Tectono-metamorphic evolution and crustal-scale shear zone origin in the high-grade crust of southern Madagascar

In southern Madagascar two main tectono-metamorphic events, corresponding to the East African Orogeny (ca. 630–610 Ma) and the Kuunga Orogeny (ca. 580–515 Ma) were recognized. An early structures include recumbent folds and sub-horizontal foliation S₁ that were transposed during a regional east–west shortening resulting into north–south-oriented upright folds, with horizontal axes and new vertical axial planar foliations S₂. This second deformation event is coeval with the development of a network of vertical ductile shear zones such as the Ejeda SZ, Ampanihy SZ, Beraketa SZ, Ihosy SZ, Zazafotsy SZ and Tranomaro SZ. These megascale 15–25 km-wide intracrustal near-vertical N-S or NW-SE trending strike-slip ductile shear zones crosscut the entire high-grade metamorphic basement of southern Madagascar and separate lower-strain domains where complex fold interference patterns are visible. These high-strain zones developed between 580 and 530 Ma with a slight diachronism from the west to east and south to north and are coeval with melting and UHT/HT granulite facies conditions. The granulite facies metamorphism is widespread throughout the whole basement in all lithologies, in the southern part reaching peak conditions of 900–1000°C at 6–10 kbar and slightly lower temperature conditions (≤800°C) to the west, north, and in the Ikalamavony fold-thrust belt to the north–northeast. Importantly, the shear zones reveal large fluid/melt transfer from the depth that caused extensive fluid/melt rock interaction (in the shear zone as well as in the surrounding basement) that resulted in localized charnockitisation of the granulites. The melt/fluid flux here was structurally controlled and seems to be penetrative throughout the basement rocks. This offers a unique opportunity to study fluid-assisted pervasive melt migration controlled by localized deformation across the whole crust. In this context, our objective is to investigate the tectonometamorphic changes occurring in the intensely deformed high-grade lower to middle crust located in southern Madagascar. Additionally, we seek to delineate the chronological connection between the deformations and high-temperature metamorphism (U)HT, along with the associated processes of crustal anatexis and magmatism.