We present the first age determinations of zircon from the diamondiferous Catoca kimberlite in northeastern Angola, the fourth largest kimberlite body in the world. The U-Pb ages were obtained using a Sensitive High Resolution Ion Microprobe II (SHRIMP II) on zircon crystals A C C E P T E D M A N U S C R I P T ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT 2 derived from tuffisitic kimberlite rocks and heavy-mineral concentrates from the Catoca kimberlite. The SHRIMP results define a single weighted mean age of 117.9 ± 0.7 Ma (Mean square weighted deviation MSWD = 1.3). More than 90% of the results indicate a single age population. There is no evidence for variable ages within single crystals, and no diffusional profiles are preserved. These data are interpreted as the maximum age of the kimberlite eruption at Catoca. The U/Th values suggest at least two different sources of zircon crystals. These different populations may reflect different sources of kimberlitic magma, with some of the grains produced in U-and Th-enriched metasomatized mantle units. This idea is consistent with the two populations of zircon identified in this study. One population originated from a depleted mantle source with low total REE (less than 25 ppm), and the other was derived from an enriched source, likely from the mantle or a carbonatite-like melt with high total REE (up to 123 ppm).The tectonic setting of northeastern Angola is influenced by the opening of the south Atlantic, which reactivated deep NE-SW-trending faults during the early Cretaceous. The eruption of the Catoca kimberlite can be correlated with these regional tectonic events. The Calonda Formation (Albian-Cenomanian age) is the earliest sedimentary unit that incorporates eroded material derived from the diamondiferous kimberlites. Thus, the age of the Catoca kimberlite eruption is restricted to the time between the middle of the Aptian and the Albian. The new interpretation will be an important guide in future exploration for diamonds because it provides precise data on the age of a diamond-bearing kimberlite pulse in Angola.

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Abstract:In this study, we compare the major-and trace-element compositions of olivine, garnet, and clinopyroxene that occur as single crystals (142 grains), with those derived from xenoliths (51 samples) from six kimberlites in the Lucapa area, northeastern Angola: Tchiuzo, Anomaly 116, Catoca, Alto Cuilo-4, Alto Cuilo-63 and Cucumbi-79. The samples were analyzed using electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) and laser-ablation inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS). The results suggest different paragenetic associations for these kimberlites in the Lucapa area. Compositional overlap in some of the macrocryst and mantle xenolith samples indicates a xenocrystic origin for some of those macrocrysts. The presence of mantle xenocrysts suggests the possibility of finding diamond. Geothermobarometric calculations were carried out using EPMA data from xenoliths by applying the program PTEXL.XLT. Additional well calibrated single-clinopyroxene thermobarometric calculations were also applied. Results indicate the underlying mantle experienced different equilibration conditions. Subsequent metasomatic enrichment events also support a hypothesis of different sources for the kimberlites. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the petrogenetic evolution of the kimberlites in northeastern Angola and have important implications for diamond exploration.

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