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Publication Details
AFRICAN RESEARCH NEXUS
SHINING A SPOTLIGHT ON AFRICAN RESEARCH
earth and planetary sciences
Provenance and reconnaissance study of detrital zircons of the Palaeozoic Cape Supergroup in South Africa: Revealing the interaction of the Kalahari and Río de la Plata cratons
International Journal of Earth Sciences, Volume 100, No. 2, Year 2011
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Description
In order to facilitate the understanding of the geological evolution of the Kalahari Craton and its relation to South America, the provenance of the first large-scale cratonic cover sequence of the craton, namely the Ordovician to Carboniferous Cape Supergroup was studied through geochemical analyses of the siliciclastics, and age determinations of detrital zircon. The Cape Supergroup comprises mainly quartz-arenites and a Hirnantian tillite in the basal Table Mountain Group, subgreywackes and mudrocks in the overlying Bokkeveld Group, while siltstones, interbedded shales and quartz-arenites are typical for the Witteberg Group at the top of the Cape Supergroup. Palaeocurrent analyses indicate transport of sediment mainly from northerly directions, off the interior of the Kalahari Craton with subordinate transport from a westerly source in the southwestern part of the basin near Cape Town. Geochemical provenance data suggest mainly sources from passive to active continental margin settings. The reconnaissance study of detrital zircons reveals a major contribution of Mesoproterozoic sources throughout the basin, reflecting the dominance of the Namaqua-Natal Metamorphic Belt, situated immediately north of the preserved strata of Cape Supergroup, as a source with Archaean-aged zircons being extremely rare. We interpret the Namaqua-Natal Metamorphic Belt to have been a large morphological divide at the time of deposition of the Cape Supergroup that prevented input of detrital zircons from the interior early Archaean Kaapvaal cratonic block of the Kalahari Craton. Neoproterozoic and Cambrian zircons are abundant and reflect the basement geology of the outcrops of Cape strata. Exposures close to Cape Town must have received sediment from a cratonic fragment that was situated off the Kalahari Craton to the west and that has subsequently drifted away. This cratonic fragment predominantly supplied Meso- to Neoproterozoic, and Cambrian-aged zircon grains in addition to minor Silurian to Lower Devonian zircons and very rare Archaean (2.5 Ga) and late Palaeoproterozoic (1.8-2.0 Ga) ones. No Siluro-Devonian source has yet been identified on the Kalahari Craton, but there are indications for such a source in southern Patagonia. Palaeozoic successions in eastern Argentina carry a similar detrital zircon population to that found here, including evidence of a Silurian to Lower Devonian magmatic event. The Kalahari and Río de la Plata Cratons were thus in all likelihood in close proximity until at least the Carboniferous. © 2010 Springer-Verlag.
Authors & Co-Authors
Fourie, Pieter H.
South Africa, Johannesburg
University of Johannesburg
Zimmermann, Udo
South Africa, Johannesburg
University of Johannesburg
Norway, Stavanger
Universitetet I Stavanger
Beukes, Nicholas Johannes
South Africa, Johannesburg
University of Johannesburg
Naidoo, Thanusha
South Africa, Johannesburg
University of Johannesburg
Norway, Stavanger
Universitetet I Stavanger
Kobayashi, Katsura
Japan, Okayama
Okayama University
Kośler, Jan
Norway, Bergen
Universitetet I Bergen
Nakamura, Eizo
Japan, Okayama
Okayama University
Tait, Jennifer Alice
United Kingdom, Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh
Theron, Johannes N.
South Africa, Stellenbosch
Stellenbosch University
Statistics
Citations: 41
Authors: 9
Affiliations: 6
Identifiers
Doi:
10.1007/s00531-010-0619-x
ISSN:
14373254
e-ISSN:
14373262
Study Design
Cross Sectional Study
Study Locations
South Africa