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The Palaeoproterozoic Birimian Supergroup of the West African Craton (WAC) consists of volcanic belts composed predominantly of basaltic and andesitic rocks and intervening sedimentary basins composed predominantly of wackes and argillites. Mafic metavolcanic rocks and granitoid-hosted enclaves from the Palaeoproterozoic Lawra Belt of Ghana were analysed for geochemical and Sr–Nd isotopic data to constrain the geological evolution of the southeastern part of the WAC. The metavolcanic rocks display mainly tholeiitic signatures, whereas the enclaves show calc-alkaline signatures. The high SiO2 contents (48.6–68.9 wt%) of the enclaves are suggestive of their evolved character. The high Th/Yb values of the samples relative to that of the mantle array may indicate derivation of their respective magmas from subduction-modified source(s). The rocks show positive εNd values of +0.79 to +2.86 (metavolcanic rocks) and +0.79 to +1.82 (enclaves). These signatures and their Nd model ages (TDM2) of 2.31–2.47 Ga (metavolcanic rocks) and 2.39–2.47 Ga (enclaves) suggest they were probably derived from juvenile mantle-derived protoliths, with possible input of subducted pre-Birimian (Archean?) rocks in their source(s). Their positive Ba–Th and negative Nb–Ta, Zr–Hf and Ti anomalies may indicate their formation through subduction-related magmatism consistent with an arc setting. We propose that the metavolcanic rocks and enclaves from the Lawra Belt formed in a similar island-arc setting. We infer that the granitoids developed through variable degrees of mixing/mingling between basic magma and granitic melt during subduction, when blobs of basic to intermediate parental magma became trapped in the granitic magma to form the enclaves.

Metavolcanics and mafic intrusive rocks of the Paleoproterozoic Birimian terrane in the southeastern part of the West African Craton, Ghana, were analyzed for major and trace elements and Nd and Sr isotopic data to constrain the geodynamic evolution of the Birimian Supergroup. The metavolcanic rocks consist of metabasalts, meta-andesites, and amphibolites, whereas the mafic intrusions are mainly gabbros, hornblendites, and dolerites. The rocks are tholeiitic in composition and show the classic features of arc magmatism. The metavolcanics display significant enrichments in large ion lithophile elements (LILE) and light rare earth elements, relative to high field strength elements (HFSE) and heavy rare earth elements. The multielement patterns of the rocks also show positive Pb, Ba, Th, and Sr and negative Nb, Ta, and Ce anomalies that are typical characteristics of subduction-related magmas. They also have La/Nb ratios

We conducted petrologic, geochemical and isotopic studies on Paleoproterozoic Birimian granitoids that intrude the Bole-Nangodi Belt in northern Ghana, in southeastern West African Craton (WAC), to constrain the geodynamic evolution of the Birimian Supergroup. The rocks are potassic (K)-rich granitoids (KRGs), tonalities, trondhjemites, granodiorites (TTGs), pegmatite and aplite. The K2O contents of the KRGs are up to 5 wt%, with generally high concentrations of Rb, Ba, Sr, Cr and Ni. They are highly fractionated calc-alkaline I-type granitoids, enriched in LILE and LREE relative to HREE and HFSE. Chondrite-normalized REE diagrams indicate fractionated LREE (average LaN/SmN = 5.05) and HREE (GdN/YbN = 4.56) patterns, with slight negative Eu anomalies (average Eu/Eu* = 0.75). This may indicate an evolved magma source with varying degrees of plagioclase fractionation. The KRGs share similar geochemical characteristics with the TTGs into which they intrude. Both rock types are characterized by Ba and Th enrichment and depletion in Nb‐Ta, Zr‐Hf, and Ti, which are typical characteristics of subduction-related magmas. The pegmatite-aplite association is slightly geochemically different and may have formed at a time later than the KRGs. The ԐNd(2.1 Ga) values range from + 0.90 to + 1.24 and −0.86 to + 1.37 respectively for the TTGs and KRGs, with TDM1 ages of 2.34–2.38 Ga and 2.36–2.53 Ga and TDM2 ages of 2.21–2.24 Ga and 2.22–2.39 Ga respectively. These indicate their juvenile character, possibly a depleted mantle source with minor contributions from a pre-Birimian (or Archean?) crustal material in their source material(s). The TTGs and KRGs are volcanic arc granites (VAG) and syn-collisional (Syn-COLG) granites, with formation temperatures and pressures of ~640–750 °C and ~2–6 kbar respectively. Based on the high temperatures, I-type signature, calc-alkaline nature and other geochemical characteristics, we infer that the TTGs, KRGs and pegmatite-aplite association developed under high oxygen fugacity conditions in an orogenic tectonic setting related to subduction. Thus, our geochemical and isotopic results are consistent with an island arc tectonic setting arising from subduction–accretion processes, which are typical for the Paleoproterozoic terranes of the WAC. These processes may have contributed to the amalgamation of the Columbia (Nuna) supercontinent during the Paleoproterozoic (2.1–1.8 Ga) orogeny.