Tchabal Mbabo in Central Africa is a voluminous volcano massif composed of alkali lava series. K-Ar geochronology data obtained from three samples of basanite -trachyandesite composition defined at least two volcanic activities. The first at end Eocene (38.22 ± 0.80 Ma) and the second during Oligocene (28.88 ± 0.61 and 28.60 ± 0.60Ma). The distribution of different ages along the Cameroon Volcanic Line is difficult to council with any migration of magmatic activity, as previously suggested. The most realistic scenario for the formation of Cameroon Line is that the ascent of lavas has been favored by the crustal discontinuities inherited from the Pan-African orogeny and reactivated during Mesozoic and Cenozoic. ICP MS and ICP AES analyses show that basanite lavas are the result of 2 % melting of sub-lithospheric mantle source containing garnet and phlogopite phases; the trachyandesites are formed by fractional crystallization of K-feldspar, amphibole, clinopyroxene and Fe-Ti oxides.
Small volcanoes and flows of Cainozoic basaltic lavas, containing numerous mantle peridotite xenoliths, outcrop at northern Ngaoundéré in Adamawa plateau. They are composed of arena of decimeter to meter in size of bowls and blocs of dark matrix, showing crystals of olivine, clinopyroxene and oxides. All lavas present microlitic porphyritic texture with euhedral to subhedral crystals of the same phases drowned in the matrix of the same minerals plus plagioclase microlites.Microprobe analyses show that olivine phenocrysts are relatively Fo-rich (80.9-84.3 %) compared to microphenocrysts and microcrysts (Fo71.1-75.9 %). Olivine xenocrysts are highly magnesian (83.9-89.8 %). Clinopyroxene are diopside and augite. Oxides crystals are Ti-magnetite and plagioclase are labradorite and bytownite.ICP-AES and ICP-MS whole rocks analyses show that the host peridotite basaltic lavas of northern Ngaoundéré are undersaturated basanites of typical alkaline lava series. They seem not contaminated by crustal materials. They are the results of low partial melting rate of the garnet mantle source located at more than 80 km depth. The eruptions of northern Ngaoundéré lavas have been facilitated by Pan African cracks and they have sampled the subcontinental lithospheric mantle as xenoliths at different pressures and depths on their way to the surface.
The Pan African granitoid basement of Hama Koussou Cretaceous half basin in North Cameroun (Central Africa) is transected by near N-S, NE-SW and ENE-WSW giant doleritic dykes trending along the same Pan African directions. Hama Koussou dolerites are compliant with the regional distension that occurred after the Pan African basement consolidation prior to the development of West and Central African Rift System at Late Jurassic-Early Cretaceous times. Studied lavas are composed of large clinopyroxene oïkocrysts, plagioclase and alkali feldspar laths and oxides phenocrysts exhibiting ophitic, sub-ophitic and intercertal textures. Microprobe chemical analyses carry out on the main mineral phases show that clinopyroxenes are diopside and augite, plagioclases are labradorite, andesine, oligoclase and albite and alkali feldspars are mainly sanidine with a few percent of orthoclase. ICP-MS and ICP-AES geochemical analyses of Hama Koussou lavas exhibit basalt, basaltic trachyandesite and trachyandesite compositions of continental tholeiite features. Tholeiite basalts of Hama Koussou are the results of high partial melting of E-MORB mantle source of spinel lherzolite composition, located at 65-55 km depth. More evolved tholeiite lavas of Hama Koussou basin are the products of tholeiite basalt differentiation trough assimilation and fractional crystallization coupled with fluids circulation.
Dolerites dykes of 4.5 to 25 m wide extend from 200m to 1km, crosscut the Guébaké granitoids basement in northern Cameroon along EW to N100E directions. Petrographic studies reveal the microlitic porphyritic texture to classical doleritic texture of ophitic to sub-ophitic types. Guébaké dolerites are mainly composed in various proportions of skeletal plagioclase and feldspar, clinopyxene, amphibole and oxides crystals. ICP-MS and ICP-AES geochemical analyses have distiguished a lava series composed of trachybasalts, basaltic trachyandesites, trachyandesites, trachytes and rhyolites of continentale tholeiites affinity. Lavas have been differenciated trough fractional crystallization process coupled with crustal contamination and metasomatism. Guébaké dolerites are products of relatively high partial melting rate of E-MORB mantle component. They stand as fingerprints of the post pan African crustal consolidation and precursor of the development of central African rift system at Cretaceous times. Â
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