Kaapvaal Craton - Limpopo Central Zone

Limpopo Central Zone

The crustal evolution of the Limpopo Central Zone can be summarized into three main periods: 3.2-2.9 Ga, 2.6 Ga, and 2.0 Ga. The first two periods are characterized by magmatic activity leading to the formation of Archaean tonalite-trondhjemite-granodiorite (TTG) such as the Sand River Gneisses and the Bulai Granite intrusion. Early Proterozoic high-grade metamorphic conditions produced partial melting that formed large amounts of granitic melt. (Chavagnac et al., 1999).

There is no indication that the Neoarchean to early Paleoproterozoic succession on the craton were sourced from the 2.65-2.70 Ga orogenic event preserved in the Limpopo Metamorphic Complex. However, younger late-Paleoproterozoic red bed successions contain zircons of this time interval as well as many ~2.0 Ga detrital zircons. This implies that the Limpopo Complex together with the Zimbabwe craton only became attached to the Kaapvaal craton at approximately 2.0 Ga during formation of the Magondi Mobile Belt which in turn sourced the voluminous late Paleoproterozoic red beds of southern Africa. (Beukes et al., 2004). Evidence of the horizontal layering and riverine erosion can be found throughout the Waterberg Massif within the Limpopo Central Zone.