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Petrology and geochemical framework of dolerites dykes of Temté, North Cameroon, Central Africa

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Abstract

The Temté basement in North Cameroon is crosscut by dyke swarms with N 20°–40° trending, including dykes 15–30 m wide, up to 3 km-long. Representative rocks exhibit intersertal to sub-ophitic textures. Electron microprobe analyses identified diopside, augite, pargasite, biotite, Ti-magnetite, plagioclase, and sanidine. Whole-rock ICP-MS and ICP-AES chemical analyses showed compositions of basaltic andesite, basaltic trachyandesite and trachyandesite in composition. Igneous differentiation was likely governed by fractional crystallization associated with limited fluid metasomatism. Some lavas could have been moderately contaminated by crustal materials during feeding of local cracks through turbulent magma flows. Discrimination geochemical diagrams and immobile trace and REE element ratios show that the mantle source of Temté dolerites was a deep phlogopite-bearing EMII mantle component and has undergone moderate to high partial melting rate. Correlations of fieldwork and analytical data with previous results evidence the Temté dolerite dyke swarms as fingerprints of crustal extension accompanying regional uplift in an active continental margin when early rifting led to the formation of the Poli marginal basin.

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modified from Winchester and Floyd 1977), b Ti/Zr diagram after Pearce (1982)

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Acknowledgements

Authors greatly thank the “Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie (AUF)” through the BAGL (Bureau Afrique Centrale et des Grands Lacs) for financial support of Le Projet de soutien aux équipes de recherche 2012/2013 (No 51110SU201) for supplement analyses. This paper is part of MMA thesis. “Laboratoire GEOPS” of the University Paris-Saclay is thanked for financial support of thin sections and electron microprobe analyses. B. Bonin is warmly thanked for his fruitful remarks. Two anonymous reviewers helped us to improve this contribution.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Earth Sciences, Faculty of Sciences, University of Ngaoundéré, P.O. Box 454, Ngaoundéré, Cameroon

    M. Mey Atour, A. Fagny Mefire, O. F. Nkouandou, R. Tchameni & A. Dinamou

  2. Sciences de la Terre, Volcanologie, Planétologie, UMR CNRS 8148 GEOPS, bât. 504, Université Paris-Saclay, 91405, Orsay, France

    J. M. Bardintzeff

  3. Department of Mineral Engineering, Chemical Engineering and Mineral Industry School, University of Ngaoundéré, P.O. Box 454, Ngaoundéré, Cameroon

    O. F. Nkouandou

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  1. M. Mey Atour
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  3. A. Fagny Mefire
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Correspondence to J. M. Bardintzeff.

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Atour, M.M., Bardintzeff, J.M., Mefire, A.F. et al. Petrology and geochemical framework of dolerites dykes of Temté, North Cameroon, Central Africa. Acta Geochim 40, 287–299 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11631-020-00432-4

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