Evaluation of the mineralizing potential of the Mbengwi plutonics, Northwestern Cameroon, Central Africa

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The Pan-African post-collision Hosséré Mana plutonic complex and associated Gapi Stock (Western Cameroon Domain, Cameroon): Petrology, mineralogy and geochemistry

International audienceIn the Cameroon Pan-African orogenic belt, the West Cameroon Domain (WCD) is characterized by the apparent lack of Archean-Paleoproterozoic relicts, the development of Neoproterozoic basins and abundant plutonic massifs. The Hosséré Mana plutonic complex (HMPC) and the Gapi gabbroic stock are located in the vicinity of the Cretaceous Ngaou Boh granite complex and the Neogene Tchabal Gangbada basanite-trachyte-rhyolite volcanic plateau. They comprise clinopyroxene + amphibole ± olivine leucogabbro, clinopyroxene + amphibole monzogabbro, biotite + amphibole ± clinopyroxene monzodiorite, porphyritic and foliated biotite ± muscovite monzogranite. Two parallel trends of Mg#, displayed by leucogabbro (0.66–0.61) - monzogabbro (0.57–0.37), and by monzodiorite (0.66–0.55) -monzogranite (0.47–0.33), evidence two contrasting igneous suites, magnesian tholeiitic and magnesian high-K alkali-calcic to calc-alkaline (I-type). Primitive mantle-normalized patterns of the tholeiitic suite are fractionated, with no significant HFSE anomalies, suggesting a garnet-bearing enriched peridotite source. Primitive mantle-normalized patterns of the high-K alkali-calcic to calc-alkaline suite include more fractionated felsic types and display NbTa negative anomalies, suggesting another source with amphibole - garnet in the residue and possible origin of felsic rocks by partial melting of mafic lower crust with garnet and titanite-rutile in the residue. In leucogabbro, fairly low Sri (0.70538) and little negative εNd(750 Ma) (+0.2), with a TDM single-stage Nd model age of 1.42 Ga, are consistent with magmas extracted near the lithosphere – asthenosphere boundary from an enriched mantle source close to BSE (Bulk Silicate Earth). In monzodiorite, little higher Sri (0.70628) and strongly negative εNd(560 Ma) (−8.8), with a TDM single-stage Nd model age of 1.64 Ga, point to a supplementary (lithospheric?) mantle source metasomatized by subduction products. HMPC and GS massifs, emplaced in a syn-to post-kinematic environment after the major collision stage, illustrate coeval magnesian tholeiitic and magnesian high-K alkali-calcic calc-alkaline (I-type) igneous suites, in which primary magmas were tapped from different mantle sources, followed by younger felsic suite issued from garnet-bearing lower crustal source