1. Cratonic Provenance of Southwest
Gondwana’s Crustal Blocks:
Tying the Knot Across the South
Atlantic
Hartwig E. Frimmel,
Thomas Will & Miguel A.S. Basei
Dept. of Geodynamics & Geomaterials Research
Institute of Geographie & Geology
Bavarian Georesources Centre (BGC)
Brazilian Geological Congress, 22 August 2018
5. To be discussed:
• Separation of Congo from Kalahari craton
• Position and history of Adamastor Ocean
• Oceanic crustal remnants
• Ediacaran turbidite sequences
• Age and distribution of arc-related rocks
• A SW-Gondwana amalgamation model
6. Corner & Durheim (2018)
Total magnetic intensity
Southern Africa
Damara-
Lufilian-
Zambezi Belt
connection
Lehmann et al. (2015)
7. ?
Buschmanns-
klippe Fm
Pre-Damara
Nosib Group
Blaubeker Fm
Gobabis Mb
Constance Mb
Simmenau Mb
Bildah Mb
Pre-Damara
Blaukrans Fm
Auas Fm
Naos Fm Ghaub Fm Ghaub Fm
Kuiseb Fm
Karibib Fm
Keilberg
Ghaub Fm
Nosib GrNosib Group
Pre-Damara Pre-Damara Pre-Damara Pre-DamaraPre-Damara
Nosib Group
Ghaub Fm
Chuos Fm
Ombombo Sg
Gruis Fm
Rasthof Fm
Ghaub Fm
Ombaatjie Fm
Kuiseb Fm
Vaalgras Sg
Kuiseb Fm
Tinkas Fm
Oceanic crust
Kuiseb Fm
Karibib Fm
Keilberg
Karub Mb
Chuos Fm
Ugab SG
Nosib Group
Usakos Sg
Karub Mb
Chuos Fm
Ugab SG
Nosib Group
Usakos Sg
Mulden Group
Kuiseb Fm
Karibib Fm
Keilberg
Karub/Rasthof
Chuos Fm
Ugab SG
Nosib Group
Usakos Sg
Mulden Group
Kuiseb Fm
Tsumeb Sg
Keilberg Mb
SOUTHERN FORELAND
SOUTHERN
MARGIN
ZONE
SOUTHERN
ZONE
SOUTHERN
CENTRAL
ZONE
NORTHERN
CENTRAL
ZONE
NORTHERN
ZONE &
NORTHERN
MARGIN
ZONE
NORTHERN PLATFORM
NORTHERN
NOSIB RIFT
SOUTHERN
NOSIB RIFT
?
NS
OkahandjaLineament
ANGOLA CRATONIC BLOCKKALAHARI
CRATON
635 Ma
Damara Ocean or Khomas Sea?
Miller et al. (2009)
8. Damara Ocean or Khomas Sea?
• Spreading <635 Ma cap carbonate deposition
• Basin inversion at c. 600 Ma (oldest syn-tectonic granite)
• Spreading rate of <20 cm/yr <700 km of ocean floor
Evidence of subduction, >555 Ma (Goscombe et al. 2018):
• No large-scale magmatic arc, no linear batholith with mantle signatures
• I-type granitoids (568-556 Ma Goas Palmental et al.), remelting of lower crust
• No blueschist-/eclogite-facies metamorphism
• Structural asymmetry of orogen
• Inter-thrust oceanic lithosphere (Matchless Amphibolite)
• Sediment provenance
Gray et al. 2014
9. Detrital Zircon Hf Isotope Data:
Damara/Gariep/Saldania belts
Archaean
crust
M
esoproterozoic
crust
Palaeoproterozoic
crust
εHf(t)
Pb-Pb age (Ma)
Depleted mantle
Damara Belt / Kalahari provenance (Foster et al. 2014)
Port Nolloth Zone (Hofmann et al. 2014)
Damara Belt / Congo provenance (Foster et al. 2014)
Saldania Belt (Frimmel et al. 2013)
NOT conclusive!
2015)
2015)
11. Selley et al. (2005)
Central African
Copperbelt
Kalahari C. Congo Craton
Cu-Co: 540 – 490 Ma
12. John et al. (2004)
MORB-like eclogite
(600-590 Ma)
Accretionary prism stacking,
continental collision (535-525
Ma)
• Subduction @
600 Ma
• Final continental
collision @ 530
Ma
13. BRAZIL
Cape Town
Pelotas
Mar del
Plata
URU UAYG
SOUTH
AFRICA
NAMIBIA
Itajai
Basin
Sierras Bayas
Basin
Saldania
Belt
KaokoBelt
Zaris asinSub-b
Witputs asinSub-b
M
alm
esbury
Basin
Osis ridge
Kamieskroon ridge
Mulden Basin
Atlantic
Ocean
Cuchilla Dionisio-Pelotas
magmatic arc
Hypothetical Ediacaran
back arc basin
Boland
Basin
Walvis
ayB
NamaBasin
George
Gamtoos Basin
Vanrhynsdorp asinSub-b
Kango Inlier
Cango Caves &
Kansa Basins
Kaaimans Inlier
Rocha
Basin
Windhoek
Pan-African/Brasiliano
orogenic belt,
undifferentiated
Montevideo
Camaqua
Basin
N N
Buenos Aires
Arroyo del
Soldado
Basin
500 km
Kalahari Craton
Rio de la
Plata Craton
Angola cratonic
block
Dmo
Feliciano
Belt
BrusqueBelt
GariepBelt
PorongosBelt
c.545Ma
c.610Ma
?
?
?
?
Ediacar back arcan
deposits
Cratonic suture
Late Ediacaran-Cambrian
sediment succession
Major thrust/shear zone
Damara Belt
ARGENTINA
?
Mesozoic Agulhas-Falkland Fracture Zone
HolgatBasin
?
PW
TPM
SB
ST
MG
Searching for
Adamastor
Frimmel et al. (2013)
14. 15E
14E
28 So
27 S
o
o
o
Late-orogenic
alkaline intrusives
15 E
o
16 E
o
17 E
o
27 So
Pre-Gariep basement:
1.0 Ga Namaqua Belt
Gannakouriep Suite dyke
Nama Basin
Chameis Subterrane
Oranjemund Subterrane
Schakalsberge Subterr.
Oranje-
mund
Port Nolloth Zone
Lüderitz
Orange
River
N
Port Nolloth
Bogenfels
Chameis
Bay
Namibia
RSA
Geol. Surv. Namibia (2004)
Marmora Terrane:
allochthonous,
oceanic crust
Metabasalt,
metagabbro,
serpentinite
(>600 Ma)
Remnants of Oceanic Crust
Gariep Belt
15. La Tuna Amphibolite, Paso del Dragon Fm.
PET
Punta del Este
Terrane (PET)
Will et al. (in prep.)
Micaschist,
paragneiss,
amphibolite,
serpentinite
16. Metabasite Geochemistry
Modern
Okinawa Trough
back-arc basalt
(in gray)
Chameis metagabbro and La Tuna amphibolite:
MORB/BAB setting
Other Marmora metabasic rocks:
Oceanic within-plate setting
Back-arc
basalt field
Will et al. (2014)
Punta del Este Terrane
17. Chameis Metagabbro
Metamorphism: 575 ± 10 Ma
Frimmel & Frank (1998)
La Tuna Amphibolite
Metamorphism: 628 ± 2 Ma
Will et al. (in prep.)
Tourmalinite in
albitite
18. Oceanic Crustal
Rocks
Will et al. (2014)
>630 Ma
628 Ma
>600 Ma
575 Ma
545 Ma
?
535 Ma
Arroio Grande
Ophiolite
Complex?
19. <635 Ma Turbidites
Foster et al. (2015)
Damara Belt
Karibib & Kuiseb Fms. <15 km thick
Abundance of 670-600 Ma detrital zircon:
no source in adjacent continental margins!
20. <635 Ma Turbidites Along Southern South Atlantic Margins
Basei et al. (2005)
<610 Ma
Rocha Group
(Punta del
Este Terrane)
Oranjemund
Group (Marmora
Terrane)
21. La Micaela Schist, Paso del Dragon
Complex, Punta del Este Terrane
Peel et al. (2018)
Max. deposition
@ 590 Ma
Metamorphism
@ 570 Ma
24. Detrital Zircon Age Spectra across Kaoko Belt
Nosib
Chuos
Gruis
Okakuyu
Chuos
Nosib
Chuos
E
W
1800-2000 Ma
550-650 Ma
Basei et al. (unpubl. data)
600-750 Ma
26. Coastal Terrane
I-type granitoids: 660 – 630 Ma
Migmatitic gneiss, metam.: 645 – 640 Ma
Syn-kinematic S-type granites & 2nd metam.:
580 – 560 Ma, also in Orogen Core
(Franz et al. 1999, Goscombe et al. 2005, Konopasek et al. 2005)
27. Where is …
… the continuation of
the Coastal Terrane to
the west?
28. 0
2
4
6
8
10
12
1.2 1.4 1.6 1.8 2.0 2.2 2.4 2.6 2.8 3.0 3.2 3.4 3.6 3.8 4.0 4.2
Skeleton Coast Batholith
0
5
10
15
20
-200 200 600 1000 1400 1800 2200 2600
Hf (TM2) Ma
Number
Laguna Granite
other granites
Florianópolis Batholith
Hf model ages peak
@ 1.9-2.4 Ga
Cuchilla Dionisio-Pelotas-Florianópolis Granitoid Belt:
I-type arc magmatism: 650 – 610 Ma
granulite-metamorphism: 655 – 632 Ma
Late orogenic alkaline magmatism: 600-560 Ma
(Basei et al. 2011, Lenz et al. 2011, Hueck et al. 2018, Will et al. in prep.) Basei et al. (unpubl. data)
29. 0
3
6
9
12
15
18
21
24
27
1.2
1.5
1.8
2.1
2.4
2.7
3.0
>3.0
South America Southern Africa
Luis Alves/
Piedra Alta/
Sao Gabriel/
Taquarembo/
Rivera/
Nico Perez
foreland
Itajai/Camaqua/
El Soldado-
Piriapolis
foreland
basins
Florianópolis-
Aiguá
magmatic arc
Gariep/Damara/
Kaoko
Belts
&
granitoids
Brusque/
Porongos/
Lavalleja Belts
&
granitoids
MGSB
Suture Zone
Frequency
T model age (Ga)DM
Mean
2.51 Ga
Mean
1.91 Ga
Mean
1.91 Ga
Mean
1.62 Ga
Mean
1.59 Ga
Nama
foreland
basin
Mean
1.58 Ga
1.2
1.5
1.8
2.1
2.4
2.7
3.0
>3.0
1.2
1.5
1.8
2.1
2.4
2.7
3.0
>3.0
1.2
1.5
1.8
2.1
2.4
2.7
3.0
>3.0
1.2
1.5
1.8
2.1
2.4
2.7
3.0
>3.0
1.2
1.5
1.8
2.1
2.4
2.7
3.0
>3.0
Boundary between Kalahari and Rio
de la Plata cratons?
Dominance of 2.1-2.4 Ga
Nd model ages
Dominance of 1.5-1.6 Ga
Nd model ages
Basei et al. (2008)
31. • Widespread c. 780 Ma
magmatism & 664-625
Ma high-grade
metamorphism in Cerro
Olivo Complex
• On both sides of Alferez-
Cordillera Shear Zone
• Sierra Ballena Shear
Zone = western terrane
boundary
Punta del Este Terrane:
Namaqua-type basement +
arc-related granites +
Late Ediacaran cover east
of SBSZ
Will et al. (in prep.)
32. εHf Zircon Data: Cratonic Provenance?
567 Ma
Rocha
Granite
Sierra de Rios
rhyolite
CerroOlivoComplex
Will et al. (in prep.)
33. NPT: Archaean crust reworked at 2.2 –
2.0 Ga, within-plate magmatism at
1.57-1.50 Ga: correlation with Congo
Craton? (Oyhantçabal et al. 2011, 2018)
Late-orogenic
alkaline intrusives
15 E
o
16 E
o
17 E
o
27 So
Pre-Gariep basement:
1.0 Ga Namaqua Belt
Gannakouriep Suite dyke
Nama Basin
Chameis Subterrane
Oranjemund Subterrane
Schakalsberge Subterr.
Oranje-
mund
Port Nolloth Zone
Lüderitz
Orange
River
N
Port Nolloth
Bogenfels
Chameis
Bay
Namibia
RSA
Is Nico Perez Terrane of Congo Provenance?
2.0 magmatic arc (Sperrgebiet arc)
identified in pre-Gariep basement (Thomas
et al. 2016); within-plate magmatism 1.4-
1.3 Ga, Kunene anorthosite 1.38 Ga Jelsma
et al. (2018)
34. Tonian
Magmatism
&
Cryogenian
Metamorphism
830-771 Ma
764-756 Ma
840 Ma
<840 ?
802-761 Ma
664-625 Ma
750 Ma
757-746 Ma
Frimmel et al. (1996)
De Kock et al. (2000)
Frimmel et al. (2001)
Buhn et al. (2001)
Halverson et al. (2002)
Hartmann et al. (2002)
Konopasek et al. (2005)
Lenz et al. (2011)
Basei et al. (2011)
Thomas et al. (2016)
Will et al. (unpubl.)
840-805 Ma
645-640 Ma
840 Ma
750 Ma Cont. rift vs. arc
magmatism?
35. Palaeogeographic Evolution
800 – 750 Ma:
• Subduction beneath
Kalahari Plate
• Magmatic arc in Cerro Olivo
Complex at Kalahari active
margin (780 Ma)
• Onset of Kalahari rifting
along former
Mesoproterozoic belts
900 Ma rift shoulders
Congo-São Francisco
Craton
Kalahari
Craton
Río de la
Plata Craton
Adam
astorOcean
36. 750 – 700 Ma:
• Progressive rifting of
Kalahari continent as result
of indentation of 780 Ma
arc (Gariep Basin, Khomas
Sea)
• Separation of several
continental crustal blocks
off main Kalahari
• Arc magmatism subdued
(higher spreading rate/less
hydration of oceanic crust?)
Angola
Block
37. 700 – 650 Ma:
• Rift-drift transition:
formation of oceanic crust
• Cont. rift & shallow marine
sedimentation in Kaoko &
Damara
• Incipient back-arc oceanic
crust in Punta del Este Ter.
• Arc magmatism subdued
Arachania
Angola
Block
38. 650 – 600 Ma:
• Arc magmatism (Cuchilla
Dionisio-Pelotas-
Florianopolis arc) all along
Arachania & Angola margins
• Closure of Adamastor Ocean
• Docking of Nico Perez
Terrane onto Rio de la Plata
• Opening of shallow back-arc
basin (Marmora Basin)
• Subduction of Congo
beneath Kalahari/Angola
plate
• Narrow oceanic crust
between Angola & Kalahari
plates (far-field effect of Congo-
Kalahari indentation)
40. Saldania Belt
Dam
ara
Belt
AraçuaíBelt
MozambiqueBelt
Ribeira
Belt
Paraguay Belt
Araguaia
Belt
W-CongoBelt
Gariep
B.
E-Pam
pean Belt
W-Pampean B.
Amazonian
Craton
Kalahari
Craton
Congo-São Francisco
Craton
Río de la
Plata Craton
Sergipe Belt
Parana-
panema
W-African
Craton
Bras lia Belt
i
Oubanguides
DFB
G
oi
sa
Arc
CT
CFT
LAT
C TU
Cratonof specific palaeo-
geographic affinity(>1.0 Ga)
Neoproterozoic-Early
Palaeozoic eltorogenic b
Neoproterozoic
magmatic arc
Precordillera
Arequipa-
Antofalla
0 500 1000 km
Legend
NSAm
NAfr
Precordillera Terrane
Pampia
Zambezi Belt
Tucavaca
? ?
Angola
Block
Lufilian
Belt
Younger crust
Kaoko
B.
550 – 500 Ma:
• Final
amalgamation of
Gondwana
• Syn-collisional
metamorphism
& deformation
• Molasse
sedimentation in
foreland basins
• Post-orogenic
exhumation
41. Conclusions
• Successive subduction of Adamastor oceanic
lithosphere beneath Kalahari Plate for >150 myr (c.
7500 km width at 5 cm/yr)
• Splintering of Kalahari Plate due to indentation by
Adamastor plate
• Magmatic arc in DFB developed in/on westernmost
Kalahari crustal fragments
• Congo-Kalahari suture in Zambezi Belt,
continuation into West Congo Belt?
• Narrow Damara Sea is far-field effect of scissor-like
subduction on two sides of Kalahari plate.
43. Glaciogenic deposits &
Geodynamics
MacDonald et al. (2010)
?
Buschmanns-
klippe Fm
Pre-Damara
Nosib Group
Blaubeker Fm
Gobabis Mb
Constance Mb
Simmenau Mb
Bildah Mb
Pre-Damara
Blaukrans Fm
Auas Fm
Naos Fm Ghaub Fm Ghaub Fm
Kuiseb Fm
Karibib Fm
Keilberg
Ghaub Fm
Nosib GrNosib Group
Pre-Damara Pre-Damara Pre-Damara Pre-DamaraPre-Damara
Nosib Group
Ghaub Fm
Chuos Fm
Ombombo Sg
Gruis Fm
Rasthof Fm
Ghaub Fm
Ombaatjie Fm
Kuiseb Fm
Vaalgras Sg
Kuiseb Fm
Tinkas Fm
Oceanic crust
Kuiseb Fm
Karibib Fm
Keilberg
Karub Mb
Chuos Fm
Ugab SG
Nosib Group
Usakos Sg
Karub Mb
Chuos Fm
Ugab SG
Nosib Group
Usakos Sg
Mulden Group
Kuiseb Fm
Karibib Fm
Keilberg
Karub/Rasthof
Chuos Fm
Ugab SG
Nosib Group
Usakos Sg
Mulden Group
Kuiseb Fm
Tsumeb Sg
Keilberg Mb
SOUTHERN FORELAND
SOUTHERN
MARGIN
ZONE
SOUTHERN
ZONE
SOUTHERN
CENTRAL
ZONE
NORTHERN
CENTRAL
ZONE
NORTHERN
ZONE &
NORTHERN
MARGIN
ZONE
NORTHERN PLATFORM
NORTHERN
NOSIB RIFT
SOUTHERN
NOSIB RIFT
?
NS
OkahandjaLineament
ANGOLA CRATONIC BLOCKKALAHARI
CRATON
Marinoan
Sturtian
44. Two-stage Depositional Evolution
of Gariep Supergroup
modified after Frimmel (2018)
• No Marinoan glacial deposits (land during eustatic sealevel drop)
• Oceanic crustal rocks associated with evaporites (Frimmel & Jiang 2001)
46. The Problem of “Terrane” and “Craton”
Boundaries
Terrane
"A fault-bounded body of rock of regional extent, characterized
by a geological history different from that of contiguous terranes
or bounding continents. A terrane is generally considered to be a
discrete allochthonous fragment of oceanic or continental
material added to a craton at an active margin by accretion“
(Irvin 1972)
Craton
large, coherent domain of Earth's continental crust that has
attained and maintained long-term stability, having undergone
little internal deformation, except perhaps near its margins due
to interaction with neighbouring terranes (“Kratogen” Kober
1921)
“Kalahari Craton” versus “Kaapvaal Craton”
48. Terranes in Uruguay …
Cuchilla Dionisio Terrane (Bossi
et al. 1998):
Granite belt plus Neoproterozoic
sediments (Rocha Group) east of
Sierra Ballena Shear Zone
Punta del Este Terrane
(Preciozzi et al. 1999): emphasis
on Namaqua-type basement east of
Alferez-Cordillera Shear Zone
Treinta y Tres Terrane (Bossi):
Cuchilla Dionisio Subterrane in north & Punta del Este
Subterrane in the south
“Cuchilla Dionisio” easily
confused with “Cuchilla
Dionisio Arc”
49. Giant of Greek mythology:
banished to Cape of Good Hope by Doris for falling in
love with her daughter Tethis
(Luís Vaz de Camões: Os Lusiadas 1572)
Searching for Adamastor
http://mym-pt.blogspot.com/2009/06/o-gigante-adamastor.html
Appearing as storm cloud to Vasco da
Gama at the Cape of Storms
