblies. Neither orogen age nor duration of either subduction or collision correlates with the volume of orogen preserved. Most rocks preserved date to the pre-collisional, subduction (ocean-basin closing) stage and not to the collisional stage. The most widely preserved tectonic setting in Proterozoic orogens is the continental arc (10%–90%, mean 60%), with oceanic tectonic settings (oceanic crust, arcs, islands and plateaus, serpentinites, pelagic sediments) comprising <20% and mostly <10%. Reworked components comprise 20%–80% (mean 32%) and microcratons comprise a minor but poorly known fraction. Nd and Hf isotopic data indicate that Proterozoic orogens contain from 10% to 60% of juvenile crust (mean 36%) and 40%–75% reworked crust (mean 64%). Neither the fraction nor the rate of preservation of juvenile crust is related to the collision age nor to the duration of subduction. Regardless of the duration of subduction, the amount of juvenile crust preserved reaches a maximum of about 60%, and 37% of the volume of juvenile continental crust preserved between 2000 and 1000 Ma was produced in the Great Proterozoic Accretionary Orogen (GPAO). Pronounced minima occur in frequency of zircon ages of rocks preserved in the GPAO; with minima at 1600–1500 Ma in Laurentia; 1700–1600 Ma in Amazonia; and 1750–1700 Ma in Baltica. If these minima are due to subduction erosion and delamination as in the Andes in the last 250 Myr; approximately one third of the volume of the Laurentian part of the GPAO could have been recycled into the mantle between 1500 and 1250 Ma. This may have enriched the mantle wedge in incompatible elements and water leading to the production of felsic magmas responsible for the widespread granite-rhyolite province of this age. A rapid decrease in global Nd and in detrital zircon Hf model ages between about 1600 and 1250 Ma could reflect an increase in recycling rate of juvenile crust into the mantle; possibly in response to partial fragmentation of Nuna.