A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Science at the University of the Witwatersrand, in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Geology. Johannesburg 2017. / The Magondi Belt is a NE-trending Palaeoproterozoic mobile belt, composed of a succession of supracrustal metasediments and minor metavolcanics that is subdivided into the Deweras, Lomagundi and Piriwiri Groups. The Magondi Belt is located in north-west Zimbabwe and is bounded on its eastern flank by the Archaean Zimbabwe Craton and the Pan-African Zambezi Belt to the north. A connection between the Superior and Zimbabwe cratons has previously been made based on similarly aged dyke swarms across the two cratons. This matching magmatic barcode implies that the Superior and Zimbabwe cratons rifted away from one another circa 2.26 Ga based on the ages obtained for the Deweras lavas and the Chimbadzi Hill mafic intrusion. It was into this continental rift margin that the Magondi Supergroup sediments were deposited. The majority of the detrital and xenocrystic zircon ages from the Deweras Group are Archaean (2.86 to 2.63 Ga, with some inherited grains as old as 3.34 Ga); although a maximum depositional age of circa 2.29 Ga for the Deweras Group sedimentary rocks has been determined. Unconformably overlying these sediments, within an environment gradually transitioning from a passive margin into a back-arc basin environment, is the Lomagundi Group. These shallow marine sediments are then followed by those of the Piriwiri Group, deposited within a deeper water environment. Deposition of these two groups is constrained between 2.20 and 2.16 Ga, but may have continued up until the termination of the Magondi orogeny circa 1.99 Ga. According to the currently accepted model, the Magondi orogeny is the result of the Zimbabwe Craton colliding with an unknown continental mass, “Terra Incognita”, resulting in the formation of a Palaeoproterozoic Andean-type magmatic arc along the western margin of the Zimbabwe Craton (the arc is typified by the 2.06 - 2.02 Ga granites and gneisses of the Dete-Kamativi Inlier), which was subsequently thrust over the margin of the Zimbabwe Craton, the consequence of which was a Himalayan-style collision that resulted in high-grade metamorphism and the formation of collisional granitoids (e.g. the Hurungwe Granite) circa 1.99 Ga ago. It has also been established that the Dete-Kamativi Inlier, which flanks the western margin of the Zimbabwe Craton, is an extension of the Magondi Belt. Detrital zircons from paragneisses of the Malaputese Formation have ages ranging from 2.8 to 2.5 Ga, with the youngest grains constraining the maximum depositional age to be around 2.3 Ga. Thus, in terms of age and lithology, the correlation of the Malaputese Formation with the Deweras Group (maximum age of 2.29 Ga) is permissible. A south westward extension of 2.06 - 2.02 Ga granitoids – emplaced during the Magondi orogeny – is indicated by a number of localities in north-eastern Botswana and is believed to also be related to the Palaeoproterozoic magmatic arc. This study has recorded the first evidence of Archaean-aged basement within the Dete-Kamativi Inlier. Two orthogneisses with ages of 2.76 and 2.69 Ga provide strong evidence to suggest that the western margin of the Zimbabwe Craton may extend further to the west than previously recognised. It has also been confirmed, based on the recurrence of ~2.64 Ga aged zircons, in addition to older inherited grains ranging from 3.34 to 2.72 Ga, that the crust below the Magondi Belt is Archaean in age. This is not so, however, for the high-grade gneisses in the northern reaches of the Magondi Belt. It has been previously suggested that these supposed basement granites and gneisses represent an Archaean orogeny, but they are in fact Palaeoproterozoic in age, as represented by the syn-to-post-tectonic 2.02 Ga Hurungwe orthogneiss and the 1.95 Ga Kariba Granite. Additionally, a second, 1.96 Ga, orthogneiss contains zircons with younger metamorphic overgrowth rims that are Pan-African in age (545 Ma) and are attributed to the collision between the Kalahari and Congo cratons in the Neoproterozoic. It is therefore apparent that there is not enough evidence to support the existence of an Archaean “Hurungwe orogeny”. The Magondi orogeny was the heat source for a widespread mineralisation and metamorphic event between 2.15 and 2.03 Ga, based on titanite and apatite ages from samples of the Archaean Copper King and Copper Queen Domes within the Magondi Belt. There is also evidence of a second, younger, mineralisation event, which primarily affected both the Dete-Kamativi Inlier and the Choma-Kalomo Block (south east Zambia). U-Pb data on columbite-tantalite grains (corroborated by 40Ar-39Ar dating of mica separates) from tin-bearing pegmatites within both the Choma-Kalomo Block and the Dete-Kamativi Inlier indicates that mineralisation occurred simultaneously within these two terranes between 1.06 and 0.98 Ga. The similarities (particularly with regards to mineralisation), between the Choma-Kalomo Block and the Dete-Kamativi Inlier imply that these two terranes had a shared history, potentially as far back as the Palaeoproterozoic, but were certainly juxtaposed by 1.06 Ga when the pegmatites were emplaced. The previously undated metasediments of the Choma-Kalomo Block have revealed an abundant Palaeoproterozoic component (2.04 - 1.86 Ga), contradicting the prevailing understanding that the Choma-Kalomo Block is solely Mesoproterozoic in age (on account of the granitoids, which were previously dated at 1.37 and 1.18 Ga). The Choma-Kalomo Block was also thought to constitute an exotic terrane with respect to the neighbouring Dete-Kamativi Inlier and Archaean Zimbabwe Craton. Based on the geochronology presented here, a new model is proposed whereby the thinner lithosphere beneath the Choma-Kalomo Block is either a primary feature or one that resulted from subduction erosion and delamination processes associated with the formation of multiple continental margin magmatic arcs. / MT 2017

M.Sc. (Geology) / The Proterozoic Namaqua-Natal Mobile Belt of southern Africa represents a succession of high grade metamorphosed igneous and sedimentary rocks rimming the southern and western extents of the Kaapvaal craton. Different petrological processes associated with the onset of granulite facies metamorphism were investigated with the emphasis on the processes on anatexis and migmatitization and the influence of the fluid phase on these processes. The investigation took place in the Margate Terrane of the Southern Natal Metamorphic Province. The Umzimkulu and Louisiana Quarries near Port Shepstone formed the bulk of the field area for this investigation. The Umzimkulu and Louisiana quarries expose two s-type granitic lithologies, namely, the Glenmore Biotite Gneiss (GBGn) and the slightly younger, intrusive Margate Leucogranite (MLGn), both of which have been metamorphosed to granulite facies. Geothermobarometric calculations on the metamorphism of the Margate Terrane all indicate temperatures and pressures of peak metamorphism be 850oC+50oC at +6 kbar. The high grade metamorphic history of the lithologies is recorded by the formation of concordant, lens-shaped, prograde anatectic leucosomes. The leucosomes are concentrically surrounded by biotite selvage zones, followed by melanosomes, and lastly undisturbed host rock material. This investigation revealed that the formation of both the charnockite veins and the prograde leucosomes occurred through processes of anatexis. Field relations suggest that the charnockitic veins formed in situ, and were structurally controlled, which is evident from their linearity. Petrographic and geochemical data provide evidence for melt involvement. This is in strong contrast to theories of charnockite formation ascribed to subsolidus granulite formation by the flushing of host lithologies by a pervasive, carbonic fluid, as has been suggested to have occurred in Southern India. The so-called "incipient charnockites" of Southern India are both morphologically and geochemically similar to the charnockite veins described in the SNMP, suggesting that an anatectic origin may be common to both.

A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Science in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at the School of Geosciences University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2017 / Namibia, the 6th largest producer of uranium globally, has produced uranium from Pan African granite-hosted (primary) deposits since 1976, and from palaeochannel deposits since 2007; exporting 3 472 tonnes U in 2016. The large granite-hosted deposits at the Husab Mine are expected to add over 5 700 tonnes U/year at peak, while three large primary-hosted deposits remain in various stages of development at Goanikontes, the Ida Dome, and Valencia. This study presents a comprehensive geological, geochemical and uranium mineralogical appraisal of four of the major primary-hosted uranium deposits, all situated within the southern Central Zone (sCZ) of the polydeformational (D1-D3) Damara Belt. The sCZ comprises highly deformed Neoproterozoic sediments, unconformably draped over rheologically competent granite-gneiss domes and inliers of a Palaeoproterozoic basement. A suite of fractionated sheeted leucogranites (SLGs) are a characteristic of the final stages of Orogenic deformation; while most SLGs appear to precede D3 deformation and metamorphism (ca. 510 Ma); most of the mineralised SLGs across the region invade reduced-facies sediments in pressure shadows formed in the hinges and limbs of upright D3 antiforms, proximal to basement inliers. A pre-existing, six-fold, alphabetised SLG classification scheme is revised and extended to categorise distinctive and consistent field and petrographic characteristics of the SLGs across the region. Discriminating SLG sub-types is less consistent in standard geochemical diagrams, except where high field-strength (HFS) and rare-earth elements (REE) are concerned. REE profiles in pre-D3 SLGs reflect abundances, or paucities, of characteristic accessory mineral assemblages; while REE profiles show relative REE enrichment, prominent REEfractionation and -ve Eu anomalies in the uraniferous SLGs, reflecting lower-percentage partial melts in the more uraniferous samples. The overwhelming majority of primary uranium mineralisation is in magmatic uraninite, followed by coffinite which predominate as a replacement phase of uraninite, and more rarely as solid solution with thorite. The refractory minerals betafite and brannerite are rare, but are locally abundant in discrete, magmatic textures within uraniferous SLGs of some deposits. Hydrated uranyl silicates predominate in the supergene portions of the orebodies across the region. An electron microprobe study presents the first comprehensive assessment of uraninite compositions in the region, while Husab deposit betafite and brannerite compositions allow for a well-rounded comparison with refractory minerals from the Rössing deposits. Key Words Primary Uranium, Granite, Orogenic, Damara, Namibia, Rare Earth Elements, Mineralisation, Fractionation, High-grade Metamorphism, Economic Geology, Mining, Processing, Uraninite, Coffinite, Etango, Goanikontes, Husab, Ida Dome, Rössing, Valencia / XL2018

The ENE trending Brandberg West - Goantagab Sn-W belt is located in the Southern Kaoko Zone of the northern coastal branch of the Damara Orogen. The lithologies in this area are turbiditic and consist of three schist units separated by two marble horizons, all of which are correlated with the Swakop Group. The formations are intensely folded by at least three episodes of which the first two are coaxial and resulted in prominent, approximately N-S trending, structures. Sn and Sn-W mineralization predominantly occurs as vein and replacement type mineralization. Vein type mineralization occurs as Brandberg West, Frans Prospect, Gamigab Prospect and the Goantagab Mining Area. The vein type mineralization is accompanied by intense alteration, consisting of greisenization, sericitization, hematitization and carbonatization. Replacement-type, hematite-cassiterite mineralization, occurs in the Goantagab Mining area in the marble close to, or at the schist marble contact. Intense ferruginous alteration of the marbles in this area, is associated with veins, which terminate against, or cross cut the marble. A regional metal zonation, ranging from Sn-W mineralization with minor sulphides at Brandberg West to Sn-sulphide mineralization at Goantagab can be detected. This metal zonation is attributed to the distance of the mineral locality from the source area, with Goantagab representing a distal and Brandberg West a proximal position relative to the source area. Structural, mineralogical and geological features of the mineralization in this area suggest that processes of ore genesis may be related to anorogenic magmatism of Karoo age.

No presente trabalho buscou-se compor um quadro geológico-estrutural da Faixa Paraguai meridional e compreender as relações estratigráficas entre os litotipos da Formação Puga e grupos Cuiabá e Corumbá. Foram realizados trabalhos de reconhecimento geológico e perfis geológico-estruturais de detalhe, com análise estrutural e petrográfica, em conjunto com a integração de dados e mapas existentes, análise de imagens de satélite, fotos aéreas e modelos digitais de terreno. A Faixa Paraguai meridional evoluiu como um típico fold-andthrust belt. A evolução geológica do cinturão principia por processos de rifteamento, provavelmente no final do Criogeniano, evoluindo para mar restrito e margem passiva até o final do Ediacarano. A fase rifte é caracterizada pelas formações Puga e Cerradinho. A fase margem passiva está representada pelas formações Bocaina, Tamengo e Guaicurus. Propõe-se que o Grupo Cuiabá na área estudada seja constituído por depósitos marinhos profundos, turbidíticos distais depositados comitantemente aos sedimentos do Grupo Corumbá. O processo colisional responsável pela inversão da bacia com a deformação e metamorfismo associados ocorreu durante o Cambriano, com magmatismo pós-colisional no Cambriano Superior. O estilo estrutural torna-se progressivamente mais complexo de oeste para leste. São observadas até três fases de dobramento coaxiais sobrepostas com eixos subhorizontais de direção N-S. Associam-se a sistemas de falhas de empurrão com deslocamento da capa para oeste. As lineações de estiramento e indicadores cinemáticos observados sugerem que a convergência colisional em direção ao bloco Rio Apa que deu origem à faixa móvel não foi completamente frontal, existindo algum grau de obliquidade, com vetores de convergência em torno de WNWENE. Os micaxistos do Grupo Cuiabá mostram o estilo estrutural mais complexo, com três fases de dobramentos coaxiais e foliações tectônicas mais intensas. Haveria correlação temporal entre S3 gerada nos micaxistos, comumente referidos como Grupo Cuiabá, a leste com a foliação S2 gerada na porção central e a clivagem S1 gerada no limite da área cratônica a oeste, padrão que pode ser explicado pela migração do front deformacional de leste para oeste. É sugestivo que as principais falhas de empurrão coincidam com limites bacinais importantes, onde ocorrem variações de espessura e representatividades das formações basais. No processo de inversão da bacia provavelmente os empurrões reativaram as antigas falhas lístricas principais do estágio rifte. / This work aims to characterize the geological and structural context of the Southern Paraguay Folded Belt, and to understand the stratigraphic relationships between the Puga Formation, Corumbá and Cuiabá groups. Regional geological reconnaissance work and detailed geological-structural field sections were carried out, with petrographic and structural analysis, together with integration of existing data and maps and analysis of satellite images, aerial photos and digital terrain models. The southern Paraguay Belt is a typical fold-andthrust belt. Its geological evolution began with rifting (Puga and Cerradinho formations), probably at the end of Criogenian, and evolved to restricted sea and passive margin (Bocaina, Tamengo and Guaicurus formations) in the late Ediacaran. It is proposed that the Cuiabá Group in the study area consists of distal marine deposits coeval with the Corumbá Group. The collisional process responsible for basin inversion and associated deformation and metamorphism occurred in the Cambrian, with post-collisional magmatism in the Upper Cambrian. The structural style becomes increasingly complex from west to east. Up to three overprinted coaxial folding phases are observed with north / south upright axial planes dipping to east and axes plunging gently to North or South. A system of thrust faults is associated with displacement of the hangwall to the west. Down-dip to oblique and strike-slip stretching lineations are also observed, with kinematic indicators showing movement varying from inverse to sinistral. This suggests that the collisional convergence toward the Rio Apa block which generated the mobile belt was not strictly frontal, but had some degree of obliquity, with convergence vectors around SSW - ENE. The Cuiabá Group mica-schists show the most complex structural style with three superimposed coaxial fold phases and more intense tectonic foliations. It is proposed that there would be time correlation between the S3 foliation in the mica-schists in the easternmost area, with the S2 foliation in the central area and the S1 cleavage at the limit of the cratonic area to the west. This pattern can be explained by the westward migration of the deformational front. It is suggestive that the main thrusts coincide with major basin boundaries, where greater variations in thickness and expression of the basal formations occur. During the basin inversion the thrusts probably reactivated the former main listric faults of the rift stage.

No presente trabalho buscou-se compor um quadro geológico-estrutural da Faixa Paraguai meridional e compreender as relações estratigráficas entre os litotipos da Formação Puga e grupos Cuiabá e Corumbá. Foram realizados trabalhos de reconhecimento geológico e perfis geológico-estruturais de detalhe, com análise estrutural e petrográfica, em conjunto com a integração de dados e mapas existentes, análise de imagens de satélite, fotos aéreas e modelos digitais de terreno. A Faixa Paraguai meridional evoluiu como um típico fold-andthrust belt. A evolução geológica do cinturão principia por processos de rifteamento, provavelmente no final do Criogeniano, evoluindo para mar restrito e margem passiva até o final do Ediacarano. A fase rifte é caracterizada pelas formações Puga e Cerradinho. A fase margem passiva está representada pelas formações Bocaina, Tamengo e Guaicurus. Propõe-se que o Grupo Cuiabá na área estudada seja constituído por depósitos marinhos profundos, turbidíticos distais depositados comitantemente aos sedimentos do Grupo Corumbá. O processo colisional responsável pela inversão da bacia com a deformação e metamorfismo associados ocorreu durante o Cambriano, com magmatismo pós-colisional no Cambriano Superior. O estilo estrutural torna-se progressivamente mais complexo de oeste para leste. São observadas até três fases de dobramento coaxiais sobrepostas com eixos subhorizontais de direção N-S. Associam-se a sistemas de falhas de empurrão com deslocamento da capa para oeste. As lineações de estiramento e indicadores cinemáticos observados sugerem que a convergência colisional em direção ao bloco Rio Apa que deu origem à faixa móvel não foi completamente frontal, existindo algum grau de obliquidade, com vetores de convergência em torno de WNWENE. Os micaxistos do Grupo Cuiabá mostram o estilo estrutural mais complexo, com três fases de dobramentos coaxiais e foliações tectônicas mais intensas. Haveria correlação temporal entre S3 gerada nos micaxistos, comumente referidos como Grupo Cuiabá, a leste com a foliação S2 gerada na porção central e a clivagem S1 gerada no limite da área cratônica a oeste, padrão que pode ser explicado pela migração do front deformacional de leste para oeste. É sugestivo que as principais falhas de empurrão coincidam com limites bacinais importantes, onde ocorrem variações de espessura e representatividades das formações basais. No processo de inversão da bacia provavelmente os empurrões reativaram as antigas falhas lístricas principais do estágio rifte. / This work aims to characterize the geological and structural context of the Southern Paraguay Folded Belt, and to understand the stratigraphic relationships between the Puga Formation, Corumbá and Cuiabá groups. Regional geological reconnaissance work and detailed geological-structural field sections were carried out, with petrographic and structural analysis, together with integration of existing data and maps and analysis of satellite images, aerial photos and digital terrain models. The southern Paraguay Belt is a typical fold-andthrust belt. Its geological evolution began with rifting (Puga and Cerradinho formations), probably at the end of Criogenian, and evolved to restricted sea and passive margin (Bocaina, Tamengo and Guaicurus formations) in the late Ediacaran. It is proposed that the Cuiabá Group in the study area consists of distal marine deposits coeval with the Corumbá Group. The collisional process responsible for basin inversion and associated deformation and metamorphism occurred in the Cambrian, with post-collisional magmatism in the Upper Cambrian. The structural style becomes increasingly complex from west to east. Up to three overprinted coaxial folding phases are observed with north / south upright axial planes dipping to east and axes plunging gently to North or South. A system of thrust faults is associated with displacement of the hangwall to the west. Down-dip to oblique and strike-slip stretching lineations are also observed, with kinematic indicators showing movement varying from inverse to sinistral. This suggests that the collisional convergence toward the Rio Apa block which generated the mobile belt was not strictly frontal, but had some degree of obliquity, with convergence vectors around SSW - ENE. The Cuiabá Group mica-schists show the most complex structural style with three superimposed coaxial fold phases and more intense tectonic foliations. It is proposed that there would be time correlation between the S3 foliation in the mica-schists in the easternmost area, with the S2 foliation in the central area and the S1 cleavage at the limit of the cratonic area to the west. This pattern can be explained by the westward migration of the deformational front. It is suggestive that the main thrusts coincide with major basin boundaries, where greater variations in thickness and expression of the basal formations occur. During the basin inversion the thrusts probably reactivated the former main listric faults of the rift stage.

A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Science, University of the Witwatersrand, in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, Johannesburg 2014 / Namibia is renowned for its abundant mineral resources, a large proportion of which are hosted in the metasedimentary lithologies of the Damara Belt, the northeast-trending inland branch of the Neoproterozoic Pan-African Damara Orogen. Deposit types include late- to post-tectonic (~ 523 – 506 Ma) LCT (Li-Be, Sn-, and miarolitic gem-tourmalinebearing) pegmatites, and uraniferous pegmatitic sheeted leucogranites (SLGs), which have an NYF affinity. Fluid inclusion studies reveal that although mineralization differs between the different types of pegmatites located at different geographic locations, and by extension, different stratigraphic levels, the fluid inclusion assemblages present in these pegmatites are similar; thus different types of pegmatites are indistinguishable from each other based on their fluid inclusion assemblages. Thorough fluid inclusion petrography indicated that although fluid inclusions are abundant in the pegmatites, no primary fluid inclusions could be identified, and rather those studied are pseudosecondary and secondary. Fluid inclusions are aqueo-carbonic (± NaCl), carbonic, and aqueous. It is proposed that all of the pegmatites studied share a similar late-stage evolution, with fluids becoming less carbonic and less saline with the progression of crystallisation. Oxygen isotope ratios allow the discrimination of different pegmatites into two groups, Group A (Sn-, Li-Sn-, and gem-tourmaline-bearing LCT pegmatites), and Group B (Li-Bebearing LCT, and U-bearing NYF pegmatites). Group A pegmatites have O-isotope ratios ranging from 11 to 13 ‰ suggesting that they have an I-type affinity. These values are, however, elevated above those of typical I-type granites (7 - 9 ‰), indicating either a postemplacement low-temperature exchange with meteoric fluid, high-temperature hydrothermal exchange with δ18O country rocks during emplacement, or the derivation of these pegmatites from a non-pelitic/S-type metaigneous source. Group B pegmatites have higher δ18O ratios (δ18O = 15 - 16 ‰), indicative of their S-type affinity, and their derivation from metapelitic source rocks. δD values of all the pegmatites range from -40 ‰ to -90 ‰ indicating that the pegmatitic fluids are primary magmatic with a metamorphic fluid component. Trends in the trace element concentrations of both Group A and Group B pegmatites are very similar to each other, making the two groups indistinguishable from each other on this basis. The Damaran pegmatites also share similar geochemical trends with their country rocks. There is, however, no direct field evidence to suggest that the pegmatites were derived from the in situ anatexis of the country rocks. It is more likely that anatexis occurred some distance away from where the pegmatites were ultimately emplaced, and that the melts migrated and were finally emplaced in pre-existing structures, possibly formed during Damaran deformation. O-isotope and Ti-in-quartz geothermometry indicate that Damaran pegmatites can be subdivided into two groups based on their crystallisation temperatures. LCT pegmatites crystallised at temperatures ranging from ~ 450 - 550 ºC, while the NYF pegmatites crystallised at higher temperatures, ranging from 630 - 670 ºC. It is important to note that the subdivision of pegmatites in Groups A and B based on their O-isotope systematics does not correspond with their subdivision into the LCT and NYF pegmatite families according to their crystallisation temperatures. In addition to clarifying aspects of the emplacement and evolution of the Damaran pegmatites, this study points out that there are several discrepancies in the current classification schemes of pegmatites. It shows that in addition to the problems encountered when trying to distinguish between LCT and NYF pegmatites based on their mineralogy, they also cannot truly be distinguished from each other using their geochemical and isotopic characteristics, or their tectonic settings. It is tentatively proposed that crystallisation temperature be considered as an alternative or additional characteristic in the classification of pegmatites, and that it be considered on a regional scale rather than only in the evaluation of the highly evolved end-members of a pegmatite swarm.

A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Science, University of the Witwatersrand, in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy University of the Witwatersrand School of Geosciences and Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies School of Cosmic Physics Geophysics Section February 2016 / Archean cratons, and the Proterozoic orogenic belts on their flanks, form an integral part of the Southern Africa tectonic landscape. Of these, virtually nothing is known of the position and thickness of the southern boundary of the composite Congo craton and the Neoproterozoic Pan African orogenic belt due to thick sedimentary cover. In this work I present the first lithospheric-scale geophysical study of that cryptic boundary and define its geometry at depth. The results are derived from two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) inversion of magnetotelluric data acquired along four semi-parallel profiles crossing the Kalahari craton across the Damara-Ghanzi-Chobe belts (DGC) and extending into the Congo craton. Two dimensional and three-dimensional electrical resistivity models show significant lateral variation in the crust and upper mantle across strike from the younger DGC orogen to the older adjacent cratons. The Damara belt lithosphere is found to be more conductive and significantly thinner than that of the adjacent Congo craton. The Congo craton is characterized by very thick (to depths of 250 km) and resistive (i.e. cold) lithosphere. Resistive upper crustal features are interpreted as caused by igneous intrusions emplaced during Pan-African magmatism. Graphite-bearing calcite marbles and sulfides are widespread in the Damara belt and account for the high crustal conductivity in the Central Zone. The resistivity models provide new constraints on the southern extent of the greater Congo craton, and suggest that the current boundary drawn on geological maps needs revision and that the craton should be extended further south. The storage possibilities for the Karoo Basins were found to be poor because of the very low porosity and permeability of the sandstones, the presence of extensive dolerite sills and dykes. The obvious limitation of the above study is the large spacings between the MT stations (> 10km). This is particularly more limiting in resolving the horizontal layers in the Karoo basin. However the 1D models provide layered Earth models that are consistent with the known geology. The resistivity values from the 1D models allowed porosity of the Ecca and Beaufort group lithologies to be calculated. It is inferred that the porosities values are in the range 5-15 % in the region below the profile. This value is considered too low for CO2 storage as the average porosity of rock used for CO2 is generally more than 10 to 12 percent of the total rock unit volume.

A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Science, University of Witwatersrand in the fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science. Johannesburg, 2015. / Northwest Botswana holds a key position for the correlation of the Pan-African mobile belts of southern Africa (i.e. the Damara-Zambezi-Lufilian Orogeny). Phanerozoic cover (Kalahari Group) precludes direct correlation between Proterozoic lithologies of the Damara Belt and thick metasedimentary sequences of northwest Botswana. A combination of new geological and geophysical field observations, interpretation of 50 m resolution aeromagnetic data, and 2.2 km resolution gravity data of Namibia and Botswana, have led to the development of a new sub- Kalahari geological map of the Damara Belt and northwest Botswana. The interpretation of potential field and magnetotelluric (MT) data complemented with both new and published geological data, has improved the identification of the northern and southern margins of the Damara Belt and northwest Botswana, and tectonostratigraphic zones within them. In addition, these correlations have established that the northern margin of the Kalahari Craton on geological maps extends further north than previously noted. The northeast trending Damara Belt is confidently traced into northwest Botswana (Ngamiland) to ~19.5°S, 22.0°E. At this location, in map view, aeromagnetically interpreted structures follow a radial distribution from northwest-striking in the west to northeast-striking in the east. The lithostratigraphic units to the north of this location cannot be confidently correlated with lithostratigraphic units of the Damara Belt. Instead, these units are better correlated with lithostratigraphic units in southern Angola and/or Zambia. The southeastern margin of the Damara Belt is in tectonic contact with the northern margin of the Ghanzi-Chobe Belt as identified in the aeromagnetic images. The Ghanzi-Chobe Belt is correlated with the Sinclair Supergroup in the Rehoboth Subprovince in Namibia. The basal Kgwebe volcanics are correlated with the Oorlogsende Porphyry Member and Langberg Formation and the unconformably overlying metasediments of the Ghanzi Group are correlated with the metasediments of the Tsumis Group. The correlations are based on similar aeromagnetic signatures, lithologies, mineralisation and age dates constrained by carbon isotope chemostratigraphy. Physical property measurements were collected on Meso- to Neoproterozoic lithologies of the Damara Belt, northwest Botswana and Zambia. The measurements included hand held magnetic susceptibility measurements on 303 samples and density measurements on 174 samples. The measurements provide one of the largest physical property databases for Namibia, Botswana and Zambia. In general, the sedimentary units have the lowest magnetic susceptibility values of ~0.207 x 10-3 SI units, respectively. The exceptions are the iron formation and diamictite of the Chuos Formation and conglomerate of the Naauwpoort Formation of 15.2 x 10-3 SI units. The iron iii formation ranges in magnetic susceptibility from 3.34 x 10-3 SI units to 92.0 x 10-3 SI units and the diamictite has a magnetic susceptibility of 7.68 x 10-3 SI units. The igneous lithologies have a density and magnetic susceptibility range from 2.58 g.cm-3 to 3.26 g.cm-3 and 0.001 x 10-3 SI units to 11.6 x 10-3 SI units, respectively. The lower values are associated with pegmatites and rhyolites and the higher values are associated with mafic lithologies and magnetite bearing granites (Omangambo, Salem, Sorris-Sorris and Red Granites). The metamorphic lithologies have the widest range of density and magnetic susceptibility values, between 2.61 g.cm-3 and 3.37 g.cm-3, and -0.299 x 10-3 SI units and 49.5 x 10-3 SI units, respectively. The lower values are associated with low grade metamorphic facies of sedimentary origin, and the higher values are associated with high-grade metamorphic facies of an igneous origin. The first upper crustal-scale interpretation of the Southern African MagnetoTelluric EXperiment (SAMTEX) was developed. The results were derived from 1D Occam inversion models, at depth intervals of 1 – 5 km, 1 – 15 km and 1 – 35 km. The MT data were acquired across the semiparallel, north-south striking DMB, NEN and OKA-CAM profiles in the vicinity of the Namibia – Botswana border between 2006 and 2009. Beneath the MT profiles are two zones of enhanced conductivity, a northern and southern zone. The enhanced conductivity of the northern zone (> 100 Ωm) is associated with individual geological bodies. The southern zone forms an elongated belt of enhanced conductivity (> 300 Ωm) at a depth of less than 5 km. This zone of enhanced conductivity is associated with Proterozoic plate boundaries and subduction zones. Three ~350 km long, north-south trending magnetic profiles were 2D forward modelled to investigate the proposed northward subduction of oceanic crust and subsequently a portion of the Kalahari Plate beneath the Congo Craton. Additionally, the folding pattern of the Ghanzi- Chobe Belt was developed. The interpretation of the magnetic models suggests a northward subduction is a possible cause for the evolution of the Damara Orogen with the regionally eastwest striking negative aeromagnetic anomaly, in northern Namibia, being caused by a thick package (~12 km to 20 km) of metasediments with a modelled magnetic susceptibility of 0. 829 x 10-3 SI units. The Damara Orogen has passed through the subduction-collisional transition but did not evolve into a large-hot orogen. Evidence suggests that the Damara Orogen has gone through the transition of subduction of oceanic crust to terrane accretion (speculated to be represented by the Deep-Level Southern Zone and Chihabadum Complex) and continental collision. However, the doubly vergent wedges did not evolve into an orogenic plateau completing the transition from a small-cold orogen to a large-hot orogen. This is similarly observed in the Alps Orogeny.

The High Arctic has been a complex region of collisional and extensional tectonism through the Mesozoic and Cenozoic. Svalbard, the sub-aerial exposure of the northwestern Barents Shelf, is an excellent natural laboratory investigating for High Arctic tectonism. Using apatite and zircon (U-Th)/He low-temperature thermochronometry combined with geological constraints, we resolve Cretaceous through Paleogene time-temperature histories for four regions of the Southwestern Province. Our results indicate a temperature gradient from south to north of ~185°C to >200°C, respectively, as a consequence of sedimentary burial and elevated geothermal gradient ( 45°C/km) from High Arctic Large Igneous Province activity. Late Cretaceous cooling affected all regions during regional exhumation related to initial rifting in the Eurasian Basin. During Eurekan tectonism: 1) our models indicate a heating event (55-47 Ma) characterized by overthrusting and a lack of erosion of the West Spitsbergen Fold-and-Thrust Belt, with Central Basin sediments derived from northern Greenland, followed by 2) a subsequent cooling event (47-34 Ma) corresponding to a shift in tectonic regime from compression to dextral strike-slip kinematics; exhumation of the WSFTB coincided with strikeslip tectonics.