Precambrian Research, 19 (1982) 201--214.

201
Elsevier Scientific Publishing Company, Amsterdam -- Printed in The Netherlands

PAN-AFRICAN V O L C A N O - - S E D I M E N T A R Y F O R M A T I O N S IN THE
A D R A R DES I F O R A S (MALI)

JEAN F AB R E
Centre G$ologique et Gdophysique, U.S.T.L., 34060 Montpellier Cedex, (France)
(Received July 27, 1981; revision accepted June 29, 1982)

ABSTRACT

Fabre, J., 1982. Pan-African volcano--sedimentary formations in the Adrar des Iforas
(Mali). Precambrian Res., 19: 201--214.

Late syn- and post-orogenic sedimentary rocks of Vendian and Cambrian age of the
Adrar des Iforas are examined in an attempt to reconstruct paleogeographic evolution
during the late Pan-African orogeny. The distribution of sedimentary facies from west
to east, involving deep-trough island arc, marginal cordillera, shallow sea and continental
sedimentation, is consistent with the model of oceanic closure and collision between the
West African craton and the Tuareg shield. There appears to be a continuum between
flysch-type deposits and molassic rocks located along shear belts in the highly mobile
western margin of the Tuareg shield but pre-Ordovician red beds in the central and west-
ern parts of the Tuareg shield may be slightly younger.

INTRODUCTION

Work in the last t w o decades has shown the existence of a Late Precambri
an (Pan-African) orogenic belt extending from the south of Morocco to the
Gulf of Guinea. The well-exposed southwestern p r o m o n t o r y of the Tuareg
shield (Adrar des Iforas) in Mali is a critical area for study of the frontal
zones of the belt, which are hidden further north beneath the Phanerozoic.
Recent studies (Black et al., 1979) have led to an interpretation in terms of
oceanic closure followed b y collision b e t w e e n the passive margin of the
West African craton and the active margin of a continental mass situated to
the east, represented by the Tuareg shield.
The aim of this paper is to describe and a t t e m p t to reconstitute the
palaeogeography of sedimentary sequences, b o t h along the active conti-
nental margin and extending eastwards across the Tuareg shield, which have
only been affected b y the last Pan-African event related to E--W collision
with the West African craton. These sequences fall into t w o groups:
(1) Pre- and syn-tectonic sequences in Mali earlier than the early phases of
the late composite calc-alkaline Iforas batholith (Fig. 1A);
(2) Late t o post-tectonic sequences ('molasses') which are post-collisional
and later than the emplacement of the late Iforas batholith (Fig. 1B).
0301-9268/82/0000--0000/$02.75 © 1982 Elsevier Scientific Publishing Company
202

[
I ~- i/"+
I

!
2 : -2
• j ~4
~5 + 5

Fig. 1. Location of the series described. A: pre- and synorogenie; 1 volcano-sedimentary

sequences of the active margin; 2 detrital sequences in intracratonic troughs; 3 volcano-
sedimentary series in the accretion zone; 4 major faults; 5 direction of movement of
the African plate after Davison, 1980. B: late to post orogenic: 1 molassic: SSrie Pour-
pr~e, Nigritian assumed to be pro parte lower Cambrian in continental environment;
2 Cambrian beds, with marine fauna in NW (Morocco); 3 ring complexes; 4 m~or faults;
5 positive and negative epirogenic zones. Schematic section across the Pan-African belt
situates the structural units: western foreland, accretion zone, active margin (batholith
zone), hinterland. ~ = andesites, ~ = basatts, in black, mafic and ultramafic rocks.

PRE- A N D S Y N - T E C T O N I C S E D I M E N T A R Y S E Q U E N C E S IN T H E I F O R A S C O M -
PARED WITH THE HOGGAR

In t h e Tilemsi (Fig. 2), close t o t h e s u t u r e with the West African c r a t o n

R. Caby (personal c o m m u n i c a t i o n 1 9 7 8 , 1 9 8 1 ) h a s d e s c r i b e d sequences
o f g r e y w a c k e s w i t h t u r b i d i t e s , c o n g l o m e r a t e s and occasional At-rich pelitic
layers ( p r o b a b l y r e p r e s e n t i n g deep-sea clays) overlying dacitic brecclas and a
t h i c k m e t a b a s a l t u n i t , i n t e r p r e t e d as an island-arc assemblage, injected b y a
large v o l u m e o f p r e - t e c t o n i c g a b b r o s , q u a r t z diorites and an a d a m e l l i t e
d a t e d a t ca. 6 3 3 Ma ( C a b y a n d A n d r e o ~ u l o s - R e n a u d , in press). F u r t h e r
east, in t h e Tilemsi region and a t a higher s t r u c t u r a l level, t h i c k f l y s c h - t y p e
d e p o s i t s associated w i t h a n d e s i t e s and c o n t a i n i n g a m a r i n e tfllite a r e con-
sidered t o r e p r e s e n t a c o r d i l l e r a n - t y p e c o n t i n e n t a l margin.

The Tafeliant Group

T h e T a f e l i a n t g r o u p , 4 0 - - 5 0 k m :east o f t h e Tilemsi t r o u g h , o u t c r o p s
SW o f Kidal in a n a r r o w N--S belt and, f u r t h e r n o r t h , in big r e m n a n t s in
 203

TAOHAK

2O ~i .... 20 '
ZAOUATENE

.... , ' ~ ;
// ,I-",',',
/ (G1 I ~

/ ,¢,'7"
/ ~ S j
/ <' 2t ~
/ .

TIMETRINE
19
/
/
ii,
/
I
/L
I
i/
I
t,~ i ¸
/

i/ _7/TIN ESSAKO
I
I
]
/
I +. ~ I..
! 1
ANEFIS •
i
I
NN1
I ,+
I
I I
3ii? ~
I I
)+ : :3

O 50 l OOKm ~ ii'I I ~ ,l ,
L 1 J ~ I I

I~I
i ~II II L
i: :l: ii:~] 8 17
','i
' 110
Fig. 2. Adrar des Iforas. 1 Alkaline granites, ring-complexes. 2 Late granitic plutons. 3
Diorites, granites of the Iforas batholith. 4 Late to post-tectonic volcano-sedimentary
groups (molassic). 5--6 Pre- to syn-tectonic volcano-sedimentary groups: 5, lying on a
sialic basement; 6, no sialic b a s e m e n t k n o w n (Tilemsi zone). 7 Mafic and ultramafic bodies
8 Volcano-sedimentary sequences of u n d e t e r m i n e d position (generally a m p h i b o l i t e
facies); possibly s o m e of t h e m are of same age as 5 - - 6 . 9 Basement (Eburnean?) and its
cover: quartzites and (stromatolitic?) marbles. 10 Iforas granulitic units (Archean?).
OUM = Oumassen; ECH = Echaragalen; T A F E L = Tafeliant; O U R D = Ourdian.
the late Pan-African batholith. It rests unconformably on the pre-Pan-Africm~
or early Pan-African basement.

Quartzite Formation
This outcrops in the west, between the basement and the Glaciomarine
Formation. The contact with the basement is faulted. A subvertical bed of
conglomerate runs on the western limit, displaying strongly elongated
pebbles of quartzite and quartz (in a zone injected by foliated acid dykes);
then a few hundred metres of metapelites or siltstones with thin layers
(1--10 cm) of fine green quartzite which are more or less calcareous or
ferruginous. Near the glacial beds these beds contain intercalations of micro-
conglomerate and siltstone, with sandy layers (pseudovarves). Sedimentary
polarity is not always discernible and the stratigraphic position of the
Quartzite Formation with respect to the Psammitic and Glaciomarine
Formations could not be determined with certitude. Three hypotheses are
possible:
(1) the Quartzite Formation is basal and overlain by the Glaciomarine
Formation (our hypothesis);
(2) the Quartzite Formation is equivalent to the Psammitic Formation or
the basal beds of it (proposed by Caby and Moussine-Pouchkine);
(3) the Quartzite Formation is in fault-contact with the other formations.

The Glaciomarine Formation (Caby and Fabre, 1980)

Bordered to the north and west by the Quartzite Formation and to the
east by the Psammitic Formation, the 300--500 m-thick Glaciomarine
Formation is transgressive on the basement to the south, b u t does not show
a clear angular disconformity with the quartzites and marbles of the older
basement cover. The typical facies is a silty rock with scattered allochtho-
nous fragments and blocks. The black matrix, amounting to 70% or more,
is similar to the fine detrital beds of the Psammitic Formation. This matrix
contains carbonate which becomes more abundant to the south; the car-
bonate may be derived from the erosion of marbles from the ancient cover
which outcrops to the south of Takellout. Stratification is rarely apparent,
except for local intercalations with coarser beds displaying lenticular bedding.
In two localities normally graded varves were observed. Angular feldspathic
grains and sub-angular to sub-rounded pebbles and boulders ( l c m - - 2 m) of
varied granitoids, gneisses and pegmatites float in the matrix; quartz, quartz-
ites, dolomite and volcanic rocks (andesites) are very rare. Towards the top,
the first signs of acid volcanism are indicated by a t u f f horizon containing
sanidine, quartz, acid plagioclase, rhyolite fragments, interbedded thin quartzo
feldspathic beds or lenses and a porphyritic sodic trachyte displaying flow
structure. The glacial beds are overlain by some tens of metres of fine-
grained sediments and repeated occurrences of coarser sediments: lenses of
microbreccia and conglomerate with rounded pebbles of quartz and quartz-
ites. These beds are interbedded with sandstones displaying ripple marks,
c o m m o n l y sigmoidal in section, wave ripples, megaripples, climbing ripples
and flaser beds, and are deposited in a higher-energy environment.
 205

The Psammitic Formation

This formation clearly overlies the Glaciomarine Formation and is trans-
gressive towards the north-east on the basement. It begins with mbasal
conglomerate composed of rounded and subrounded pebbles of quartz,
quartzite and subordinate granite and gneiss and is overlain by a 1000--2000
m-thick sequence, fining upwards, of feldspathic sandstones (arkoses) and
siltstones. The cement (10--20%) consists essentially of very fine-grained
quartz (average grain size 0.007--0.010 mm), chlorite or green biotite and
epidote with carbonates. The carbonates appear to be secondary and cement
the grains of quartz, which are generally monocrystalline, and feldspar (plagio
clase), which are present in equal proportions plus some fragments of micro~
quartzites and siltstone. Its sedimentological characteristics suggest the
irregular arrival of coarse and fine-grained sediments in an environment of
medium energy. Beds have sharp contacts; ripples, megaripples or flaser
bedding and lenticular bedding are c o m m o n . The paleocurrent directions
indicate N--S transport. From base to top this formation contains sills,
breccias and possible flows of metabasalt and meta-andesite. They are parti-
cularly a b u n d a n t in a 500 m-wide n o r t h - s o u t h band, which can be followed
over a distance of 20 km, situated to the west of the Adma diorite; they may
mark a zone of ancient fractures.
Deformation consists of broad zones moderately folded along N--S axes
and separated by narrow bands affected by tight isoclinal folding, with
vertical or steep-dipping axial planes and a penetrative schistosity generally
insufficient to mask the sedimentary structure. In both the east and west
pebbles in the conglomerates close to the N--S shear zones which delimit
the Tafeliant Group are horizontally elongated. In contrast, boulders in the
tillite are broken and boudinaged but not elongated and some small clasts
(0.5--2 cm) are n o t deformed.
This deformation is accompanied by metamorphism producing Fe
chlorite or green biotite, generally as small flakes parallel or oblique to the
stratification. A second generation of biotite is unorientated and cuts the
first generation, particularly in proximity to the Adma pluton, and may be
accompanied by small garnets. Close to the pluton one observes small iso-
clinal folds with vertical axes. At the western limit of outcrops of the Tafeli-
ant Group, injection migmatites are developed in the Glaciomarine Forma-
tion over a distance of some tens of metres along the contact with a diorite
similar to the Adma pluton.
The Tafeliant Group was deposited on a shallow marginal basin bounded
by N--S faults. It may be correlative with the Tilemsi greywacke sequence,
characteristic of a deep trough environment, which also contains a marine
diamictite. This tillite m a y be an important marker between the Iforas and
the Volta basin, where the glacial Kodjari Formation (Affaton et al., 1980)
was deposited between 676--600 Ma (B. Bessoles and R. Trompette, 1980),
corresponding to the Varangian ice age (Harland and Herod, 1975). In age
it could also correspond to the tillite recorded in the Tiririne Group in
206

Eastern Hoggar--T~n~rd (Bertrand et al., 1978). Correlation of glacial epi-

sodes in West Africa is still a matter of controversy. It is possible that there
were at least two glacial episodes, the earlier one of Upper Proterozoic age
and the later one Cambrian (S~rie Pourpr~e; Caby, 1970).

The Oumassene Group

The Oumassene Group occurs in the same structural zone as the Tafeli-
ant Group, a hundred kilometres further north. Over 2000 m thick, it is
composed of flows and sills of banded fine-grained meta-andesites and meta-
basalts, commonly displaying porphyritic textures, and volcanic breccias
and agglomerates intercalated with some acid flows. Although the basal
contact was not observed, the rocks apparently overlie a pre-Pan-African
basement consisting of meta-basites, amphibolites and garnet-bearing marbles
metamorphosed in the amphibolite facies, overlain unconformably by the
flat-lying Nigritian rhyolites of Tiralrar. The Oumassene Volcanic Group is
affected by thermal metamorphism and by folds kilometres long on a N--S
axis; it is cut successively by various intrusions of the late Iforas calc-alkaline
batholith which have yielded a Rb--Sr age comparable to that of the Adma
adamellite cutting the Tafeliant Group (Davison, 1980). The Oumassene
Volcanic Group is therefore considered to be roughly contemporaneous with
the Tafeliant Group but, in view of the absence of terrigenous sediments
and pillow lavas, it is thought to have been deposited in a continental envi-
ronment. Geochemical studies of the volcanic rocks carried out by Chik-
haoui (1981) indicate that they are typical Andean Cordilleran-type lavas.

The Tin Essako Group

The Tin Essako Group, as described from 150 km further east (Davison,
1980), forms two N--S belts of volcano-sedimentary material which have
been affected only by the last Pan-African E--W compressional event. It
consists of greywackes, fine-grained green quartzites and conglomerates,
representing 'a prograde deltaic sequence', accompanied by basaltic volca-
nism deposited in an intracratonic basin. It is tempting to correlate this
Group with the Tafeliant and Oumassene groups.

Similar series in the Tuareg Shield

Part of the Pharusian Formations described in the western part of the

eastern Pharusian branch (GraveUe, 1969), the In Temerouelt seriesand the
"complexe ddtritique dpizonal ~ faciespharusien" show affinitiesto the
Oumassene and the Tin Essako Group respectively and may well be con-
temporaneous.
In sharp contrast to the later,Upper Proterozoic volcano-detritalse-
quences described above in the Iforas,the conglomerates, sandstones and
 207

pelites of the Tiririne Group occurring in the eastern part of the Tuareg
shield (Bertrand et al., 1978} were deposited in a medium-to-high energy
environment in lozenge-shaped troughs located along the 8030' E shear belt,
whilst 60--65 km further east terrigenous sedimentation and carbonates
formed on a stable platform. The presence of polymictic conglomerates

Fig. 3. Simplified map of Tafeliant area (see Fig. 2 for location). 1 Post-tectonic granites.
2 Late-tectonic adamellites (Adma 611 +- 3 Ma). 3 Late tectonic diorites (Adma 615 Ma).
4 Psammitic Formation. 5 Glaciomarine Formation. 6 Quartzitic and Pelitic Formation.
7 Polymictic conglomerates. 8 Basement: gneiss, quartzites and marbles. 9 Fault. 10 Dip
of stratification.
208

with large plutonic boulders towards the base of the sequence, in the vicinity
(10 km) of the 8 ° 30' fault, implies rugged topography presumably related
to horst-graben-type tectonics. The Tiririne linear fold belt represents an
intracratonic trough formed along a sinuous shear zone which has sub-
sequently been underthrust, metamorphosed and sheared. The Tiririne Group
is well dated and is contemporaneous with, or older than, the Tafeliant
Group. It uncomformably overlies granites dated ca. 730 Ma, contains sills
emplaced ca. 660 Ma and is cut by granites at 640 -+ 13 and 585 ± 14 Ma
{Bertrand et al., 1978). Diamictites of probable glacial origin have been
described in the Niger (Sdrie du Proche T~ndrd, Raulais, 1959) and Algeria
(Caby and Fabre, 1980).

pilites

~ arkoses

:."::.i-."::1 x!~
X x~..

::':"'":':"""
o o oo X' 4

dacitic breccia

tuff

TESSALIT-AN EFIS TIRALRAR OURDIANE W-TIN ESSAKO TEFEOJIT

Echararagalen.
Fig. 4. Logs o f molassic series in the Adrar des Iforas f r o m w e s t (left) to east (right)
according to Davison and Fabre (1976 ) and unpublished data. Horizontal lines: siltstones
and pelites, p : rhyolites, ignimbrites. Location of sections shown in Fig. 2 (Tessalit--
Anefis zone, Echaragalen section: ca. 0 ° 47' E 18 ° 4 7 ' N ; Tiralrar, oued Tahort section: ca.
1°6'E 19°47'N; Ourdiane section: 1°54'E 20° 10'N, west Tin Essako section: ca. 1°50'E
1 8 ° 4 4 ' N ; Tefedjit section: ca. 2 ° 4 0 ' E 1 9 ° 5 0 ' N ) .
 209

MOLASSE

The major N--S shear zones, which mark the western margin of the
Iforas late batholith and which occur 100 km further west along the border
of the West African craton, appear to have played an important role towards
the end of the Pan-African orogeny (Fig.lB, Fig.4). Between them, the
present Tilemsi trough coincides with a zone of accretion injected b y large
masses of heavy basic rocks (Black et al., 1979; Ly, 1979). On either side of
this trough thick detrital sequences, already considered b y Lelubre (1942) as
equivalent to the Serie Pourpr~e de l'Ahnet and which have been described
b y Karpoff (1960) as Nigritian, are preserved in grabens.

The passive margin o f the West African craton

To the west of the Tilemsi, at Timetrine along the border of the West
African craton, several thousand metres of fine arkose with some limestone
occurs in a N--S trough. Along the western border of the trough a conglom-
erate has been observed containing pebbles of marble and quartzite derived
from the Upper Proterozoic cover of the West African craton. This implies
uplift of what was the passive margin of the craton at the end of the Pan-
African event. A similar positive movement further to the North may have
fed the central depression of the craton (Taoudeni basin); this is suggested
by the lateral variation in facies displayed by the contemporaneous Kreb
en Naga Group (Villemur, 1967), to the NE of the basin.

Eastern limit o f the accretion zone

Along the eastern border of the Tilemsi and b o u n d e d b y N--S shear

zones marking the western limit of the Iforas batholith lies the Tessalit--
Anefis sequence, several thousand metres thick and forming a rhythmic
succession of fine arkoses, breccias and microbreccias composed of frag-
ments of volcanic rocks rich in quartz, plagioclase and reworked sedimentary
rocks including siltstones and ash fragments in a sparse matrix. With the
exception of a polymictic-conglomerate occurring along the eastern margin
of the trough, basement debris is scarce and most of the detrital material
is derived from contemporaneous dacitic volcanism. This volcanism may
be related to the emplacement of E--W acid and intermediate dyke swarms
which are developed along the western margin of the late Iforas batholith
and which stop in the vicinity of the N--S faults. This sequence is affected by
upright N--S folds and displays local, faint axial plane schistosity. The pres-
ence of at least one internal unconformity has been observed in the Echara-
galen region. Distension, compression and the formation of E--W dyke
swarms may well be related to the same cause: lateral m o v e m e n t along sinu-
ous wrench faults, following the process described by Crowell (1974) in
California.
210

The active margin

Further east, in the central part of the batholith, Karpoff (1960) has
described the Tiralrar plateau which is composed of subhorizontal rhyolite
flows and ignimbrites underlying a votcano-detrital formation. These lavas,
like the outliers preserved further south (Ichoualen, In Kouffi, Alimamas),
may lie directly on a flat erosional surface truncating various phases of the
unroofed late batholith. They have been fed by the last family of N--S dyke
swarms and are cut by alkaline granites (NE Tessalit, Kidal, Alimamas) or
by microsyenites (Ichoualen) belonging to post-tectonic ring-complexes.

Central and eastern Iforas

In central Iforas two remnants of late orogenic, detrital formations are

preserved along faults. At Ourdiane there is an 800 m-thick sequence of
rhythmic arkoses with potassic feldspar, plagioclase and quartz mainly of
volcanic origin, alternating with siltstone and a few horizons of conglomerates
with pebbles of acid volcanics. They unconformably overlie the basement and
its cover of quartzites, marbles and metagreywackes. West of Tin Essako a
similar sequence directly overlies the granutite unit (Davison, 1980). These
accumulations of fresh volcano<letrital material preserved along faults seem
again to be later than the last phase of the late batholith (the ring-complexes
excluded) and to have been accompanied by rhyolitic volcanism.
Further east, beyond the granulite unit of the Iforas, the Adrar fault, a
major fracture in the Tuareg shield, has played an important role in the
deposition and preservation of the Tefedjit Group, a thick detrital sequence
belonging to the molassic cycle. The basal conglomerate and red siltstone
preserved along the western, uplifted margin of the outcrop, unconformably
overlie the pediplaned and reworked basement. The bulk of the sequence is
preserved to the east of the fault. It consists of 2000--3000 m of arkoses
with sparse pink quartz grains and intercalations of green siltstone and spili-
tic flows. In contrast to Ourdiane and Tessalit--Anefis, there is no sign of
rhythmic sedimentation. The material forming the arkoses (mono- and
polycrystalline quartz, potassic feldspar and plagioclase, average grain size
0.15--2.00 mm) is derived from the basement and acid volcanic rocks.
Above, siltstone horizons are thicker, sometimes with varve-like bedding,
and are associated with arkoses and fine-grained or coarse-grained, pebble-
bearing quartzites. Two occurrences of ignimbrites are preserved along the
fault. The Tefedjit Group, like the Tessalit--Anefis sequence, has been af-
fected by a phase of E--W compression and by late sinistral movement along
the Adrar Fault.
To conclude, significant differences are displayed by the late to post-
tectonic molassic sequence of the Iforas as one goes from west to east across
the Pan-African orogenic belt. In a longitudinal sense, however, there are
striking similarities between the Iforas and Ahnet in NW Hoggar over a
distance of 600--700 km.
 211

(1) The evolution of volcano-sedimentary sequences occurring in troughs

superposed on the accretion zone are very similar, e.g. Tessalit--Anefis se-
quence (Iforas) and the lower In Semmen sequence (Ahnet; see Caby, 1970).
(2) Further east the rhyolite sequence of Tiralrar, cut b y alkaline ring
complexes, is similar to the In Zize rhyolite intruded b y a composite alkaline
massif. Present radiometric data, however, would indicate diachronism, a
U--Pb age of 586 +- 13 Ma having been obtained on zircon from Kidal
(Iforas) (Black et al., 1979), whereas a Rb--Sr age of 515 Ma has been ob-
tained on the In Zize rhyolites (All~gre and Caby, 1972).
(3) The molassic deposits at Ourdiane and west of Tin Essako are similar
to the remnants of S~rie Pourpr~e preserved to the north of the In Ouzzal
granulite block.
(4) Lastly, the conglomerate, rhyolite and ignimbrite belonging to the
Tefedjit Group recall certain conglomerates and 'Pharusian' rhyolites de-
scribed along the eastern margin of the In Ouzzal block, e.g. Tirek.
Some remnants of molassic series are known further east: the Bourzekkal
formations (GraveUe, 1969), the Tebourharine and E1 Moungar formations
in the central part of the Tuareg shield and the Mourizidie formation on the
western margin of the Tibesti shield. Too few chronological data are avail-
able to allow viable correlations b e t w e e n these red beds, containing debris of
volcanic, acid rocks (Mourizidi~ in particular) overlain b y Ordovician sand-
stones, and the sequences described above. All of them, the lower Bourzekkal
formation excepted, were weakly deformed before the Ordovician trans-
gression. It is suggested that the genesis of the Bourzekkal formations could
be similar to and contemporaneous with that of the Iforas molassic series.
On the other hand, the Tebourharine, E1 Moungar and Mourizidi~ formations
indicate that molassic sedimentation occurred on the continent east of the
major fold belt only in the latest stage of the Pan-African orogeny.

CONCLUSION

Sedimentological and stratigraphic data on the late Upper Proterozoic

pre- and syn-tectonic volcano-detritic sequences of the Iforas suggest that,
prior to collision with the West African craton, the palaeogeographical
picture from west to east is that of an island-arc oceanic environment in the
Tilemsi and of shallow marginal seas, continental andesitic volcanism and
deltaic deposits (Tafeliant Group, Oumassene Volcanic Group, Tin Essako
Group) as one proceeds eastwards across the Iforas. The Andean character
of the Oumassene Volcanic Group has been confirmed b y geochemical
studies (Chikhaoui, 1981).
With the exception of the Tilemsi sequence, where no underlying base-
ment has been observed, all the other sequences overlie a sialic basement and
its cover of quartzite, marble and metapelite. The quantity of terrigenous
material increases eastwards b u t is absent in the Tilemsi sequence and sub-
ordinate in the Tafeliant sequence, where volcanic material still predomi-
212

nates. It is dominant in the Tin Essako Group and the Tiririne Group in the
eastern part of the Tuareg shield. Carbonate deposits or restricted chemical
deposits are u n k n o w n in the Iforas belt.
Several types of late to post-orogenic molassic deposits have been dis-
tinguished.
(1) On the West African craton the molassic deposits have been derived
either from the Pan-African mountain belt (e.g. Kreb en Naga Group) or
from an uplifted zone of the passive margin (e.g. from the west of the
Nigritian of Timetrine};
{2) Close to the suture zone, along the western margin of the Iforas,
there is apparently no definite break between late tectonic sedimentation
accompanied by dacitic volcanism and post-tectonic sedimentation accompa-
nied b y rhyolites and ignimbrites. Rhythmic sedimentation has occurred in
zones previously injected by abundant, basic rocks and has been controlled
largely by successive movements along N--S shear zones.
(3) In central Iforas molassic deposits accompanied by acid volcanism
followed rapid uplift and unroofing of the late Iforas composite calc-alkaline
batholith.
There are still some uncertainties on the precise time span within the
Cambrian that corresponds to the destruction of the Pan-African mountain
belt and the accumulation of the molassic deposits and associated acid vol-
canism. It may have been extremely rapid, lasting a maximum of ca. 20 Ma
in the lower Cambrian, if one accepts that the base of the overlying sandstone
cover is equivalent of the infra-Tremadoc of the northern Sahara (Gr~s de
Hassi Leila, formation d'Ai'n en Nechea). In that case the difference between
the Tuareg shield and the Anti-Atlas would be the persistence of epeirogenic
movements and faulting during the lower Cambrian in the former compared
to the latter. Alternatively, if one accepts the base of the overlying sandstone
cover to be Ordovician, the late history of the Pan-African belt, which ended
in early Cambrian times in the Anti-Atlas, may have continued throughout
the Cambrian in the Tuareg shield which implies a N--S diachronism. In this
connection it is interesting to note the young Rb--Sr ages recorded for
biotite in Hoggar and in Nigeria.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The author thanks R. Black, R. Caby and A. Moussine-Pouchkine for

their constructive criticism. R. Black kindly translated the French version in-
to English. Lastly, thanks to Mine. Arl6r] for typing the manuscript and
Mme. Montesinos for drawing the figures.
 213

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