THE SUPERCONTINENT CYCLE AND GONDWANALAND ASSEMBLY - COMPONENT CRATONS AND THE TIMING OF SUTURING EVENTS

The Neoproterozoic Gondwana supercontinent cycle includes the break-up of a Mesoproterozoic supercontinent here termed Pangea Y, followed by the fusion of several cratons and the large East Gondwana continent to form Gondwanaland. The accretion can be analysed in terms of plate tectonics. Rifting of Pangea Y was active in the 1100-650 Ma interval. Collision and deformation events occurred in the 820-540 Ma interval. The earliest collision event at 820 Ma between the Sao Francisco-Congo craton and East Gondwana formed the Zambezi belt. Major shear zones in transpressional mobile belts developed from 820 to 550 Ma. Post orogenic magmatism and extension events affected the Gondwana supercontinent in the 660-500 Ma interval.