Precambrian Research, 9 (1979) 241--254 241

© Elsevier Scientific Publishing Company, Amsterdam -- Printed in The Netherlands

GEOCHRONOLOGICAL DATA ON THE AMSINASSENE-TEFEDEST

BLOCK (CENTRAL HOGGAR, ALGERIAN SAHARA) AND EVIDENCE
FOR ITS POLYCYCLIC EVOLUTION

Y. VIALETTE and G. VITEL

Laboratoire Associ~ de Chronologie des terrains Cristallins et Volcanolbgie, Clermont-Fd
(France)
UER Sciences, St. Etienne (France)
(Received June 15, 1977; revision accepted February 6, 1979)

ABSTRACT

Vialette, Y. and Vitel, G., 1979. Geochronological data on the Amsinass~ne-T~fedest Block
(Central Hoggar, Algerian Sahara) and evidence for its polycyclic evolution. Precambrian
Res., 9: 241--254.

The history of the Amsinass~ne-T~fedest Block, in the central Hoggar domain, is charac-
terized by a polycyclic evolution. The unreliable 1970 Ma age obtained on the Arechchoum
gneisses, known to be Suggarian-Eburnean, might represent the effect of the Eburnean
orogeny. A Rb/Sr whole-rock age on the leucocratic fractions of gneisses point to a kibaran
migmatization. This age confirms the existence of a Kibaran orogeny shown in the Aleksod
area.
The Pharusian-Pan African cycle, in this domain, is characterized by the emplacement
of huge granitic bodies during two distinct magmatic phases: one of Late Proterozoic age
(670 Ma) or Imezzarian phase, the other of Cambrian age as shown by the 546 and 515 Ma
Rb/Sr whole-rock ages obtained on late kinematic granitic plutons, Iskelian phase. The
younger mineral ages (470--430 Ma) indicate late vertical uplift of the central Hoggar.

INTRODUCTION

The crystalline Precambrian complex of the Hoggar lies east of the Western
African craton (Fig.l) which has been stable since a b o u t 1800 Ma. The
Amsinass~ne-T~fedest Block studied is the northern part of the central domain
of the Hoggar. It is c o m p o s e d e~sentially of crystalline Precambrian rocks af-
fected by the Pan-African orogeny; its polycyclic character has been determined
on the basis of field work carried o u t b y Vitel since 1966 and by Bertrand
(1974). Pre-Pan-African basement rocks were reactivated to varying degrees
during the Pan-African orogeny. Granites are abundant and reputed to be of
Pan-African age. According to Bertrand (1974) older rocks units have been in-
volved in a polymetamorphic and polytectonic evolution during the "Kibaran
orogeny".
The boundaries of the area studied are, in the east, the Aleksod domain
dominated by folding and metamorphism of Kibaran age (Bertrand and Lasserre,
242
] T I,~" °" '
5° E 6 o

"African

7
25°N 2 5 °-

IN AKOULMOU
5 1 4 -+ 2 0 MO

IN TEFERKIT
.24 o 546+9 1,4o IN OZZAF 24 %
670:~ 20W~o

1 9 7 2 +- 2 0 0 '

1330 ~- 7 0 M O

23 ° 6

(a) ~
[--11

Fig.1. Sketch map of the lithological and structural groups in the Amsinass~ne-T~fedest
block (see also Vitel, 1974 and 1975).
1, paragneisses and migmatites; 2 G 1 , synkinematic granitoi~is; (a), without preferred
orientation; 3, mafic and ultramafic rocks; 4 G 2, post-tectonic granites; 5 G3, "Taourirt"
post-tectonic granites; 6, main faults; Basaltic trapps = Tahalra, Atakor and Manzaz; T a m
Tamanrasset; InA = In Amguel. Rb-Sr whole rock data on Amsinass~ne-Tfifedest Block.

1976); and in the west by a N--S 4 ° 50'E trending shear zone interpreted as
a large-scale transcurrent fault by Caby (1968, 1970). West of this huge meri-
dian fault is the Pharusian belt, mainly c o m p o s e d of Upper Proterozoic sedi-
ments and volcanic rocks.
The main purpose of this paper is to fit in new geochronological results
 243

near the shear zone, with special emphasis on the granites, and to improve the
structural sketch recently put forward by Bertrand (1974) for the Aleksod
area.

PREVIOUS G E O C H R O N O L O G I C A L RESULTS

Many geochronological studies on the Hoggar formations have been proposed,

and these is a good compilation of mineral ages and Rb/Sr whole-rock ages in
Bertrand and Lasserre (1976). Three main orogenic cycles have been distin-
guished: the Eburnean, well dated in several places; the Kibaran, reported
from the central Hoggar; and the Pan-African.

Field data

The Amsinass~ne-T~fedest block, composed mainly of high-grade metamorphic

gneisses, including some granulite remnants, represents a heterogeneous base-
ment. Bulk masses of granitoid intrude into this gneiss sequence. This block
is divided into several groups, stratigraphically speaking, by major faults, as-
sociated with huge mylonitic belts (Vitel, 1974).

In Eker-Torsournine group
This group lies between the 4o50 ' meridian fault and the In Amguel mylonitic
zone. It is composed essentially of a m o n o t o n o u s series of plagioclase-biotite
and/or hornblende gneisses with many interbedded amphibolite layers. Rare
metasedimentary remnants (marbles, quartzites) and mafic sills are associated
with the gneisses of the Ta-n-Afella area.
This group represents the Arechchoum series which has been defined by
Lelubre (1952, 1969) in this country: it might have been related to a Suggarian
(i.e., Eburnean) orogenic cycle.

A "nsinassb'ne group
This group occurs between the t w o NNE--SSW and NNW--SSE mylonitic
belts. It is characterized by a significant number of carbonate and pyroxenitic
layers, included in a "sea" of veined gneisses, migmatites and granitoids. The
age of this g o u p may be deduced by comparing and correlating it with the
same rocks observed near the Ta-n-Afella.
The Amsinass~ne and In Eker metasediments are in the same structural posi-
tion related to the gneisses of the Arechchoum series, b u t no objective struc-
tural and stratigraphical criteria allow the conclusion that these t w o groups
constitute a basement-cover system. However, the discovery of granulite rem-
nants among the AmsinassSne group has led one of us (Vitel, 1970) to con-
sider them as small nuclei of an old Suggarian basement. Such a disposition
of gneisses and metasediments, well known in NE Ahaggar (Latouche, 1972),
is quite similar to that of the Aleksod area as described by Bertrand (1974),
where in Kaoukane metasediments are incorporated in the Arechchoum
gneisses.
244

Dehine group
This group is located in the southern part of the T~fedest chain. It occurs
in a small E--W-trending basin, between the In Akoulmou formations and a
NNE--SSW fault. It contrasts with the above-mentioned sequences in its lithol-
ogy (volcanics and metasediments) and its low metamorphic grade. One could
consider this group an equivalent of the Pharusian rocks. The Dehine xenolith
mass could then be interpreted as a small intracratonic basin, surrounded by
granites.
All these groups have undergone three phases of superimposed folding
(Vitel, 1968). The two latter ones characterize the Pharusian cycle of the
Hoggar; they have a N--S folding trend. The folded gneiss structures (foliations)
are systematically cut up by many granitoids which, recurrently, appear in the
course of a polyphase magmatic cycle. The oldest constitute extensive masses
contemporaneous with the main N--S Pharusian folding phase. These syntectonic
granitoids are succeeded by more recent tonalitic and granodioritic post-tec-
tonic intrusions with sharp boundaries and N--S trend, parallel to the major
faults. The youngest post-tectonic granites are circular intrusions of the
"Taourirt" type; t h e y conclude the magmatic evolution.
The whole group, including the various kinds of granites, was referred to
the Suggarian (Eburnean) cycle by Lelubre (1952). However the granitoids
might possibly be connected with the Pharusian cycle (Pan-African) as is sug-
gested by the geochronological data (Lay and Ledent, 1963; Lay et al., 1965;
Boissonnas et al., 1964; 1969; Piccioto et al., 1965}.

RB-SR GEOCHRONOLOGY

The analytical technique has been described previously (Bonin et al., 1978);
the new decay constant ~ = 1.42.10-1~y -~ (Steiger and J~ger, 1977) has been
used for age determinations. Experimental data are reported in Tables I--IV
and plotted in Figs.2--5 (STRb/s6Sr--~TSr/86Sr). The analytical uncertainty is
based on standard deviations of 2% and 0.0007 for STRb/S6Sr determinations,
respectively. Uncertainties quoted for the ages and initial 87Sr/86Sr ratios are
at the 95% confidence level.

ISOTOPIC RELATIONS IN INDIVIDUAL FORMATIONS

Isotopic relations in individual formations

The syntectonic granites

The representative points (Table I, Fig.2) of samples collected in the In
Ozzaf granodiorite and the Amsinass~ne migmatitic granite are rather dis-
persed. The samples are more often of granodiorite composition. They are
medium- and coarse-grained, pink and grey rocks with a faint foliation and
may exhibit a local banding marked by biotite-rich layers. One sample is an
epidote-biotite grey plagio-granite.
 245

TABLE I

In Ozzaf g r a n o d i o r i t e a n d A m s i n a s s ~ n e granitic gneisses

Sample number Rb (ppm) Sr ( p p m ) 'TRb/86Sr 'TSr/S~Sr

In Ozzaf
V 1295 89 564 0.455 0.7120
V 1297 131 303 1.253 0.7202
V 1299 96 324 0.855 0.7162
70.363 45 709 0.182 0.7099
70.373 88 581 0.441 0.7122
70.392 130 326 1.160 0.7188
Aou Zebeou~ne
V1475 I 53 307 0.504 0.7148
67 338 0.574 /0.7155
V 1 4 7 5 II
L 64 314 0.595 t0.7160
V 1478. 49 378 0.377 0.7137
V 1325 A 70 455 0.448 0.7140
V 1478 B 44 503 0.250 0.7124

T A B L E II

In T e f e r k i t b i o t i t e - m u s c o v i t e granite

Sample number Rb (ppm) Sr ( p p m ) S~Rb/*6Sr *~Sr/a~Sr

V 2003 157 111 4,11 0.7416

V 2010 155 125 3.58 0.7365
V 2017 94 577 0.47 0.7129
V 2019 109 375 0.84 0.7158
V 2 0 3 5 ~ ~ mus. 256 16.4 46.4 1.0670
V 2036 288 7.3 126 1.7007
V 2038 80 614 0.378 0.7105
V 2019II 144 188 1.75 0.7224
V 2019III 126 227 1.61 0.7218

T A B L E III

I n A k o u l m o u calc-alkalic g r a n i t e

Sample number Rb (ppm) Sr ( p p m ) '*Sr/*6Sr 87Sr/S~Sr

IEK 4 329 19.0 50 1.0815

IEK 5 297 6.3 138 1.7248
IEK 8 371 6.1 180 2.0502
IEK 11 365 9.3 113 1.5302
IEK 12 400 15.15 81 1.2878
246

TABLE IV

Veined gneisses of the Arechchoum series

Sample number Rb (ppm) Sr (ppm) 'TRb/s6Sr =TSr/~6Sr

Paleosomes
V 1687 63 546 0.336 0.7108
V 1728 63 457 0.402 0.7134
V 1730 76 392 0.566 0.7182
V 1731" {~ 418 0.62 ~0.7095
396 0.67 L0.7102
V 1734 475 0.378 07140
467 0.388 ~0.7141
V 1774 32.6 516 0.183 0.7076
Leucosomes
V 1682 {61 258 0.690 ~0.7177
62 277 0.652 "0.7176
V 1701 37 811 0.133 0.7076
V 1702" 41 229 0.527 0.7095
V 1723 63 699 0.260 0.7094
V 1770 70 521 0.391 0.7129

*Points not plotted because they divergetoo much from thereferenceline.

r
STSr
LO3

0.720 ~- ~ jJJ"

J
~o -~ lO'~J - "
I, 0 "1 ~"
p.j'.;'J ~J O'~J

~.~ ~o~J~

~J

0.5 1,o 1.5 e7Rh/~aSSr_

Fig.2. (a) In Ozzaf granodiorite; (b) granitic gneisses from Amsinass~ne area.
 247

87Sr

S
O.74O
f
o30~
0.730 .
J
S

0320-o1 ~
/

~-7 , ,
-/
1 2

50 1 oo 87Rh/86Sr

Fig.3. In Teferkit Late Pan-African biotite-muscovite granite (right-hand Fig. in enlarge-

ment of the part near the origin marked*).

aTSr

SISr
. z j
2.o J
J
j" f
fJ

o~
J~

07
J
50 100 ..,~6s. 2o0

Fog.4. In Akoulmou Cambrian calc-alkaline granite.

248

87S r

/
/J /
/
,/ /

//
/

(w'

2
#
0.7~0 .,%" /

i /
! /

A V 8
87Rb/ssSr

0.700 I
o 0,5 0.5

F~. 5. Migmatitic gneisses of the Arechchoum series.

(A) dark parts (paleosome); (B) light parts (leucosome). (The brackets are for duplicates).

An isochron has been drawn up from six samples collected in the southern
part of the T~fedest chain, near the Allioum gabbro mass and in the wadi Djif
Amane ( 5 ° 3 7 ' 5 0 " - - 5 ° 4 0 ' E ; 2 4 ° 1 2 ' 1 4 " N ) . They yield an age of 670 + 20 Ma
and an initial STSr/S6Sr ratio of 0 . 7 0 8 0 -+ 0.0007. This is taken to be the em-
placement age of the granite.
Five samples of granitic gneisses collected in the wadi Aou Zeb~ou&ne south
of In Amguel ( 5 ° 1 3 ' 2 5 " - 5 ° 1 4 ' 0 9 " E ; 23°30'N) give rather low and uniform
Rb/Sr ratios. A reference line only is drawn on Fig.2 with the same age as the
In Ozzaf granite, and an initial ~?Sr/S6Sr ratio of 0.710.
The initial ratio of the In Ozzaf granite is consistent with its being derived
from lower continental crust depleted in large-ion lithophile elements; on the
other hand, the initial S?Sr/S6Sr ratio of the granitic gneiss is higher and may
indicate a short prior crustal history.

The In Teferkit biotite muscovite granite

This massif is exposed along a N--S trend on the western boundary of the
T~fedest (Fig.l). The whole-rock isochron (Fig.3 Table II) is defined by nine
samples from the In Teferkit pluton (5°38'--5°40'E; 24 ° I0.'_-- 24°12'N). The
isochron gives an age of 546 + 9 Ma with an initial ratio of 0.7091 + 0.0006.
This result is taken to be the emplacement age of the granite.

The In A k o u l m o u calc-alkalic granite

Five fresh representative rock samples collected at 5°35'10 '' E 2 4 ° 1 7 ' 2 0 " N
give a good isochron (Fig.4, Table III) with an age of 514 + 20 Ma and an ini-
TABLE V

Chronological correlations between the main Hoggar domains

Age Western Hoggar Central Hoggar NE Hoggar

(Ma)
T6fedest area Aleksod area Gours Oumelalen area

Pharusian 5O0 In A k o u l m o u granite

520 A h n e t purple series Taourirt type granites
. . . . . . . Pharusian post orogenic magmatic . . . . phase
546 In Teferkit granite
- orogenic . . . . magmatic - - - phase
Pharusian . . . . . . syn-
670 Green series In Ozzaf granodiorite Pharusian o f Arefsa
volcanics, pelites, volcanic and s e d i m e n t a r y O u n a n e granodiorite
conglomerates complex (750--700 Ma)
Dehine group ( u n k n o w n
1000 volcanic and sedimentary age): A l e k s o d series T o u k m a t i n e series
Middle
Proterozoic formations: volcanic and sedimentary
marbles formations of low-meta- biotite and h o r n b l e n d e garnet pelitic schists
amphibolites morphic grade veined gneisses green stones
rhyolites biotite a n d / o r h o r n b l e n d e amphibolites, quartzites
veined gneisses marbles and calco-magne-
sians f o r m a t i o n s
1300 basic dykes (1350 Ma)

1900 orthogneisses and mus- A r e c h c h o u m series A r e c h c h o u m series Gours Oumelalen series

Suggarian
covite granite (Tassend-
janet) plagioclase-biotite granitic and b a n d e d h y p e r s t h e n e pegmatite
b a n d e d gneisses; amphi- gneisses (2250 Ma) (1870 Ma)
In Ouzzal charnockites bolites (2000 Ma) marbles, magnetite quartz-
Amsinass4ne metasedi- In-Kaoukane metasedi- ites, amphibolites
m e n t s and granulite rem- ments charnockites (2000 Ma)
nants gabbros sills

Ouzzalian 3000 h y p e r s t h e n e granitic R e d series ( 2 4 0 0 - - 3 3 0 0 Ma)

gneisses banded gneisses
_ ¢~
250

tial ratio of 0.703 -+0.001. This data strongly differs from the Rb-Sr biotite age
of 4 3 0 -+ 10 Ma obtained by Boissonnas et al. (1964). The discrepancy be-
tween these two values shows that the closed-system behaviour of ~TSr in bio-
tite did not start in the granite until 430 Ma ago. Whatever the explanation
may be, we believe that 514 Ma is the age of emplacement of the granite.

The Arechchoum gneisses

The analysed samples come from the In Amguel (5°01'--5 ° 03'E; 23°40 ' -
23°41'N) and Igh es n Ouerane ( 5 ° 0 3 ' 5 0 " - 5 ° 0 4 ' 5 0 " E ; 23 ° 2 7 ' 1 5 " - -
2 3 ° 2 6 ' 2 5 " N ) wadis which (ross the m o n o t o n o u s series stretching from the In
Eker pluton to the Torsournine massif. Four whole-rock samples and one re-
plicate of leucocratic parts of plagioclase-biotite and/or hornblende gneisses,
veined and/or banded gneisses give an age of 1330 + 70 Ma with an initial ratio
of 0.705-+ 0.001 (Fig. 5 and Table IV). Five samples from the dark part of
these gneisses give a whole-rock age of 1972 + 200 Ma with an initial ratio of
0.702 + 0.001.

DISCUSSION

The Arechchoum series

The gneisses have low and uniform Rb/Sr ratios, and no isochron can be
based on them. Model ages are very sensitive to initial ~TSr/S6Sr ratio assump-
tions, and the 2000 Ma age measured in the southern part of the InEker-Iheri
zone of the central Hoggar does not allow definite attribution of the Arechchoum
gneisses to the Suggarian-Eburnean cycle as Lelubre (1969) maintained, con-
trary to Black's (1966) and Caby's {1969) hypotheses. However, this age is in
good agreement with the zircon age of 2170 Ma found by Lancelot et al. (1973}
on the In Ouzzal granulite, the whole-rock Rb/Sr age of 2000"Ma obtained
by Latouche and Vidal (1974) on the charnockite of the NE Hoggar, and with
the 1940 Ma Rb/Sr whole-rock age obtained by Bertrand and Lasserre (1973)
on the Arechchoum formations of the Aleksod area.
Granulite lemnants, occurring in the Amsinass~ne group, provide further
evidence of an old basement of Eburnean or Archean age in the Central Hoggar.
But, are these granulitic nuclei actual relics of an Ouzzalian (i.e., Archean)
substratum remaining in subsequent supposedly Suggarian formations? Or, is
the whole gneiss-granulite system entirely Ouzzalian? In the present state of
our study, no conclusive answer can be given.
There can be little d o u b t that - 2000 Ma old Eburnean rocks are repre-
sented among the gneisses of the T~fedest domain, although this domain was
intruded by a b u n d a n t Pan-African granites accompanied by high-grade, low-
pressure-type metamorphism.
The leucocratic fractions of the gneisses from the northern part of the In
Eker-Iheri zone (oued In Amguel) have given an age of 1300 Ma which may
represent a Kibaran event, as defined by Cahen (1974). In the Amsinass~ne
region this is supported by some geological evidence; the paragneisses, that
 251

are structurally conformable on the Arechchoum gneisses, have been strong-

ly folded by two phases (D, and D2) and migmatized. This polymetamorphic
series has great similarities with the Aleksod area, which underwent the same
thermotectonic events (Bertrand and Cantagrel, 1973). We think, therefore,
that the main migmatization, in this part of the central Hoggar, is of Kibaran
age and the fairly good alignment of the data on the isochron would be due
to a rehomogenization during such a Kibaran magmatic cycle. Otherwise, the
paleosome would be affected b y the pervading fluids accompanying the em-
placement of pre-Pharusian granitoi~ls, (Vitel, 1979).
Finally, the great intensity of the Pan-African orogeny imprints this area
and causes the complete obliteration of the Suggarian structures; thereby it
does n o t permit distinguishing what part of the migmatization is of Eburnean
age.

The Pharusian magmatic cycle

The age of 670 Ma, obtained on the migmatitic-granitic gneisses, could repre-
sent a second step in the plutonism in the Amsinass~ne area. For these rocks,
an anatectic origin is possible if we consider their high initial ratio. This pre-
tectonic magmatism t o o k place in a continental environment and has a deep
crustal source. Data on the syntectonic granitoids of the T~fedest are in good
agreement with the U/Pb and Rb/Sr whole-rock ages obtained by Lay et al.
(1965) on the Anfeg and Torsournine granodiorite and granite which have
similar petrographical and structural features. Therefore, we think that the
central Hoggar granitoids must be closely related to the Imezzarian phase at
650 Ma. (Vitel, 1977), defined in the central Pharusian domain by Gravelle
(1968). These ages may be compared to an Rb/Sr whole-rock age obtained by
Van Breemen et al. (1977) for one foliated granite from Nigeria: 677 Ma
using ~ 7 Rb = 1 . 4 2 . 1 0 - " y - ' , and with ages obtained in the range 620--670
Ma. by Piccioto et al. (1965.); .4116gre et al. (1972) and Bertrand et al. (1976).
For structural reasons, the In Teferkit post-tectonic pluton seems to be
easily related to the late Iskelian plutonic phase at 560 Ma also defined by
Gravelle (1972), rather than to the Taourirt ring structures.
The high ~TSr/~6Sr initial ratios (0.'708 and 0.710) on syn-kinematic granites
indicate a large-scale crustal melting process. New data on the In A k o u l m o u
pluton provide good reasons for connecting it with the Taourirt late kinematic
diapiric granites, the emplacement of which are dated in the T6fedest domain
at 520 Ma.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results suggest correlations such as presented in Table V, which agree

fully with the distribution of the radiometric ages in the Hoggar (Bois_sonnas
et al., 1969; Gu~range and Lasserre, 1971; All~gre and Caby, 1972; Gravelle,
1972; Latouche et al., 1974; Bertrand and Lasserre, 1976) and in other parts
of Africa (Clifford, 1972). These data strongly suggest a polycyclic evolution
252

for the Amsinass~ne-T~fedest Block, which appears as an old complex base-

ment of Suggarian (ca. 2000 Ma.) or older (Archean?) age. It has been inten-
sively reworked during an extensive polyphased plutonic Pharusian cycle, re-
lated to a high-grade, low-pressure-type metamorphism, and to the emplace-
ment of the T~fedest batholiths.
The 1300 Ma age of the Arechchoum gneisses leucosome corresponds with
the age generally recorded for the Kibaran cycle (Cahen, 1974); even though
this n o t entirely reliable date cannot be related to any metamorphic event.
There is some evidence for introducing, in the T~fedest area, a Kibaran oro-
geny between the t w o main Suggarian and Pharusian cycles. Thus, the Amsinas-
s~ne-T~fedest Block appears as an extension of the migmatized Aleksod area;
The T~fedest domain constitutes, together with the western part of the central
Pharusian domain, a truly magmatic province, during the Pan-African orogeny
as emphasized by Black (1967) and Gravelle (1972). This orogeny is dated at
ca. 670 Ma by syntectonic granites and 550 Ma. by younger intrusions.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

We gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the Centre National de

la Recherche Scientifique (France). We also thank J. Fabries (Paris), M. Lelubre
(Toulouse), J.M.L. Bertrand (Montpellier) and Ph. Vidal (Rennes) for critical-
ly reading the manuscript, and Mrs Vitel for improving the English text.

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