Archean to Paleoproterozoic crustal evolution in the Sassandra-Cavally domain (Co?te d?Ivoire, West Africa): Insights from Hf and U-Pb zircon analyses

Crustal evolution in the south West African Craton is dominated by a significant input of juvenile material into the crust at ca. 2.1 Ga and it remains unclear how much of the Paleoproterozoic continental mass was influenced by the presence of pre-existing Archean crustal domains. The Sassandra-Cavally (SASCA, Cote d'Ivoire) domain is strategically located east of the Sassandra shear zone at the transition of the Paleoproterozoic and Archean terranes of the Leo-Man shield. Combined U-Pb and Lu-Hf isotopic analyses by LA-(MC-)ICP-MS were acquired on zircon grains extracted from migmatitic gneisses, metasedimentary rocks and a granitic intrusion. The migmatitic gneisses, yield Archean ages between ca. 3330 and 2810 Ma with epsilon Hf ranging from -9.4 to + 3.3 and a metamorphic age at 2076 +/- 6 Ma. They are tentatively interpreted as orthogneisses extracted from the mantle during the Paleoarchean and reworked substantially in the Mesoarchean. Detrital zircon grains from metasedimentary units adjacent to the Archean migmatitic gneisses yield ages ranging from ca. 2213 to 2088 Ma with epsilon Hf ranging from + 0.0 to + 5.5, indicating derivation from juvenile Paleoproterozoic source rocks. A granite intrusion was dated within uncertainty of the metamorphic age at 2084 +/- 6 Ma. It exhibits a hybrid isotopic signature with epsilon Hf forming two distinct clusters between -4.9 and -8.5, and between + 2.2 and + 6.5 for inherited zircon grains dated between ca. 2343 to 2100 Ma. The near continuous U-Pb age record from this early Mesoarchean event to the Neoarchean is associated with constant initial 176Hf/177Hf suggesting for an ancient lead loss event at ca. 2800 Ma or a prolonged period of zircon dissolution/precipitation and/or crystallization. This early period is followed by peaks of zircon dates highlighting crustal extraction during the Eoeburnean (ca. 2250 to 2150 Ma) and Eburnean orogenies (ca. 2140 to 2100 Ma). The absence of detrital zircon of the ages similar to those of migmatitic gneisses (-3200-2800 Ma) in Paleoproterozoic metasediments suggests their deposition distal from the Archean terranes followed by a tectonic assemblage of the SASCA domain during the later stages of the Eburnean orogeny.

Automated summary

The crustal evolution in the south West African Craton was influenced by juvenile material input around 2.1 Ga, and the impact of pre-existing Archean crustal domains on the Paleoproterozoic continental mass remains unclear. The Sassandra-Cavally (SASCA) domain, located in Cote d'Ivoire, provides valuable insights into the transition between the Archean and Paleoproterozoic terranes. Zircon grains extracted from migmatitic gneisses, metasedimentary rocks, and a granitic intrusion underwent U-Pb and Lu-Hf isotopic analyses using LA-(MC-)ICP-MS. The results suggest that the migmatitic gneisses were derived from the mantle during the Paleoarchean and underwent substantial reworking in the Mesoarchean, while the metasedimentary units contain detrital zircon grains with Paleoproterozoic ages, indicating a juvenile source. The intrusion exhibits a hybrid isotopic signature, suggesting a complex geological history.