Neoproterozoic to Early Cambrian Crustal Evolution of the Pan-African Saldania Belt, South Africa

New geophysical compilations link crustal block motion to Jurassic extension and strike-slip faulting in the Weddell Sea Rift System of West Antarctica

“…2b) (Jacobs et al, 2015;Jacobs and Thomas, 2004). The Saldanian orogen to the north of the reconstructed HEW marks the amalgamation between southern Africa and South America (Rozendaal et al, 1999), while the Ross Orogen to the south reflects development of a continental margin magmatic arc system (Ferraccioli et al, 2002;Goodge, 2007). Both these orogens appear to temporally overlap with the late Neoproterozoic and early Paleozoic EAAO (Goodge, 2007;Jacobs et al, 2015;Rozendaal et al, 1999).…”

“…However, alternative models for the South African sediments as foreland or intra-orogen deposits would question this link (Rozendaal et al, 1999).…”

Petrography and geochemistry of sandstone samples of Vischkuil formation, Karoo Supergroup, South Africa

“…However, the Karoo Supergroup strata, mainly shales and sandstones accumulated in a retroarc foreland basin termed ''the Karoo basin'', attaining a maximum thickness of 12,000 m. In the southern margin of the basin lies the Cape Fold Belt formed as a result of tectonic activities (compressional forces) during the Late Carboniferous to Late Triassic (Theron 1969;Halbich 1992). The Cape Fold Belt comprises a series of sediments associated with Neoproterozoic and Lower Paleozoic age in the southwestern part of the basin, as well as the granitic rocks (Rozendaal et al 1999;Da Silva et al 2000).…”

The Río de la Plata craton and the assembly of SW Gondwana

“…Other associated minor cratons such as Rio Apa, Arequipa-Antofalla and the We stern Sierras Pampeanas were also attached to the Amazon craton along with Laurentia (Loewy et al, 2004;Casquet et al, 2006). (b) The oblique and left-lateral southward closing of the Adamastor was completed at 54 5 Ma (Frinunel and Frank, 1998;Rozendaal et aL , 1999), and denudation of this collisional belt developed a large submarine fan of turbidites at the southern tip of the RPC and the Kalahari craton, which may also had been fed by detritus from the East African-Antarctic orogen during closing of the Mozambique ocean (heavy grey arrows show probable transport directions) and from the Grenville-age Namaqua-Natal belt. Dextral displacement of the fo re-arc turbidite deposits of the Puncoviscana Formation and the Saldanian Belt started along the western margin of the newly assembled RPC-Kalahari continental block.…”