Geodynamic Evolution and Mineralization of the West African Craton
Summary
The West African Craton (WAC) is a composite Precambrian block that records successive stages of crustal growth, orogeny and stabilization from the Archean through the Paleoproterozoic. Initial Archean crust formed greenstone–granitoid associations that were later reworked and accreted during the Birimian interval (~2.2–2.1 Ga), creating volcanic-sedimentary belts intruded by granitoids. The Eburnean orogeny (~2.2–2.0 Ga) produced an anastomosed network of transpressional shear zones that accommodated lithospheric shortening and channelled hydrothermal fluids. Subsequent Pan-African events (~600–500 Ma) imparted overprinting deformation and localised minor remobilisation of earlier mineral systems. Across the craton, gold mineralisation is typically orogenic, emplaced within shear-hosted quartz veins at greenstone margins or in proximity to granitoid intrusions. Iron-formation deposits occur as banded itabirite within volcano-sedimentary sequences, while base-metal sulphides and manganese lenses are concentrated in ductile-brittle fault networks. The thick lithospheric keel beneath the WAC influences mantle dynamics, thermal regimes and melt generation, controlling the distribution of felsic magmatism and associated mineral systems. Together, these processes have endowed the WAC with globally significant resources of gold, iron ore, diamonds and other strategic commodities.
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Geodynamic Evolution and Mineralization of the West African Craton publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in geodynamic evolution and mineralization of the west african craton across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Craton: A stable, ancient portion of continental lithosphere that forms the enduring core of a continent.
Birimian: Paleoproterozoic volcanic, sedimentary and plutonic rock assemblages (~2.2–2.1 Ga) in West Africa, renowned for hosting orogenic gold deposits.
Eburnean orogeny: A mountain-building event (~2.2–2.0 Ga) that accreted crustal blocks and generated pervasive shear zones within the West African Craton.
Greenstone belt: Linear to arcuate zones of metamorphosed volcanic and sedimentary rocks within ancient cratons, often enriched in gold and base metals.
Orogenic gold deposit: A gold-bearing hydrothermal system formed during regional metamorphism and deformation, typically within shear zones of orogenic belts.
Shear zone: A planar or curviplanar zone of intense deformation accommodating displacement by differential movement within the crust.
References
- Geophysical Contributions to Gold Exploration in Western Mali According to Airborne Electromagnetic Data Interpretations. Minerals (2021).
- Characterization and identification of Au pathfinder minerals from an artisanal mine site using X-ray diffraction. Journal of Materials Science (2021).
- Eburnean deformation pattern of Burkina Faso and the tectonic significance of shear zones in the West African craton. BSGF – Earth Sciences Bulletin (2020).
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