A window on the amalgamation of Western Gondwana: Geological history of the Ouaddaï massif (E. Chad)

The Saharan metacraton was assembled during pre-Neoproterozoic to Neoproterozoic times and was strongly remobilised during the Pan African orogeny. The Ouaddaï massif in eastern Chad represents the core of the Saharan metacraton, yet its geological history remains poorly documented. In this study, we combine of field observations, petrological analysis of metamorphic rocks, and geochemical and geochronological constraints to reconstruct the tectono-metamorphic evolution of the Ouaddaï massif. The study area is dominated by collision-related plutonic rocks and migmatitic gneisses, within which inliers of older basement occur. Geochemical data indicate a transition from active-margin to collisional magmatism, with a compositional evolution from diorite to granite. This suite is cross-cut by syenogranites and alkaline granites with shoshonitic affinities, interpreted as post-collisional granitoids derived from tonalitic rocks to sedimentary protoliths. Geochronological data (U-Pb on zircon and monazite) point to a ca. 1000 Ma age for orthogneisses inliers. Granitoids of the Ouaddaï massif record emplacement ages from 620 to 590 Ma, coeval with high-temperature metamorphism characterized by peak pressure–temperature conditions of 1.2 GPa and 850 °C (mafic granulite) and around 0.8 GPa and 700 °C (sillimanite-garnet bearing migmatites). Integrating our new results with regional data, we discuss the existence and geodynamic evolution of the Saharan Metacraton. Our findings emphasize the significance of the Saharan Metacraton as a key region for understanding the extensive reworking of cratonic lithosphere during both a Tonian magmatic phase prior and the assembly of Gondwana.