Deciphering the early Archaean crustal history in the Kaapvaal and Zimbabwe cratons

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Alfred Kröner (†)
• Subject Area: Mineralogy, Petrology and Geochemistry
• Term: from 2015 to 2019
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 277088755

This project will investigate the oldest crustal components in two poorly known areas of the Zimbabwe and eastern Kaapvaal cratons, using field investigations, single zircon dating, geochemistry, as well as Hf and Nd isotopic systems. In central Zimbabwe, our preliminary work has identified several granitoid gneisses with zircon ages >3.6 Ga, and our aim is to understand the igneous, structural and metamorphic history of the terranes in which these rocks occur. In the eastern Kaapvaal craton, within a gneiss terrane of central Swaziland, we shall investigate an Archaean sequence of granulite-facies supracrustal rocks containing detrital zircons >3.6 Ga as well as the surrounding granitoid gneisses in which we also expect very ancient crustal components, The aim is to identify the source area of the ancient zircons and to understand the history of this ancient terrane in relation to the Ancient Gneiss Complex of Swaziland and the neighbouring Barberton Greenstone Belt and other parts of the Kaapvaal craton. Overall, this project is a contribution to understand early Archaean crustal evolution, and close cooperation with other SPP1833 projects dealing with southern Africa is envisaged.

• DFG Programme: Priority Programmes
• Subproject of: SPP 1833: Building a Habitable Earth
• International Connection: South Africa
• Cooperation Partners: Privatdozent Dr. Jörg Elis Hoffmann; Professor Dr. Axel Hofmann, Ph.D.