D.Phil. / The amalgamation of SW Gondwana after the break-up of Rodinia supercontinent during the Neoproterozoic-early Palaeozic was one of the most active tectonic periods of the earth history and its geological evolution remains controversial. Recently, diverse hypotheses such as mantle plume activity, orthogonal continent-continent and strike-slip collisions according to different models try to explain the complex evolution of the Pan-African Brasiliano orogens and the associated sedimentary basins. In order to get insight of the SW Gondwana reconstruction, provenance analyses were performed on two Neoproterozoic-early Palaeozic sedimentary units: (1) the Arroyo del Soldado Group representing a —5000 meter thick platform succession unconformably overlying the mainly Archaean to Neoproterozoic rocks of the Rio de la Plata Craton in Uruguay and, (2) the Nama Group, a —2000 meter thick shallow marine to fluvial deposit interpreted as a foreland basin in response to tectonism in the adjacent northern Damara and western Gariep Orogenic Belts and unconformably overlying the mainly Mesoproterozoic rocks of the Kalahari Craton in Namibia. Several techniques including petrography, heavy mineral analysis, geochemistry, Sm-Nd isotope analysis and zircon dating were applied to both sedimentary basins. The petrographic, heavy mineral analyses and geochemical results from the Nama Group indicate a recycled upper crust composition characterized by metamorphic and granitic sources and minor mafic rocks. Palaeocurrent analyses of the chromian spinet bearing sandstones of the Nama Basin point to a volcanic island arc source located in the Damara Belt. Detrital zircon dating of the Nama Group display major peaks of Neoproterozoic and Mesoproterozoic ages suggesting a provenance from the Damara/Gariep Belts and their basements. Palaeocurrents from the west and the dominance of Neoproterozoic-Cambrian detrital zircon ages (76%) in the "Molasse" stage of the foreland evolution probably indicate exhumation of the felsic volcanic arc root which probably occurred after the time indicated by the younger zircon dated at 531 ±9 Ma. The petrographic and geochemical results from the Arroyo del Soldado Group indicate a recycled upper crust composition characterized by source diversity composed of granite-gneissic and mafic-metamorphic rocks. On average, Nd isotopes account for negative ENd values and TDM ages in a range of variation found elsewhere within SW Gondwana. Detrital zircon dating indicate sources dominated by Palaeoproterozoic (1.7-2.0-2.2 Ga) and subordinate Archaean ages (2.5-2.9-3.5 Ga). The scarcity of Mesoproterozoic and Neoproterozoic zircons and palaeocurrent directions towards the east indicate that the Arroyo del Soldado Group was fed by detritus from the Rio de la Plata Craton favouring a passive margin tectonic setting for their deposition. Deformation of the Arroyo del Soldado Group took place ca. 530 Ma, after strike-slip collision with an African affinity terrane. Finally, based on the palaeogeographic evaluation, the provenance of Nama foreland basin and the passive margin deposit of the Arroyo del Soldado basin suggest that continent-continent collision of the Kalahari/Congo Cratons with the Rio de la Plata Craton and the Cuchilla Dionisio Pelotas Terrane most likely occurred due to strike slip accretion related to a component of N—S shortening in the period between 530 and 495 Ma.

Thesis (doctoral)--Universität Bremen, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 113-125).

M.Sc. (Geology) / The Mzimvubu River, situated in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa, drains essentially strata of the Late Carboniferous to Jurassic Karoo Supergroup with minor intersection of the underlying Devonian Msikaba Formation near the mouth of the river at Port St. Johns. Rock- and river sediment samples were collected at specific points from within the Mzimvubu River drainage basin, based on changes in the geology through which the rivers flow. Detrital zircon age population data was obtained by LA-ICP-MS for each sample in order to meet the two-fold objective of the study; firstly to investigate the reliability of using detrital zircon grains as indicators of sedimentary provenance and secondly to determine possible source areas for the Karoo strata and underlying Msikaba Formation. Through the comparison of detrital zircon age population data for the rock units of the Karoo Supergroup and Msikaba Formation to that of the river sediment, it is concluded that detrital zircon grains hold value in deciphering the geological history of a sedimentary basin. This interpretation is based on similar distributions and trends that are present in both the zircon age populations of the rock- and sediment samples. However, complexities associated with detrital zircon analysis pertaining to rock type and depositional settings are noted and therefore certain procedures that can be implemented during field sampling have been suggested in this study so as to ensure accurate results are obtained. This will further ensure that reliable interpretations of the geological history of a sedimentary basin are achieved. Additionally, by utilising the detrital zircon population data obtained in the first part of the study in conjunction with published scientific data, the provenance of the Karoo Supergroup in the southeastern part of the Main Karoo Basin has been determined. From this data it was determined that, especially the upper part of the Karoo Supergroup in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa, was deposited much later than previously thought and that many of the stratigraphic layers in the Karoo Basin were deposited coevally in different parts of the basin with lithostratigraphic boundaries being time-transgressive. Ultimately the data allowed for the construction of a tectono-sedimentary model to explain the deposition of the upper Cape- and Karoo Supergroups that started with the deposition of the Msikaba Formation in a passive continental margin setting, to deposition of the lower part of the Karoo Supergroup in an Andean type of foreland basin, with rifting starting during the times of deposition of the Molteno Formation. The deposition of the Molteno-, Elliot- and Clarens Formations took place as Gondwanaland was breaking apart coeval with the formation of the Karoo Igneous Province.