Evolution of the Neoproterozoic Kareim Basin, north Arabian – Nubian shield

Abstract The transition to continental collision c. 650 Ma induced the bimodal hypsometry of the Arabian-Nubian Shield (ANS), and triggered the formation of voluminous post-amalgamation basins. The intermontane Kareim Basin is a voluminous post-amalgamation depocenter within the ANS. It comprises a...

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Main Authors: Haytham Sehsah, Christopher L. Kirkland, Tim E. Johnson, Zaki A. Abdel-Fattah
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-05-01
Series:Scientific Reports
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-81530-8
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author Haytham Sehsah
Christopher L. Kirkland
Tim E. Johnson
Zaki A. Abdel-Fattah
author_facet Haytham Sehsah
Christopher L. Kirkland
Tim E. Johnson
Zaki A. Abdel-Fattah
author_sort Haytham Sehsah
collection DOAJ
description Abstract The transition to continental collision c. 650 Ma induced the bimodal hypsometry of the Arabian-Nubian Shield (ANS), and triggered the formation of voluminous post-amalgamation basins. The intermontane Kareim Basin is a voluminous post-amalgamation depocenter within the ANS. It comprises a thick siliciclastic fill (~ 7 km thick) that accumulated over tens of millions of years during late Neoproterozoic East African orogeny related to the amalgamation of West and East Gondwana. The basin fill consists of four main facies associations (FA1 to FA4) associated with 11 siliciclastic lithofacies and one volcaniclastic lithofacies, which are interpreted as alluvial fan to lacustrine deposits that accumulated under humid to semi-arid conditions. A conglomerate-dominated lithofacies characterizes proximal alluvial fan deposits (FA1), whereas mid to distal alluvial fan strata are represented by braided stream sandstone-dominated lithofacies and conglomerate (FA2–3). Distal fan deposits are composed mainly of sandstone and fine-grained lacustrine sediments (FA4). Tectonically-induced unconformities separate three depositional stages in the Kareim Basin. The lower stage comprises three sandstone-dominant cycles, locally separated by unconformities. The middle stage of the basin represents a stage of syn-depositional tectonic inversion, consistent with the presence of recycled basal boulders derived from the lower stage, and a divergence in the dominant paleo-current directions. Furthermore, thrust faults, tilted and overturned older strata, and the first occurrence of material derived locally from Pan-African volcanic rocks (the Dokhan Volcanic Suite) and basement gneiss domes are additional clues for the syn-depositional tectonic inversion. The upper stage comprises conglomerate-dominant cycles, and represents the transition to post-collisional extension and rapid subsidence. Detrital zircon U–Pb ages constrain the syn-depositional inversion of the basin to later than c. 635 Ma, likely coinciding with the onset of collision between West with East Gondwana.
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spelling doaj-art-361d2fea231448a2b46e0b1e30e1f8dc2025-08-20T02:29:50ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222025-05-0115112110.1038/s41598-024-81530-8Evolution of the Neoproterozoic Kareim Basin, north Arabian – Nubian shieldHaytham Sehsah0Christopher L. Kirkland1Tim E. Johnson2Zaki A. Abdel-Fattah3Geology Department, Faculty of Science, Damietta UniversitySchool of Earth and Planetary Sciences, The Institute for Geoscience Research, Timescales of Mineral Systems Group, Curtin UniversitySchool of Earth and Planetary Sciences, The Institute for Geoscience Research, Timescales of Mineral Systems Group, Curtin UniversityGeology Department, Faculty of Science, Damietta UniversityAbstract The transition to continental collision c. 650 Ma induced the bimodal hypsometry of the Arabian-Nubian Shield (ANS), and triggered the formation of voluminous post-amalgamation basins. The intermontane Kareim Basin is a voluminous post-amalgamation depocenter within the ANS. It comprises a thick siliciclastic fill (~ 7 km thick) that accumulated over tens of millions of years during late Neoproterozoic East African orogeny related to the amalgamation of West and East Gondwana. The basin fill consists of four main facies associations (FA1 to FA4) associated with 11 siliciclastic lithofacies and one volcaniclastic lithofacies, which are interpreted as alluvial fan to lacustrine deposits that accumulated under humid to semi-arid conditions. A conglomerate-dominated lithofacies characterizes proximal alluvial fan deposits (FA1), whereas mid to distal alluvial fan strata are represented by braided stream sandstone-dominated lithofacies and conglomerate (FA2–3). Distal fan deposits are composed mainly of sandstone and fine-grained lacustrine sediments (FA4). Tectonically-induced unconformities separate three depositional stages in the Kareim Basin. The lower stage comprises three sandstone-dominant cycles, locally separated by unconformities. The middle stage of the basin represents a stage of syn-depositional tectonic inversion, consistent with the presence of recycled basal boulders derived from the lower stage, and a divergence in the dominant paleo-current directions. Furthermore, thrust faults, tilted and overturned older strata, and the first occurrence of material derived locally from Pan-African volcanic rocks (the Dokhan Volcanic Suite) and basement gneiss domes are additional clues for the syn-depositional tectonic inversion. The upper stage comprises conglomerate-dominant cycles, and represents the transition to post-collisional extension and rapid subsidence. Detrital zircon U–Pb ages constrain the syn-depositional inversion of the basin to later than c. 635 Ma, likely coinciding with the onset of collision between West with East Gondwana.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-81530-8Intermontane basinsGondwana assemblyDetrital provenanceU–Pb datingArabian–Nubian shieldKareim Basin
spellingShingle Haytham Sehsah
Christopher L. Kirkland
Tim E. Johnson
Zaki A. Abdel-Fattah
Evolution of the Neoproterozoic Kareim Basin, north Arabian – Nubian shield
Scientific Reports
Intermontane basins
Gondwana assembly
Detrital provenance
U–Pb dating
Arabian–Nubian shield
Kareim Basin
title Evolution of the Neoproterozoic Kareim Basin, north Arabian – Nubian shield
title_full Evolution of the Neoproterozoic Kareim Basin, north Arabian – Nubian shield
title_fullStr Evolution of the Neoproterozoic Kareim Basin, north Arabian – Nubian shield
title_full_unstemmed Evolution of the Neoproterozoic Kareim Basin, north Arabian – Nubian shield
title_short Evolution of the Neoproterozoic Kareim Basin, north Arabian – Nubian shield
title_sort evolution of the neoproterozoic kareim basin north arabian nubian shield
topic Intermontane basins
Gondwana assembly
Detrital provenance
U–Pb dating
Arabian–Nubian shield
Kareim Basin
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-81530-8
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