Neoproterozoic magmatic evolution of the southern Ouaddaï Massif (Chad)

This paper presents new petrological, geochemical, isotopic (Nd) and geochronological data on magmatic rocks from the poorly known southern Ouaddaï massif, located at the southern edge of the so-called Saharan metacraton. This area is made of greenschist to amphibolite facies metasediments intruded by large pre- to syn-tectonic batholiths of leucogranites and an association of monzonite, granodiorite and biotite granite forming a late tectonic high-K calc-alkaline suite. U-Pb zircon dating yields ages of 635 ± 3 Ma and 613 ± 8 Ma on a peraluminous biotite-leucogranite (containing numerous inherited Archean and Paleoproterozoic zircon cores) and a muscovite-leucogranite, respectively. Geochemical fingerprints are very similar to some evolved Himalayan leucogranites suggesting their parental magmas were formed after muscovite and biotite dehydration melting of metasedimentary rocks. A biotite-granite sample belonging to the late tectonic high-K to shoshonitic suite contains zircon rims that yield an age of 540 ± 5 Ma with concordant inherited cores crystallized around 1050 Ma. Given the high-Mg# (59) andesitic composition of the intermediate pyroxene-monzonite, the very similar trace-element signature between the different rock types and the unradiogenic isotopic signature for Nd, the late-kinematic high-K to shoshonitic rocks formed after melting of the enriched mantle and further differentiation in the crust. These data indicate that the southern Ouaddaï was part of the Pan-African belt. It is proposed that it represents a continental back-arc basin characterized by a high-geothermal gradient during Early Ediacaran leading to anatexis of middle to lower crustal levels. After tectonic inversion during the main Pan-African phase, late kinematic high-K to shoshonitic plutons emplaced during the final post-collisional stage

Delineation of groundwater potential zones by means of ensemble tree supervised classification methods in the Eastern Lake Chad basin

This paper presents a machine learning method to map groundwater potential in crystalline domains. First, a spatially-distributed set of explanatory variables for groundwater occurrence is compiled into a geographic information system. Twenty machine learning classifiers are subsequently trained on a sample of 488 boreholes and excavated wells for a region of eastern Chad. This process includes collinearity, cross-validation, feature elimination and parameter fitting routines. Random forest and extra trees classifiers outperformed other algorithms (test score > 0.80, balanced score > 0.80, AUC > 0.87). Fracture density, slope, SAR coherence (interferometric correlation), topographic wetness index, basement depth, distance to channels and slope aspect proved the most relevant explanatory variables. Three major conclusions stem from this work: (1) using a large number of supervised classification algorithms is advisable in groundwater potential studies; (2) the choice of performance metrics constrains the relevance of explanatory variables; and (3) seasonal variations from satellite images contribute to successful groundwater potential mapping

First delivery of a COVID-19 positive patient in Cameroon

Since its appearance in China in December 2019, COVID-19 which is caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus has become a real global health problem. Pregnant women are not immune to this novel infection, which makes it difficult for proper management of pregnancy and childbirth. Authors present here the first case of childbirth in Cameroon of a 19-year-old adolescent tested positive for COVID-19

The Lake CHAd Deep DRILLing project (CHADRILL) - targeting ~ 10 million years of environmental and climate change in Africa

At present, Lake Chad ( ~13°0 N, ~14° E) is a shallow freshwater lake located in the Sahel/Sahara region of central northern Africa. The lake is primarily fed by the Chari-Logone river system draining a ~600 000 km2 watershed in tropical Africa. Discharge is strongly controlled by the annual passage of the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ) and monsoon circulation leading to a peak in rainfall during boreal summer. During recent decades, a large number of studies have been carried out in the Lake Chad Basin (LCB). They have mostly focused on a patchwork of exposed lake sediments and outcrops once inhabited by early hominids. A dataset generated from a 673m long geotechnical borehole drilled in 1973, along with outcrop and seismic reflection studies, reveal several hundred metres of Miocene-Pleistocene lacustrine deposits. CHADRILL aims to recover a sedimentary core spanning the Miocene-Pleistocene sediment succession of Lake Chad through deep drilling. This record will provide significant insights into the modulation of orbitally forced changes in northern African hydroclimate under different climate boundary conditions such as high CO2 and absence of Northern Hemisphere ice sheets. These investigations will also help unravel both the age and the origin of the lake and its current desert surrounding. The LCB is very rich in early hominid fossils (Australopithecus bahrelghazali; Sahelanthropus tchadensis) of Late Miocene age. Thus, retrieving a sediment core from this basin will provide the most continuous climatic and environmental record with which to compare hominid migrations across northern Africa and has major implications for understanding human evolution. Furthermore, due to its dramatic and episodically changing water levels and associated depositional modes, Lake Chad's sediments resemble maybe an analogue for lake systems that were once present on Mars. Consequently, the study of the subsurface biosphere contained in these sediments has the potential to shed light on microbial biodiversity present in this type of depositional environment. We propose to drill a total of ~1800m of poorly to semi-consolidated lacustrine, fluvial, and eolian sediments down to bedrock at a single on-shore site close to the shoreline of present-day Lake Chad. We propose to locate our drilling operations on-shore close to the site where the geotechnical Bol borehole (13°280 N, 14°440 E) was drilled in 1973. This is for two main reasons: (1) nowhere else in the Chad Basin do we have such detailed information about the lithologies to be drilled; and (2) the Bol site is close to the depocentre of the Chad Basin and therefore likely to provide the stratigraphically most continuous sequence

Croissance et différenciation crustales au Néoprotérozoique : exemple du domaine panafricain du Mayo Kebbi au Sud-Ouest du Tchad

The Mayo Kebbi massif (south-western Chad) is located between the Congo craton, the West African craton and the Saharan Metacraton. It consists of two greenstone belts (Zalbi and Goueygoudoum), three magmatic complexes (Gauthiot falls, Lere, Figuil) and post-tectonic intrusions distinguished on the basis of their structural, petrological, geochemical and geochronological characteristics. The geodynamic evolution of this massif includes the following phases:Phase 1: Emplacement of a Mafic to Intermediate Plutonic (MIP) complex. Boloro metadiorite, which belongs to this complex, is dated at 748 ± 4 Ma (U-Pb zircon age). This metadiorite is enriched in REE and characterized by LaN/YbN ~ 12, Sr/Y > 32, high LILE, Cr and Ni contents but negative anomalies in Nb-Ta. These features are attributed to partial melting of the slab followed by interaction of the produced magmas with the mantle wedge during their ascent.Phase 2: Emplacement of metagabbros and metabasalts (700 ± 10 Ma: U-Pb zircon age) of the Zalbi metavolcanic-sedimentary group. These rocks are characterized by a decoupling of LILE and HFSE, negative Nb-Ta anomalies, weak to moderate LREE fractionation relative to HREE. In particular, their geochemical characteristics are similar to modern back-arc basins. The isotopic compositions of Sr and Nd of these rocks preclude contamination by old continental crust of the related magmas during their emplacement. Accordingly, the MIP complex and the Zalbi metavolcanic-sedimentary group are associated to juvenile accretion in an island arc/back-arc basin tectonic setting.Phase 3: The syntectonic quartz metadiorite of Gauthiot Falls magmatic complex (665 ± 1 Ma: U-Pb zircon age, Penaye et al., 2006) is emplaced during a first collision event, which involves the Mayo Kebbi massif and the Adamaoua-Yade domain to the east. This event marks the beginning of the closure of the Zalbi back-arc basin and crustal thickening.Phase 4: The thickening is responsible of intra-crustal differentiation by partial melting of rocks accreted during the previous phases at the base of the arc. During this phase, several tonalitic intrusions are emplaced, including hornblende-biotite tonalites of Gauthiot Falls and Guegou tonalite (Lere magmatic complex). The latter is dated at 647 ± 5 Ma (U-Pb zircon age). The produced magmas have typical features of TTG magmas, leaving a garnet bearing residue at the base of the continental crust.Phase 5: The syntectonic tonalite of Figuil magmatic complex dated at 618 ± 6 Ma (U-Pb zircon age), is characterized by initial ?Nd = -3 and initial 87Sr/86Sr = 0.7073 attesting for the involvement of pre-Neoproterozoic crust on its origin. It marks a second collision event between the Mayo Kebbi massif and the Western domain of the Central African Orogenic Belt to the west.Phase 6: The Zabili A-type granite emplaced at 567 ± 10 Ma (U-Pb zircon age) and is related to the last magmatic events of the Pan-African orogenic cycle (post-tectonic intrusions). The geochemical (low Sr, Eu, Ca, Mg, Ni) and isotopic compositions (initial ?Nd = +3 à +7) of this granite point to an origin involving extreme fractionation of mantle-derived magmas which interacted with an old crustal component during their emplacement in the upper continental crustLe massif du Mayo Kebbi au sud-ouest du Tchad est localisé entre le craton du Congo au Sud, le craton Ouest Africain à l'Ouest et le Métacraton du Sahara à l'Est. Formé au cours de l'orogenèse panafricaine, entre 800 et 570 Ma, il est constitué de deux ceintures de roches vertes (Zalbi et Goueygoudoum), trois complexes magmatiques (Chutes Gauthiot, Léré et Figuil) et des intrusions post-tectoniques distingués sur la base de leurs caractères structuraux, pétrologiques, géochimiques et géochronologiques. L'évolution géodynamique de ce massif comprend les phases suivantes:Phase 1: Mise en place d'un complexe mafique et intermédiaire (CMI) dont la métadiorite de Boloro datée à 748 ± 4 Ma (U-Pb sur zircon). Cette métadiorite, riche en terres rares, se caractérise par LaN/YbN ~ 12, Sr/Y > 32, teneurs en LILE, Cr, Ni élevées et des anomalies négatives en Nb-Ta. Ces caractéristiques sont attribuées à la fusion partielle de la plaque océanique plongeante et interaction des magmas produits avec le coin mantellique au cours de leur ascension.Phase 2: Mise en place des métagabbros et métabasaltes (700 ± 10 Ma: U-Pb sur zircon) de la série métavolcano-sédimentaire de Zalbi. Ces roches sont caractérisées par un découplage LILE/HFSE, des anomalies négatives en Nb-Ta et des rapports LaN/YbN indiquant un fractionnement faible à modéré des terres rares. En particulier, leurs caractères géochimiques sont similaires à ceux des bassins arrière-arcs modernes. La signature isotopique en Sr et Nd de ces roches exclut toute contamination par une croûte continentale ancienne au moment de leur mise en place. CMI et série métavolcano-sédimentaires, regroupés dans le cadre des ceintures de roches vertes, représentent ainsi une accrétion juvénile en contextes d'arc insulaire/bassin arrière-arc.Phase 3: La métadiorite quartzique syntectonique du complexe magmatique des chutes Gauthiot (665 ± 1 Ma: âge U-Pb sur zircon, Penaye et al., 2006) correspond à la mise en place de magmas contemporains d'une première collision, qui implique le massif du Mayo Kebbi et le bloc rigide de l'Adamaoua-Yadé à l'Est. Cet évènement marque le début de la fermeture du bassin arrière-arc de Zalbi et d'un épaississement crustal.Phase 4 : L'épaississement est responsable de la différentiation intracrustale par fusion partielle des roches accrétées au cours des phases précédentes à la base de l'arc. Pendant cette phase se mettent en place des magmas tonalitiques, dont la tonalite à hornblende-biotite de Guegou (complexe magmatique de Léré) datée à 647 ± 5 Ma (U-Pb sur zircon). Les magmas produits ont des caractères de magmas TTG et laissent un résidu à grenat à la base de la croûte continentale.Phase 5: La tonalite syntectonique du complexe magmatique de Figuil, datée à 618 ± 6 Ma (U-Pb sur zircon), se distingue par eNd initial = -3 et 87Sr/86Sr initial = 0,7073. Les signatures isotopiques de cette tonalite démontrent l'implication dans le magmatisme d'une croûte Pré-Néoprotérozoïque. Elle est contemporaine d'une deuxième collision qui fait intervenir le massif du Mayo Kebbi et le domaine Occidental de la Ceinture Orogénique d'Afrique Centrale.Phase 6: La mise en place du granite de type A de Zabili à 567 ± 10 Ma (âge U-Pb sur zircon) est associée aux dernières manifestations magmatiques du cycle orogénique panafricain (intrusions post-tectoniques). Les caractères géochimiques (appauvrissement extrême en Sr, Eu, Ca, Mg, Ni) et isotopiques (eNd initial = +3 à +7) de ce granite indiquent une origine par cristallisation fractionnée à partir de magmas d'origine mantellique et contamination de ceux-ci au cours de leur mise en place dans la croûte supérieure par une composante crustale ancienn

Neoproterozoic crustal growth and differentiation : example of the Mayo Kebbi massif in southwestern Chad

Le massif du Mayo Kebbi au sud-ouest du Tchad est localisé entre le craton du Congo au Sud, le craton Ouest Africain à l'Ouest et le Métacraton du Sahara à l'Est. Formé au cours de l'orogenèse panafricaine, entre 800 et 570 Ma, il est constitué de deux ceintures de roches vertes (Zalbi et Goueygoudoum), trois complexes magmatiques (Chutes Gauthiot, Léré et Figuil) et des intrusions post-tectoniques distingués sur la base de leurs caractères structuraux, pétrologiques, géochimiques et géochronologiques. L'évolution géodynamique de ce massif comprend les phases suivantes:Phase 1: Mise en place d'un complexe mafique et intermédiaire (CMI) dont la métadiorite de Boloro datée à 748 ± 4 Ma (U-Pb sur zircon). Cette métadiorite, riche en terres rares, se caractérise par LaN/YbN ~ 12, Sr/Y > 32, teneurs en LILE, Cr, Ni élevées et des anomalies négatives en Nb-Ta. Ces caractéristiques sont attribuées à la fusion partielle de la plaque océanique plongeante et interaction des magmas produits avec le coin mantellique au cours de leur ascension.Phase 2: Mise en place des métagabbros et métabasaltes (700 ± 10 Ma: U-Pb sur zircon) de la série métavolcano-sédimentaire de Zalbi. Ces roches sont caractérisées par un découplage LILE/HFSE, des anomalies négatives en Nb-Ta et des rapports LaN/YbN indiquant un fractionnement faible à modéré des terres rares. En particulier, leurs caractères géochimiques sont similaires à ceux des bassins arrière-arcs modernes. La signature isotopique en Sr et Nd de ces roches exclut toute contamination par une croûte continentale ancienne au moment de leur mise en place. CMI et série métavolcano-sédimentaires, regroupés dans le cadre des ceintures de roches vertes, représentent ainsi une accrétion juvénile en contextes d'arc insulaire/bassin arrière-arc.Phase 3: La métadiorite quartzique syntectonique du complexe magmatique des chutes Gauthiot (665 ± 1 Ma: âge U-Pb sur zircon, Penaye et al., 2006) correspond à la mise en place de magmas contemporains d'une première collision, qui implique le massif du Mayo Kebbi et le bloc rigide de l'Adamaoua-Yadé à l'Est. Cet évènement marque le début de la fermeture du bassin arrière-arc de Zalbi et d'un épaississement crustal.Phase 4 : L'épaississement est responsable de la différentiation intracrustale par fusion partielle des roches accrétées au cours des phases précédentes à la base de l'arc. Pendant cette phase se mettent en place des magmas tonalitiques, dont la tonalite à hornblende-biotite de Guegou (complexe magmatique de Léré) datée à 647 ± 5 Ma (U-Pb sur zircon). Les magmas produits ont des caractères de magmas TTG et laissent un résidu à grenat à la base de la croûte continentale.Phase 5: La tonalite syntectonique du complexe magmatique de Figuil, datée à 618 ± 6 Ma (U-Pb sur zircon), se distingue par eNd initial = -3 et 87Sr/86Sr initial = 0,7073. Les signatures isotopiques de cette tonalite démontrent l'implication dans le magmatisme d'une croûte Pré-Néoprotérozoïque. Elle est contemporaine d'une deuxième collision qui fait intervenir le massif du Mayo Kebbi et le domaine Occidental de la Ceinture Orogénique d'Afrique Centrale.Phase 6: La mise en place du granite de type A de Zabili à 567 ± 10 Ma (âge U-Pb sur zircon) est associée aux dernières manifestations magmatiques du cycle orogénique panafricain (intrusions post-tectoniques). Les caractères géochimiques (appauvrissement extrême en Sr, Eu, Ca, Mg, Ni) et isotopiques (eNd initial = +3 à +7) de ce granite indiquent une origine par cristallisation fractionnée à partir de magmas d'origine mantellique et contamination de ceux-ci au cours de leur mise en place dans la croûte supérieure par une composante crustale ancienneThe Mayo Kebbi massif (south-western Chad) is located between the Congo craton, the West African craton and the Saharan Metacraton. It consists of two greenstone belts (Zalbi and Goueygoudoum), three magmatic complexes (Gauthiot falls, Lere, Figuil) and post-tectonic intrusions distinguished on the basis of their structural, petrological, geochemical and geochronological characteristics. The geodynamic evolution of this massif includes the following phases:Phase 1: Emplacement of a Mafic to Intermediate Plutonic (MIP) complex. Boloro metadiorite, which belongs to this complex, is dated at 748 ± 4 Ma (U-Pb zircon age). This metadiorite is enriched in REE and characterized by LaN/YbN ~ 12, Sr/Y > 32, high LILE, Cr and Ni contents but negative anomalies in Nb-Ta. These features are attributed to partial melting of the slab followed by interaction of the produced magmas with the mantle wedge during their ascent.Phase 2: Emplacement of metagabbros and metabasalts (700 ± 10 Ma: U-Pb zircon age) of the Zalbi metavolcanic-sedimentary group. These rocks are characterized by a decoupling of LILE and HFSE, negative Nb-Ta anomalies, weak to moderate LREE fractionation relative to HREE. In particular, their geochemical characteristics are similar to modern back-arc basins. The isotopic compositions of Sr and Nd of these rocks preclude contamination by old continental crust of the related magmas during their emplacement. Accordingly, the MIP complex and the Zalbi metavolcanic-sedimentary group are associated to juvenile accretion in an island arc/back-arc basin tectonic setting.Phase 3: The syntectonic quartz metadiorite of Gauthiot Falls magmatic complex (665 ± 1 Ma: U-Pb zircon age, Penaye et al., 2006) is emplaced during a first collision event, which involves the Mayo Kebbi massif and the Adamaoua-Yade domain to the east. This event marks the beginning of the closure of the Zalbi back-arc basin and crustal thickening.Phase 4: The thickening is responsible of intra-crustal differentiation by partial melting of rocks accreted during the previous phases at the base of the arc. During this phase, several tonalitic intrusions are emplaced, including hornblende-biotite tonalites of Gauthiot Falls and Guegou tonalite (Lere magmatic complex). The latter is dated at 647 ± 5 Ma (U-Pb zircon age). The produced magmas have typical features of TTG magmas, leaving a garnet bearing residue at the base of the continental crust.Phase 5: The syntectonic tonalite of Figuil magmatic complex dated at 618 ± 6 Ma (U-Pb zircon age), is characterized by initial ?Nd = -3 and initial 87Sr/86Sr = 0.7073 attesting for the involvement of pre-Neoproterozoic crust on its origin. It marks a second collision event between the Mayo Kebbi massif and the Western domain of the Central African Orogenic Belt to the west.Phase 6: The Zabili A-type granite emplaced at 567 ± 10 Ma (U-Pb zircon age) and is related to the last magmatic events of the Pan-African orogenic cycle (post-tectonic intrusions). The geochemical (low Sr, Eu, Ca, Mg, Ni) and isotopic compositions (initial ?Nd = +3 à +7) of this granite point to an origin involving extreme fractionation of mantle-derived magmas which interacted with an old crustal component during their emplacement in the upper continental crus

Croissance et différenciation crustales au Néoprotérozoique (exemple du domaine panafricain du Mayo Kebbi au Sud-Ouest du Tchad)

Le massif du Mayo Kebbi au sud-ouest du Tchad est localisé entre le craton du Congo au Sud, le craton Ouest Africain à l'Ouest et le Métacraton du Sahara à l'Est. Formé au cours de l'orogenèse panafricaine, entre 800 et 570 Ma, il est constitué de deux ceintures de roches vertes (Zalbi et Goueygoudoum), trois complexes magmatiques (Chutes Gauthiot, Léré et Figuil) et des intrusions post-tectoniques distingués sur la base de leurs caractères structuraux, pétrologiques, géochimiques et géochronologiques. L'évolution géodynamique de ce massif comprend les phases suivantes:Phase 1: Mise en place d'un complexe mafique et intermédiaire (CMI) dont la métadiorite de Boloro datée à 748 +- 4 Ma (U-Pb sur zircon). Cette métadiorite, riche en terres rares, se caractérise par LaN/YbN ~ 12, Sr/Y > 32, teneurs en LILE, Cr, Ni élevées et des anomalies négatives en Nb-Ta. Ces caractéristiques sont attribuées à la fusion partielle de la plaque océanique plongeante et interaction des magmas produits avec le coin mantellique au cours de leur ascension.Phase 2: Mise en place des métagabbros et métabasaltes (700 +- 10 Ma: U-Pb sur zircon) de la série métavolcano-sédimentaire de Zalbi. Ces roches sont caractérisées par un découplage LILE/HFSE, des anomalies négatives en Nb-Ta et des rapports LaN/YbN indiquant un fractionnement faible à modéré des terres rares. En particulier, leurs caractères géochimiques sont similaires à ceux des bassins arrière-arcs modernes. La signature isotopique en Sr et Nd de ces roches exclut toute contamination par une croûte continentale ancienne au moment de leur mise en place. CMI et série métavolcano-sédimentaires, regroupés dans le cadre des ceintures de roches vertes, représentent ainsi une accrétion juvénile en contextes d'arc insulaire/bassin arrière-arc.Phase 3: La métadiorite quartzique syntectonique du complexe magmatique des chutes Gauthiot (665 +- 1 Ma: âge U-Pb sur zircon, Penaye et al., 2006) correspond à la mise en place de magmas contemporains d'une première collision, qui implique le massif du Mayo Kebbi et le bloc rigide de l'Adamaoua-Yadé à l'Est. Cet évènement marque le début de la fermeture du bassin arrière-arc de Zalbi et d'un épaississement crustal.Phase 4 : L'épaississement est responsable de la différentiation intracrustale par fusion partielle des roches accrétées au cours des phases précédentes à la base de l'arc. Pendant cette phase se mettent en place des magmas tonalitiques, dont la tonalite à hornblende-biotite de Guegou (complexe magmatique de Léré) datée à 647 +- 5 Ma (U-Pb sur zircon). Les magmas produits ont des caractères de magmas TTG et laissent un résidu à grenat à la base de la croûte continentale.Phase 5: La tonalite syntectonique du complexe magmatique de Figuil, datée à 618 +- 6 Ma (U-Pb sur zircon), se distingue par eNd initial = -3 et 87Sr/86Sr initial = 0,7073. Les signatures isotopiques de cette tonalite démontrent l'implication dans le magmatisme d'une croûte Pré-Néoprotérozoïque. Elle est contemporaine d'une deuxième collision qui fait intervenir le massif du Mayo Kebbi et le domaine Occidental de la Ceinture Orogénique d'Afrique Centrale.Phase 6: La mise en place du granite de type A de Zabili à 567 +- 10 Ma (âge U-Pb sur zircon) est associée aux dernières manifestations magmatiques du cycle orogénique panafricain (intrusions post-tectoniques). Les caractères géochimiques (appauvrissement extrême en Sr, Eu, Ca, Mg, Ni) et isotopiques (eNd initial = +3 à +7) de ce granite indiquent une origine par cristallisation fractionnée à partir de magmas d'origine mantellique et contamination de ceux-ci au cours de leur mise en place dans la croûte supérieure par une composante crustale ancienneThe Mayo Kebbi massif (south-western Chad) is located between the Congo craton, the West African craton and the Saharan Metacraton. It consists of two greenstone belts (Zalbi and Goueygoudoum), three magmatic complexes (Gauthiot falls, Lere, Figuil) and post-tectonic intrusions distinguished on the basis of their structural, petrological, geochemical and geochronological characteristics. The geodynamic evolution of this massif includes the following phases:Phase 1: Emplacement of a Mafic to Intermediate Plutonic (MIP) complex. Boloro metadiorite, which belongs to this complex, is dated at 748 +- 4 Ma (U-Pb zircon age). This metadiorite is enriched in REE and characterized by LaN/YbN ~ 12, Sr/Y > 32, high LILE, Cr and Ni contents but negative anomalies in Nb-Ta. These features are attributed to partial melting of the slab followed by interaction of the produced magmas with the mantle wedge during their ascent.Phase 2: Emplacement of metagabbros and metabasalts (700 +- 10 Ma: U-Pb zircon age) of the Zalbi metavolcanic-sedimentary group. These rocks are characterized by a decoupling of LILE and HFSE, negative Nb-Ta anomalies, weak to moderate LREE fractionation relative to HREE. In particular, their geochemical characteristics are similar to modern back-arc basins. The isotopic compositions of Sr and Nd of these rocks preclude contamination by old continental crust of the related magmas during their emplacement. Accordingly, the MIP complex and the Zalbi metavolcanic-sedimentary group are associated to juvenile accretion in an island arc/back-arc basin tectonic setting.Phase 3: The syntectonic quartz metadiorite of Gauthiot Falls magmatic complex (665 +- 1 Ma: U-Pb zircon age, Penaye et al., 2006) is emplaced during a first collision event, which involves the Mayo Kebbi massif and the Adamaoua-Yade domain to the east. This event marks the beginning of the closure of the Zalbi back-arc basin and crustal thickening.Phase 4: The thickening is responsible of intra-crustal differentiation by partial melting of rocks accreted during the previous phases at the base of the arc. During this phase, several tonalitic intrusions are emplaced, including hornblende-biotite tonalites of Gauthiot Falls and Guegou tonalite (Lere magmatic complex). The latter is dated at 647 +- 5 Ma (U-Pb zircon age). The produced magmas have typical features of TTG magmas, leaving a garnet bearing residue at the base of the continental crust.Phase 5: The syntectonic tonalite of Figuil magmatic complex dated at 618 +- 6 Ma (U-Pb zircon age), is characterized by initial ?Nd = -3 and initial 87Sr/86Sr = 0.7073 attesting for the involvement of pre-Neoproterozoic crust on its origin. It marks a second collision event between the Mayo Kebbi massif and the Western domain of the Central African Orogenic Belt to the west.Phase 6: The Zabili A-type granite emplaced at 567 +- 10 Ma (U-Pb zircon age) and is related to the last magmatic events of the Pan-African orogenic cycle (post-tectonic intrusions). The geochemical (low Sr, Eu, Ca, Mg, Ni) and isotopic compositions (initial ?Nd = +3 à +7) of this granite point to an origin involving extreme fractionation of mantle-derived magmas which interacted with an old crustal component during their emplacement in the upper continental crustNANCY1-Bib. numérique (543959902) / SudocSudocFranceF

Application de la méthode du panneau électrique pour l’identification des zones favorables en eau dans la ville de mongo et ses environs (Guéra-Tchad)

International audienc

A-type granites from the Pan-African orogenic belt in south-western Chad constrained using geochemistry, Sr-Nd isotopes and U-Pb geochronology

International audienceThe Zabili granitic pluton (SW Chad) exposed in the Mayo Kebbi massif is dominated by a coarse-grained hornblende biotite granite grading into a fine-grained biotite granite along its southern margin. Petrologic (micrographic intergrowth of quartz and alkali feldspars, granophyric microstructures, the presence of fluorite and bastnaesite as accessory minerals) and geochemical data (high silica, alkalis and Fe/Mg, depletions in CaO, MgO, TiO2; high Ga, Nb, Zr, Ga/Al, REE, depletions in Ba, Sr, Eu and compatible elements) indicate that this pluton consists of A-type granites crystallized from hot (apatite and zircon saturation temperatures ranging from 744 °C to 923 °C), extremely differentiated magmas. U-Pb zircon geochronology indicates that the magmas crystallized at 567 ± 10 Ma and reveals the presence of older Neoproterozoic xenocrystic zircons at 668 ± 5 Ma in both facies. Within the fine-grained biotite granite, discordant zircons with U-Pb and Pb-Pb ages ranging from Neoproterozoic to Archaean are also reported. The 668 ± 5 Ma old zircons are considered to derive from country-rocks while discordant zircons, characterized by angular shapes, internal fractures and inherited cores, are likely to represent multi-sources detrital crystals that have recorded at least one metamorphic event. Old pre-Neoproterozoic zircons are reported for the first time for rocks of the Mayo Kebbi massif and they attest to the contribution of an old basement (likely to be the Eastern Nigeria basement and/or the Congo craton) involved in a collisional event with a juvenile Neoproterozoic crust prior to the emplacement of the Zabili granitic pluton. Initial ɛNd values calculated for the Zabili pluton range from + 2.6 to + 7.0, the highest value recorded by one sample from the coarse-grained hornblende-biotite granite being close to the one of the depleted mantle at 570 Ma (ɛNd = + 7.4). Combining geochronology, Nd isotopes composition and geochemical modeling, leads us to suggest the following model for the origin of the Zabili granitic pluton: (i) contribution of juvenile magmas or partial melting of a juvenile basaltic protolith characterized by a short crustal residence time; (ii) interaction of granitic magmas with older continental materials as suggested by the presence of pre-Neoproterozoic zircons and lower initial ɛNd values of the fine-grained biotite granite; and (iii) fractional crystallization of feldspars and ferromagnesians to produce the observed geochemical features of sample GAB-B, from which an initial ɛNd value of + 7.0 has been calculated