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The Precambrian Geology and associated Mineralization of Western Ethiopia:

Field guide

Technical Report · January 2013

DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.33126.57928

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24th Colloquium of African Geology, the 14th Congress and 40th anniversary of
Geological Society of Africa
08-14 January 2013
MILLENNIUM HALL
ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA

Field Excursion On
The Precambrian Geology and associated Mineralization of
Western Ethiopia
(Post conference excursion 3)
(15-19 January, 2013)

Tadesse Alemu1 and Kebede Hailu2

1
Geological Survey of Ethiopia, P.O.Box 2302, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
(tadessealemu@yahoo.com)
2
Nyota Minerals (Ethiopia) Ltd, 1st Floor, DAMINAROF Building, Bole Sub-City,
Kebele 12/13, P.O.Box 57100, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (etgis@ethionet.et)

1

 Departure to the field:
 Return to Addis Ababa:
 Phone number (s)
o Local organizing committee:
o Field excursion contact:
 Excursion Leaders phone number
 Name of tour operator
 Tour operator phone number
 Day 1 Breakfast:
 Day 1 Lunch:
 Day 1 Dinner:
 Night accommodation:
 Day 2 Breakfast:
 Day 2 Lunch:
 Day 2 Dinner:
 Night accommodation:
 Day 3 Breakfast:
 Day 3 Lunch:
 Day 3 Dinner:
 Night accommodation:
 Day 4 Breakfast:
 Day 4 Lunch:
 Day 4 Dinner and accommodation:
 Day 5 Breakfast:
 Day 5 Lunch:
 Water:
 Entrance fees to parks:
 Weather:
 Some info:
Info Page:
Technical and logistical Information
Millennium Hall; 8 AM; January 15, 2013
January 19; 2013; 6 PM (appx.)
0911383300 (Dr. Girma)
0911421168 (Dr.Seifu)
0912175773 (Tadesse Alemu), Dr. Kebede Hailu
EthioDer Tour
0911218180
Accommodation Information
AA before departure (stop at Ambo 120 km for refreshment)
Bako Shell Hotel, National and continental dishes
Desalegn Hotel, National and continental dishes
Desalegn Hotel, Nekemte
Desalegn Hotel, Nekemte
Zemelak Hotel, Gimbi*
Zemelak Hotel, Gimbi*
New Hotel, Gimbi
Zemelak Hotel, Gimbi*
NYOTA Minerals Ltd.
Guliso (by arrangement)*
Shell station Hotel, Guliso*
Guliso Shell station Hotel*
Lunch Box
Yerosan Hotel, Nejo
Yerosan Hotel, Nejo
Bako Shell Hotel, Bako
Served by the tour operator at your request
Free of charge
Field conditions
Minimum temperature (night time) 14C; Maximum temperature (day time) 32C
Wear tough shoes, light clothes, hats; malaria risk is minimal at this period of the year but
we advise you contact your physician to take any precautionary measures; take care of
yourself regarding risks of dehydration; Detours could be on dusty roads-ps take closes to
protect yourself from dust inhalation. January is dry season and no major rain is expected,
some occult light showers may occur. The road between Ambo and Nekemte (200 km) is
under construction and several detours on dust road could delay the arrival and detours
are generally on bumpy uncomfortable roads. Western Ethiopia generally is not a tourist
route in Ethiopia and hotel accommodations are less than 3 star hotel standard. In some
towns the hotel rooms will be arranged for you based on your preference. Arrival in Addis
is expected around or before 18:00 hours.

* Subject to change/upgrading depending on availability of better service and accommodation (new facilities under
construction may start providing service)

2
 List of participants
First Name Family Name Gender E-mail Country
1 Tadesse Alemu Male tadessealemu@yahoo.com Ethiopia (Leader)
2 Kebede Hailu Male etgis@ethionet.et Ethiopia (Leader)
3 Michael Potter Male Mike_pttr@hotmail.com Angola
4 John Kalimenze Male jokakally@yahoo.com Tanzania
5 Ersin Koralay Male Ersin.koralay@deu.edu.tr Turkey
6 Frank Melcher Male F.Melcher@bgr.de Germany
7 Hannu Makitie Male Hannu.makitie@gtk.fi Finland
8 Morgan Blades Female Morgan.blades@adelaide.edu.au Australia
9 Sarah Herbert Female sherbert@randgoldresources.com UK
10 Stephanie Perrouty Male perrouty@get.obs.mip.fr France
11 Sylvain Block Male Sylvain.block@gmail.com France
12 Bell Mapendo Male BMapendo@loncor.com Congo
13 Alan Collins Male Alan.collins@adelaide.edu.au Australia
14 Xiaochen Xu Male Alan.collins@adelaide.edu.au Australia
15 Titiy Kalegamire Male Tity.kalegamire@kibaligold.com Congo
16 Taha Idris Male tao@skynet.be Sudan
17 Mohammed Seddeg Mohammed Deyab Male tao@skynet.be Sudan
18 Christine Hodgson Female cvhodgson@hotmail.com UK
19 Ntenge Alain Joseph Male Jose_nte@yahoo.fr Rwanda

3
 INTRODUCTION

0
The Precambrian of western Ethiopia that extends northwards from 6 N for about 650 kilometers in length and
varies in width that is wider in the north (~200-250 km wide) and narrower in the south (~20-50 km wide) is the
largest Precambrian block in the country. It forms the western and wider branch of the low-grade volcano-
sedimentary terrain of the Arabian-Nubian shield (ANS) bounded both to the east and to the west by the gneissic
terrain of the Mozambique Belt (MB) (Fig. 1a). Stern (1993, 1994) coined the term East African Orogen (EAO) to
encompass both the ANS and MB. EAO is a result of a plate tectonic cycle spanning a time-period of 300 Ma,
beginning by about 900 Ma with rifting and continental break-up, and ending by about 620-600 Ma subsequent to
a continent-to-continent collision between East and West Gondwanaland.

The Geological Survey of Ethiopia (GSE) studied the Precambrian geology of western Ethiopia at different scales
(UNDP, 1972; de Wit, 1977b; Kazmin, 1978; Kazmin et al., 1979; Davidson, 1983; Abraham, 1989; Tefera, 1987;
Tefera and Berhe, 1987; Ayalew and Moore, 1989, Alemu and Abebe, 2000; Gera and Hailemariam, 2000; Seyid,
2002; Tsige, 2008). Accordingly, the Precambrian of western Ethiopia consists of low-grade metavolcano-
sedimentary rocks and associated intrusive rocks bounded to the east and west by high grade gneiss and
migmatites (Fig. 1b). Strike-slip shear and thrust zones, which are variably marked by mafic-ultramafic assemblage
interpreted as dismembered ophiolite (de Wit and Aguma, 1977; de Wit and Chewaka, 1981; Alemu and Abebe,
2000; Alemu, 2004a; Tadesse and Allen, 2005), separated these litho-tectonic domains. The high-grade gneiss and
migmatites are considered as the northern continuation of the Pan-African Mozambique belt. These rocks were
regarded as Archean in age mainly on the basis of correlation with similar rocks in east Africa (Kazmin, 1972;
Kazmin et al., 1978). However, geochronological investigations indicate that the granitoids from the high-grade
gneiss and migmatites fall within the time range of 550 to 810 Ma (Ayalew et al., 1990; Kebede et al., 2001b), and
some of the granitoids contain inherited zircon as old as 1571  9 Ma (Kebede et al., 2001b). This might suggest
that the gneiss and migmatites are not juvenile Pan-African terrane but consists of Mesoproterozoic crust that was
reworked in the East African Orogen.

The low-grade metavolcano-sedimentary rocks and associated intrusives outcrop is remarkably persistent and can
be traced for the entire length of the Precambrian of western Ethiopia. The assemblage varies in width along strike
that is wider in the north and narrower in the south. Further south the assemblage pinches out and truncates by
the NW-trending Surma shear zone. Their contact with the high-grade gneiss and migmatites is not exposed, nor
has it been mapped in detail. Usually the contact is tectonic represented by tightly folded and strike-slip shear
zones. Part of the contact is also marked by SE-dipping and NW-verging thrust faults and folds (Alemu and Abebe,
2000, 2002). At places the interleaving contact relationships, the difference in metamorphic grade without
noticeable tectonic break, and moreover the occurrence of early east-west structure for some of the gneissic rocks
(Davidson, 1983; Tefera and Berhe, 1987) may suggest a basement-cover relationship. The low-grade
metavolcano-sedimentary rocks have long been considered as the southern continuation of the Pan-African
Arabian-Nubian Shield. Geochemical investigations on some of these rocks indicate that they are of magmatic arc
type (Ayalew and Moore, 1989, Braathen et al., 2001). U-Pb zircon date of 830 to 550 Ma (Ayalew et al., 1990) and
Pb-Pb zircon date of 820 to 620 Ma (Kebede et al., 2001b) obtained for intrusive rocks that intrude them. Based on
field, lithologic, geochemical and geochronological evidence the low-grade rocks of western Ethiopia were
correlated to the juvenile Pan-African assemblage of northern Ethiopia, Eritrea and the south-eastern Sudan. They
were defined as the Tokar Terrane (Kröner et al., 1991), and may correlate across the Red Sea to the southwestern
part of the Asir Terrane of Saudi Arabia.

4
Layered metavolcano-sedimentary rocks and linear but, discontinuous bodies of mafic and ultramafic rocks that
crop out in several places, particularly at Akobo, Yubdo, Daletti, Tulu Dimtu, Meti, Sire Banti and Baruda (Fig. 1b).
The mafic and ultramafic occurrences in the Precambrian basement of western Ethiopia were initially thought to
be intrusives into the metavolcano-sedimentary rocks (UNDP, 1972), but were subsequently interpreted by Kazmin
(1976, 1978) and de Wit and Aguma (1977) to be part of an ophiolitic sequences, which are referred to as the
Sekerr-Yubdo-Tulu Dimtu-Barka suture zone (Berhe, 1990) or Barka-Tulu Dimtu suture zone (Abdelsalam and Stern
1996). However, Mogessie et al., 2000 and Braathen et al., 2001 argued against the ophiolitic origin of these
mafic-ultramafic rocks and they interpret them as intrusions in metavolcano-sediments. Mogessie et al., 2000
interpret them as intrusions that show concentric zoning typical of Alaskan type intrusion.

Four episodes of deformation have been recognized in the Precambrian of western Ethiopia (Abraham, 1989;
Alemu and Abebe, 2002; Alemu, 2004a; Seyid, 2002; Gera and Hailemariam, 2000; Yihunie and Hailu, 2007). Early
deformation (D1) is a progressive shortening, which resulted in the development of thrusts and associated
recumbent, tight to isoclinal folds with subhorizontal axes and shallowly southeast-dipping and north-north-east-
trending foliations (S1). D2 deformation resulted in steepening of D1 structures into upright folds. D3 deformation
represents extensive shortening, which culminated in the formation of major N- and NNE-trending shear zones
that are superimposed at high angle to the D 1 and D2 structures. D1, D2 and D3 deformations recorded within the
regional structures referred to as Baruda Shear Zone, Tulu Dimtu Shear Zone, Birbir Shear Zone, and Akobo Shear
Zone (cf. Fig. 1b). The relationship between D1, D2 and D3 is consistent with the development of the structures
during a period of oblique collision in response to east-west shortening deformation that induced transpression,
which occurred between 700 and 630 Ma. (Alemu and Abebe, 2000; Alemu, 2004a; Ayalew et al., 1990; Yihunie
and Hailu, 2007). D4 deformation recorded within the NW-trending Didesa and Surma Shear Zones (Fig. 1b). These
structures are evolved in the initiation of major NW-trending sinistral and minor N-and NE-trending dextral strike-
slip faults/shear zones at c. 570-540 Ma ago.

The main objective of this field excursion is to visit areas where polyphase deformation and metamorphism have
affected Precambrian layered and intrusive sequences along the Nekemte-Gimbi-Nejo transect and to get insight
about the geodynamic evolution of the Precambrian basement of western Ethiopia. The excursion is planned for
five days (15 to 19 January, 2013) and formed the visit of lithology and structures, and mineralization of critical
outcrops exposed along the trip routes (Figs. 2and 3).

Field References:
 Topographic maps (1:250,000) of Gimbi, Nekemte and Gore map sheets published by Ethiopian Mapping
Agency.
 Geological maps (1:250,000) of Gimbi, Nekemte and Gore map sheets published by Geological Survey of
Ethiopia.

5
 A B

Figure 1. (A) Tectonic map of the East African Orogen (modified after Vail, 1985). (B) Simplified geological map of the Precambrian of western Ethiopia (modified after
Alemu and Abebe, 2000).

6
 EXCURSION PROGRAM IN THE NEKEMTE-GIMBI-NEJO AREA

Geology of the Nekemte-Gimbi-Nejo Area

The Precambrian rocks in the Nekemte-Gimbi-Nejo area can be divided into four litho-tectonic domains. From east
to west these are: (i) the Aba Sina Domain, (ii) the Tulu Dimtu Belt, (iii) the Chochi Domain , and (iv) the Katta
Domain (Alemu and Abebe, 2000; Fig. 2). Intrusive rocks ranging in composition from granite to gabbro variably
intrude these units. The Aba Sina domain is bounded to the west by the Tulu Dimtu mafic-ultramafic belt with the
Katta and Chochi domains. The domain consists of high-grade (amphibolite facies) gneiss and migmatites, and
metavolcano-sedimentary rocks of Sayi Chenga Group (Fig. 2). The high-grade (amphibolite facies) gneiss and
migmatites of the Aba Sina domain are correlable to the south along strike with Geba Domain (Tefera and Berhe,
1987) and Hamar Domain (Davidson, 1983). These rocks were correlated to Awata gneiss (Kazmin et al., 1979) and
Alghe gneiss (Tefera et al., 1996) of southern Ethiopia and were tentatively considered as Archean in age.
However, geochronological investigations indicate that the granitoids from the gneiss and migmatites fall within
the time range of 550 to 820 Ma (Ayalew et al., 1990; Kebede et al., 2001b), and some of the granitoids contain
inherited zircon as old as 1571  9 Ma (Kebede et al., 2001b). This might suggest that the gneiss and migmatites
are not juvenile Pan-African terrane but consists of Mesoproterozoic crust that was reworked in the East African
Orogen. The Tulu Dimtu mafic-ultramafic belt is a NNE-SSW trending litho-tectonic unit that comprises
metavolcano-sedimentary rocks and linear but, discontinuous bodies of mafic-ultramafic rocks. It is bounded by
major thrust faults and shear zones, and separates the Aba Sina domain in the east from the Katta and Chochi
domains to the west (Fig. 2). The belt can be traced for the entire length in the mapped area and continues
towards north and south along strike as part of the Pan-African Barka-Tulu Dimtu-Akobo-Sekerr ophiolitic suture
(Berhe, 1990). The Chochi domain extends from the eastern boundary of the Katta domain to the western margin
of the Tulu Dimtu mafic-ultramafic belt is made up of a variety of supracrustal schists and gneisses that are
metamorphosed from upper greenschist to mid-amphibolite facies. It is intruded by large quantity of syn-to late-
tectonic granitoids. The east and west boundary of the domain is marked by thrust and shear zones. The domain
wedges to the south and bounded by the Didesa Shear Zone (DSZ) with the Katta domain (Fig. 2). The Katta domain
is represented by low-grade (greenschist facies) metavolcano-sedimentary rocks and associated pre-tectonic
intrusives ranging in composition from gabbro to granite. The rocks in this domain were previously referred to as
Katta sediments (de Wit et al., 19778), Metavolcanic group (UNDP, 1972), and Katta metasedimentary belt
(Senbeto, 1980). Based on variation in lithological associations the rocks in this domain are divided into two
informal groups: (i) the Aleltu, and (ii) the Bila groups (Alemu and Abebe, 2000; Fig. 2). The Aleltu group is
comprised of metavolcanics and metasediments, and intruded by voluminous pre-to-syn-tectonic intrusive rocks
ranging in composition from gabbro to granite. The Bila group is predominantly composed of metasediments with
subordinate metavolcanics, and unconformably overlies the Aleltu group. It is divided into Daleti, Guliso and Dengi
formations (Fig. 2). The Bila group was referred to as Birbir Group (UNDP, 1972) and young metavolcano-
sediments (Abraham, 1989). On the basis of gross lithological similarities, the Katta domain appears to be
correlatable along strike to the south with the Birbir Domain of Tefera and Berhe (1987). Geochemical
investigations from these rocks indicate that they are of magmatic arc type (Ayalew and Moore, 1989).

Three main deformational events (D1 to D3) have been recognized within the Precambrian rocks of the Nekemte-
Gimbi-Nejo area. The early deformation (D1) is a progressive shortening which resulted in the development thrust-
fold event and related penetrative deformation that are characterized by west-verging thrusts and associated
recumbent, tight to isoclinal folds with subhorizontal axes, and associated shallowly SE-dipping and NE-SW
trending axial planar foliations (S1). The S1 foliation is sub parallel to the initial lithological layering (S0) in the
supracrustal sequences and the metamorphic layering in gneisses. In the gneiss and migmatites the S 1 foliation

7
parallels the gneissic layering and quartzo-feldspathic layers and leucosomes in migmatites which were folded and
transposed by the D1 event, implying that the gneissic banding is either synchronous or predates the D 1 event. To
the south, in the Geba domain, Tefera and Berhe (1987) reported E-W structures in the gneisses, which they
considered it to be older than the penetrative regional N-S foliation. D2 deformation is a progressive continuation
of D1 deformation resulted in the steepening of D1 structures by upright folds and sinistral strike-slip shear zones,
and roughly parallels to the main NNE-SSW trending regional foliations. Brittle-ductile strike-slip faults/shear zones
that are superimposed at high-angle to the D1 and D2 structures characterize D3 deformation. The major structure
of D3 deformation is the NW-trending Didesa Shear Zone, which is a major boundary between the Chochi and Katta
domains (Fig. 2). Steeply plunging S-folds, rotated porphyroclasts and S-C fabrics indicate that the sense of
movement in the Didesa Shear Zone is sinistral. However, the juxtaposition of rock units contrast in metamorphic
grade (the dominantly greenschist facies Katta domain and the mid-amphibolite facies Chochi domain) across the
shear zone suggests a component of dip-slip motion. The Didesa Shear Zone is also similar with other northwest
trending faults/shear zones observed in the East African Orogen, the Surma shear zone of western Ethiopia (Fig.
1b; Davidson, 1983), the Najd fault system of Saudi Arabia (Stern, 1985), the Marda fault belt (Berhe, 1986) and
the Aswa shear zone (Cahen and Snelling, 1966). Elsewhere in the East African Orogen these structures are
interpreted as transform faults developed in response to a major episode of extension (Stern, 1985; deWit et al.,
2001).

The Excursion program in the Nekemte-Gimbi-Nejo area comprises four routes (Fig. 3):
1. Addis Ababa-Ambo-Guder-Nekemte (Day 1);
2. Nekemte-Didesa Bridge-Gimbi-Inango-Daletti (Day 2);
3. Gimbi-Homa-Ganjii-Tulu Kapii-Chago-Yubdo- Guliso (Day 3);
4. Guliso-Kingi-Dero Dimtu-Abshala-Tulu Dimtu-Nejo (Day 4).

8
Figure 2. Geological map of the Nekemte-Gimbi-Nejo area (after Alemu and Abebe, 2000; Gera and Hailemariam, 2000).

9
 DETAILED ROUTE MAP

Figure 3. Route map of the area.

10
 Day 15th January, 2013: Addis Ababa – Nekemte day- 1
 Day route plan: Addis Ababa – Ambo – Guder – Bako – Nekemte
Leave Addis Ababa after breakfast for Nekemte. Two stops (Ambo and Guder towns) for refreshment.
o Breakfast: Addis Ababa
o Lunch: Bako Shell Hotel (National and continental dishes)
o Dinner: Nekemte, Desalegn Hotel (National and continental dishes)
o Overnight stay: Nekemte, Desalegn Hotel
 Stop 1: Ambo town
Ambo town; one and half hour drive from Addis Ababa. Spending five to ten minutes to visit the sandstone
quarry situated along the main highway. The sandstone commercially known as Ambo Stone is commonly used as
building stones. The Ambo sandstone (Fig. 4) is yellow to red in color, cross-bedded and predominantly fine-
grained and essentially composed of quartz. The sandstone is regionally referred to as the Adigrat sandstone of
Triassic successions.

Figure 4. Quarry exposure of Ambo sandstone.

 Stop 2: Guder town

To see the basaltic center with spectacular columnar jointing (Fig. 5). This center is located along The E-W rift
transversal structure called Addis Ababa-Nekemte tectonic line (Abbate and Sagri, 1980) or Yerer-Tulu Wollel
Volcano Tectonic Lineament (YTVL) (Abebe et al., 1998), which divided the Tertiary Ethiopian plateau volcanics into
Northwestern and Southwestern part.

Figure 5. Columnar basalt quarry near Guder town

Break for Lunch in Bako Shell Hotel

After lunch we drive straight to Nekemte

End of Day 1, overnight stay in Nekemte, Desalegn Hotel

11
 Day 16th January, 2013: Nekemte – Gimbi day- 2
 Day route plan: Nekemte –Gimbi-Inango-Daleti
Stops at exposures of different migmatites and gneisses and appreciate the migmatization process from
early up to complete stage where rocks melted with formation of granites. Observe and discuss about the
NW-trending Didesa Shear Zone and make observations on how strain partitioned from brittle deformation
to ductile deformation.
o Breakfast; at Nekemte
o Lunch; Gimbi Zemelak Hotel
o Dinner; Gimbi Zemelak Hotel
o Overnight stay; Gimbi Zemelak Hotel
 Stop 1: Didesa Bridge
Duration: 30 to 45 minutes
Outcrop of quartzo-feldspathic gneiss at the Didesa River cut. The quartzo-feldspathic gneiss formed part
of the high-grade gneiss and migmaties of the Aba Sina domain mapped by Alemu and Abebe (2000). Here we
look shear deformation and record observations on how strain partitioned from brittle deformation to ductile
deformation. At this point it is worth to see the early N-trending ductile shear zone is cut by NW-trending
Didesa shear zone. The N-trending shear zone is characterized by fabric development ranging from
protomylonite to mylonite and ultramylonite. Kinematic indicators show a dominantly sinistral sense of
movement; however, dextral sense of movement has also been encountered (Fig. 6a).

A B
Figure 6. (A) N-to NNE-trending shear zone on the quartzo-feldspathic gneiss. The asymmetry of porphyroclasts show
sinistral sense of movement. Please note the progressive development of protomylonite and mylonite. (B) Northwest (300-
320) trending closely spaced brittle-ductile fractures arrays in the Didesa shear zone, which cut the N-trending shear zone.

 Stop 2: Aba Sina-Suqii-Wagga road cut exposure (walk for about 15 to 20 minutes along the road)
Duration: 15 to 20 minutes
Walk along the road to see road cut exposure of migmatites, gneiss and amphibolites. The observed
migmatitic structures at the outcrop include, folded, phlebitic and agmatitic type. The following variation of
migmatitic zone is seen: the melanosome, which is basically fine to medium grained, equigranular, and
lepidoblastic containing plagioclase, quartz, biotite, epidote and minor amounts of opaque and sphene and traces
of hornblende. The leucosomes containing large perthitic K-feldspar and plagioclase set within interstitial quartz
and feldspar.

12
  Stop 3: Suqii-Wagga village
Duration: 10 to 15 minutes
To see exposures of the Suqii-Wagga granitoid. The Suqii-Wagga granitoid is a garnet bearing two-mica
granite composed of quartz, K-feldspar, plagioclase, biotite, and muscovite with subordinate garnet and opaques.
It has a gradational contact with the surrounding gneiss and migmatites, in which some of the migmatitic gneiss is
incorporated within the intrusion (Fig. 7). This suggests that the Suqii-Wagga granite may be the granitized part of
the gneiss, an interpretation that is supported by mineral, and whole rock major and trace element chemistry
(Kebede et al., 2001a), which indicates that the Suqii-Wagga granite has the characteristics of anatectic granite
similar to syn-collision granite. Kebede et al. (2001b) dated the Suqii-Wagga granite, and reported a Pb-Pb zircon
age of 698  27 Ma.

Figure 7. Suqii -Wagga granite containing enclaves of migmatitic gneiss.

 Stop 4: Ethiopian Road Authority (ERA) quarry

Duration: 30 to 45 minutes
Walking to the quarry, which is located about fifty to hundred meters from the main highway. Exposure of
migmatites and gneiss are observed at the quarry site. The migmatites are represented by stromatic (lit-par-lit)
type, consisting of alternating light and dark bands of medium grained granitic and pegmatitic leucosomes, and
biotite, and biotite-hornblende enriched melanosomes. The leucosomes are basically medium grained and equi-
granular containing mainly quartz and K-feldspar with biotite flakes in sub-parallel orientations. The leucosomes lie
parallel to gneissic layering and is folded. The leucosomes are cut by late pegmatites that contain garnet crystal
measures up to 3cm in length. Except in outcrops where they are strongly segregated the gneiss displays
uniformity in their occurrences, and show relict igneous texture, and occasionally contains augned K-feldspars
measuring up to 5mm in length. These observations may suggest that gneiss rocks are plutonic
(granodioritic/tonalitic) in origin. The gneissic banding and the migmatitic layering are openly to tightly folded and
sheared by D2 deformation (Fig. 8b). The migmatitic tonalitic gneiss has been dated by U-Pb zircon at age of 845 
6.1 Ma (CGS, 2011). This age has been interpreted as intrusive age of the precursor tonalitic gneiss

13
 A B
Figure 8. (A) Migmatitic tonalitic gneiss. The migmatitic layering and the gneissic layering are parallel. (B) The migmatitic
layering and the gneissic layering are folded in to NNE-trending tight to open upright folds (D2). The folding is culminated
with the development of N-to NNE-trending shear deformation as shown by truncation and disruption of the D2 fold limbs.
Both the folding and shear deformation may be related to the D2 deformation.

Break for Lunch in Gimbi Zemelak Hotel

 Stop 5: Inango
Duration: 30 to 45 minutes
Outcrop of granitoid gneiss and migmatites exposed at a quarry located about 3 km from town of Inango on
the road to Daleti. At this exposure we record the observation that progressive deformation resulted in the
development of folding and strike-slip shearing in migmatitic gneiss (Fig. 9).

Figure 9. Photo and sketch showing progressive D2-deformation in migmatitic granitoid gneiss, which resulted in the folding
of gneissic banding (pre-D1 deformation) by NNE-trending tight to open folds and subsequent sinistral strike-slip shearing.

 Stop 6: Daletti quarry

Duration: 30 to 45 minutes
To observe exposures of the Daleti metaultramafics. The Daleti ultramafics are dominantly represented by
serpentinized dunite, with minor intercalations of talc schist, talc-carbonate schist and amphibolite (Fig. 10). The

14
serpentinized dunite is massive and compact and contains disseminated chromite and magnetite. They are cut by
veins filled with serpentine.

Figure 10. Geological map of the Daleti Area.

End of Day 2, overnight stay in Gimbi, Zemelak Hotel

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 Day 17th January, 2013: Gimbi-Guliso day- 3
 Day route plan: Gimbi-Ganjii-Tulu Kapii-Chago-Yubdo-Guliso
Stops at exposures of the Ganjii monzogranite (within-plate granitoid emplaced at ca. 620-625 Ma); Tulu
Kapii syenite; the Yubdo mafic-ultramafic rocks and associated PGE mineralization; the Guliso
metasediments.
o Breakfast; at Gimbi Zemelak Hotel
o Lunch; in NYOTA Minerals (Ethiopia) Ltd.
o Dinner; Guliso (by arrangement)
o Overnight stay; Guliso, Shell Station Hotel

 Stop 1: Ganjii granitoid

Duration: 10 to 20 minutes
The Ganjii granitoid is predominantly monzogranite with subordinate monzodiorite. The monzogranite is
porphyritic with K-feldspar megacrysts measuring in length up to 2 cm. It is composed of plagioclase, K-feldspar,
quartz, biotite and hornblende. The Ganjii granitoid is affected by NE-trending subvertical fractures and joints (Fig.
11). The fractures and joints are filled by a microgranite dyke, composed of plagioclase, K-feldspar and quartz with
minor biotite. The Ganjii monzogranite shows the chemical and mineralogical characteristics of Within-plate
granite and was generated and emplaced along an extensional tectonic environment (Kebede et al., 2003). The
Ganjii granite was dated by Kebede et al. (2001b) who reported Pb-Pb zircon age of 622  7 Ma.

Figure 11. Exposure of Ganjii granitoid. The rock is deformed by NE-trending joints.

 Stop 2: Tulu Kapii

Duration: 2 to 3 hours
To see the gold mineralization associated with altered syenite intrusive unit, along Barka-Tulu Dimtu shear
zone, and pay a visit to the on-going gold exploration activities conducted in the area by NYOTA Minerals (Ethiopia)
Ltd. The geology of the Tulu Kapii is represented by different suites of meta-intrusive units ranging from granite,
syenite and diorite (Fig. 12).

16
Figure 12. Geological map of the Tulu Kapii area (after Nyota Minerals (Ethiopia) Ltd).

Break for Lunch in NYOTA Minerals (Ethiopia) Ltd.

 Stop 3: Chago quarry near Guliso town

Duration: 30 to 45 minutes
Stops at Chago quarry (Fig. 13) to observe quartzite interbedded with psammites and pelites that show a

17
facies variation, in which coarser (conglomerate and sandstone) at the base and finer (shale and mudstone) at the
top. They are generally at greenschist facies metamorphism. It is highly sheared and silicified with ferrugnized and
gold bearing quartz veinlets.

Figure 13. Geological map of the Chago area (after Nyota Minerals (Ethiopia) Ltd).

 Stop 4: Yubdo mafic-ultramafic complexes

Duration: 45 minutes to 1 hour
The Yubdo mafic-ultramafic complexes consist of serpentinized dunite, clino-pyroxenite, peridotite, serpentine
schist, and bribrite units (Fig. 14). The Yubdo mafic-ultramafic complexes, well known for its platinium deposits and
alteration zones for the last many years. It is Alaskan-Type intrusions with both surface and hard rock PGM

18
mineralization along sub-vertical altered zones. The Yubdo ultramafic body is found along the Barka-Tulu-Dimtu
shear zone.

Figure 14. Geological map of the Yubdo mafic-ultramafic complexes (after Nyota Minerals (Ethiopia) Ltd)

End of Day 3, overnight stay in Guliso, Shell Station Hotel

19
 Day 18th January, 2013: Guliso-Nejo day- 4

 Day route plan: Guliso-Kingi/Kemeshi junction-Dero Dimtu-Tulu Dimtu- Nejo

Stops to visit critical exposures of Kingi quartzite, Abshala mélanges, and the Tulu Dimtu thrust-fold belt. The
Tulu Dimtu thrust-fold belt is a prominent deformational belt which is comprised of a NNE- trending fold and
thrust/shear belt overprinted by a NW-SE strike-slip faults/shear zones. It is characterized by a variety of
lithological units, including metamorphosed volcanic, volcaniclastic and sedimentary successions with
associated mafic-ultramafic rocks and granitoid intrusives (Fig. 15).

o Breakfast; at Guliso Shell Station Hotel

o Lunch; box lunch
o Dinner; Nejo, Yerosan Hotel
o Overnight stay; Nejo, Yerosan Hotel

 Stop 1: Kingi/Kemeshi-Gimbi junction

Duration: 20 to 30 minutes
To visit road quarry exposures of quartzite unit with some gold mineralization. The young
metasediments/quartzite quarry is found at the top of the ridge and it is highly deformed and silicified. The gold
mineralization is related with highly altered zone with narrow quartz veinlets.

 Stops 2 and 3: Kemeshi-Gimbi junction to Tulu Dimtu road section

Duration: 2 to 3 hours
To observe road cut exposures of different rock types represented by varying proportions of metasediments,
metavolcanics, mafic-ultramafic rocks along Kingi-Kemeshi road cuts and Dero-Dimtu hill.

Break for Lunch (packed lunch at Dero Dimtu village)

 Stop 4: Abshala Mélanges

Duration: 1 hour
To record observations on the tectonics of the Abshala Mélanges exposed in the Abshala stream. The Abshala
Mélanges is internally complex and in many ways chaotic, containing rocks of disparate histories. It comprises
tectonically mixed rock types (metabasalt/amphibolite, ultramafics, and quartzite/chert), occurs as thrust sheet or
as a piece embedded in a dominantly pelitic and marble matrix. The two best-documented process by which these
fragments of contrasting history juxtaposed are: (i) submarine land slides (olistostromes) and (ii) thrust imbrication
with multiple episodes of thrusting (Raymond, 1984). The features observed in the Abshala Mélanges have been
interpreted thrust imbrication as a mechanism for the juxtaposing (Alemu and Abebe, 2000). Based on the
relationships between foliations, folds and shear zones, three phases of deformation are recognized within the
Abshala Mélanges. D1 deformation is characterized by northwest verging thrust and folds. D1 folds are tight,
isoclinal and recumbent folds verging to the northwest and variably plunge between 5 and 10 to the northeast

20
Figure 15. Geological map of the Tulu Dimtu area (after Nyota Minerals (Ethiopia) Ltd).

and southeast. D2 deformation, which is the progressive continuation of D 1, deformed the initially subhorizontal D1
folds about more upright D2 folds (Fig. 16). Extensive shortening during D2 deformation culminated in the
formation of N-NNE-trending strike-slip shear zones. These shear zones dominantly show sinistral sense of
movements, however, dextral sense of movement also encountered at places. D3 deformation is characterized by
the development of NW- to WNW-trending strike-slip fault/shear zones transecting the D1 and D2 structures.

21
Marble
Metabasalt

A B

Figure 16. Structures observed in Abshala Mélanges. (a) NW-verging tight to open D1 recumbent fold. (b) Tight to open N-
trending D2 folds in marble. Note that D2 folds are accompanied by weakly to strongly developed crenulation cleavage (S2).

 Stop 5: Tulu Dimtu hill

Duration: 1 hour
At the foot of Tulu-Dimtu hill, along the old road cut of Kingi-Kemeshi road to observe serpentinized dunite
which are variably sheared to serpentine and talc schists along shear zones, and associated chromium and nickel
mineralization.

 Stop 6: Sayi River (optional)

Duration: 30 to 45 minutes
River cut exposure of basic metavolcanics which are variably sheared and deformed.

End of Day 4, overnight stay in Nejo, Yerosan Hotel

Day 19th January, 2013: Nejo-Addis Ababa day- 5

End of the excursion program. Drive back to Addis Ababa and on arrival at Addis Ababa transfer to Hotel.

22
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