The Palaeoproterozoic in western Anti-Atlas (Morocco): a clarification

Abstract Zircon U–Pb data on post-tectonic granites that have intruded the Precambrian formations of the Kerdous inlier (western Anti-Atlas, Morocco) are Pan-African. Zircon grains from a syntectonic monzodiorite of the Tahala pluton yield a precise discordia line with an upper intercept at 2043.9 ± 1.8 Ma (MSWD = 0.67) interpreted as the emplacement age. This age is consistent with zircon U–Pb ages of granites from other inliers and confirms the existence of a widespread magmatic event at ≈2045 Ma in the Anti-Atlas. The Pan-African event left no resolvable imprint on the isotopic systems of the analysed zircons. The Kerdous Schists are, therefore, older than 2045 Ma. Rb–Sr and Sm–Nd data on the schists and the Tahala pluton suggest that both juvenile and Archaean material contributed to the generation of the Palaeoproterozoic formations in the Anti-Atlas.