Petrography and Geochemical Characterization of Dolerites from Figuil (Northern Cameroon) and Léré (Southwestern Chad)

This work presents the petrographic and geochemical data of the dolerite dykes crosscutting the Pan-African basement of Figuil (North-Cameroon) and Lere (South-West Chad) in order to approach their petrogenesis and their emplacement context. Two groups of dolerites have been highlighted by petrographic and geochemical studies. These groups were discriminated by their TiO2, Fe2O3, REE, Ba, Nb, Zr, La and Hf contents which are relatively higher in group I; group II, on the other hand, has higher MgO, Mg#, Sc, Ni and Cr contents. The mineralogical assemblage of these dolerites is made up by plagioclases, pyroxenes, olivine, oxides, amphibole, biotite and sometimes pyrite, calcite, apatite, epidote and chlorite. The behaviour of the major and trace elements suggest that studied dolerites have an evolution dominated by fractional crystallization. Most dolerite samples show higher REE concentrations and (La/Yb)N > 8.7, (Tb/Yb)N > 1.9 and Dy/Yb > 2 ratios characterizing a garnet-bearing mantle. The difference in incompatible elements between the two groups is explained by the degree of partial melting of the same source which becomes more important over time. Low (Ce/Yb)N values (3.3 - 11.58) also suggest relatively low partial melting degree of the source. Fractional crystallization process was possibly combined with minor crustal contamination as shown by enrichment of Th/Yb from group II to Group I that might be due to turbulent magma emplacement. The chemical compositions of these dolerites are similar to that of continental tholeiites with slightly moderate negative Nb-Ta anomalies which are attributed to crustal contamination of magmas. As other dolerites of Cameroon, continental tholeiitic signature of the studied dolerites is evidenced in geotectonic discrimination diagrams with Group II dolerite compositions falling within the field of tholeiitic basalts and group I within the field of alkali basalts.