Single zircon evaporation ages: Evidence for the Mesoproterozoic crust in the southeastern Nigerian basement complex

The Ukwortung area of the Obudu Plateau exposes high-grade metamorphic rocks of upper amphibolite to granulite facies. Zircon grains from three locations of Southwest Obudu Plateau were dated by the Pb-Pb dating method. This single zircon radiometric dating method confirms the occurrence of Mesoproterozoic crust in the southeastern Nigeria basement complex. The pyroxene gneiss (granulite facies) sample from Biereberi near Ukpe yielded a mean age of 2061.4±0.4 Ma, suggesting the presence of Paleoproterozoic crust. The combined ²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁶Pb ratios from the garnet-biotite gneiss in the area gave a mean age of 1794.4±0.4 Ma. This further confirms the presence of Paleoproterozoic crustal components within the Obudu Plateau. The Mesoproterozoic (1548.8±0.5 Ma) and Neoproterozoic (619.8±0.9 Ma) ages were obtained from two populations of zircon grains from the leucogranite in Okordem, Southwest Obudu. These “signatures” collaborate the occurrence of Mesoproterozoic ages in the Afar region and Cameroon basements along with the southeastern Nigerian basement complex, constituting the major portion of the West Central African mobile belt. The zircon age of 1794.4±0.4 Ma may probably be the maximum depositional age of the meta-sediment (garnet-biotite gneiss) and the age of 1548.8±0.5 Ma may be interpreted as the time of emplacement of the granitoid. The Neoproterozoic age (619.8±0.9 Ma) probably records the metamorphic event that was prevalent during the Pan-African period and thus affected the area.