The stratigraphic and structural framework of Eastern Zambia: results of a geotraverse

Abstract The study area, over 20,000 sq. km of Eastern Zambia, is underlain by Precambrian metasediments and orthogneisses and by Phanerozoic plutonic rocks. The Precambrian rocks are tentatively grouped into three successions separated in time by orogenic events. The area records five main deformation events. The first resulted in northerly trending structures, now preserved only locally, and is probably early to mid-Proterozoic. The second, of Irumide age (c. 1100 Ma), is confined to the Irumide belt and characterised by north-east trending structures. The third, also of Irumide age, resulted in generally north-west trending folds and lineations found throughout the area and tentatively traced into the ⪡Tumbide⪢ structures of the Irumide belt. The fourth, of probable Lufilian-Zambezi age (c. 950-800 Ma), formed sub-horizontal north-east trending folds with axial extension lineations; the high-strain Ilinda and Chinkombe zones developed. The fifth event, of late Pan-African age (c. 500 Ma), caused further deformation in the Chinkombe zone and created the northerly trending high-strain Chindeni zone. The granitic Sinda batholith was emplaced at the end of the fifth event.