No Evidence of a Meteoritic Impact in the Area of the Lukanga Swamp
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Journal of African Earth Sciences 35 (2002) 365–384 www.elsevier.com/locate/jafrearsci Remote sensing, field studies, petrography, and geochemistry of rocks in central Zambia: no evidence of a meteoritic impact in the area of the Lukanga Swamp Crispin Katongo a, Christian Koeberl a,*, Wolf Uwe Reimold b, Singute Mubu c a Institute of Geochemistry, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, A-1090 Vienna, Austria b Impact Cratering Research Group, School of Geosciences, University of Witwatersrand, Private Bag 3, Wits 2050, Johannesburg, South Africa c Geological Survey Department, P.O. Box 50135, Lusaka, Zambia Accepted 10 October 2002 Abstract The Lukanga Swamp in central Zambia has previously been proposed as the site of a large (52 km diameter) impact structure on the basis of alleged observation of shock-diagnostic planar deformation features (PDFs) in quartz of breccia from the southern margin of the swamp. The southern margin of the swamp, marked by the Nyama Dislocation Zone, consists of quartzite and silicified meta-siltstone, shale, sedimentary quartz breccia, and fault breccia. Structures and textures in the meta-sediments are syn- sedimentary, whereas fault breccia displays tectonic fabrics. In thin section, quartz in sedimentary quartz breccia displays widely spaced, randomly oriented, subparallel, non-planar fluid inclusion trails, which were earlier misidentified to represent decorated PDFs formed by meteoritic impact. Siderophile element abundances (<105 ppm) in the rocks from around the swamp are normal for quartz-rich crustal rocks, and there are no relative enrichments in the breccias compared to other rocks to suggest extraterrestrial contributions. Aeromagnetic data do not reflect an impact crater signature. We analyzed regional structural and seismic data in an effort to account for the development of the swamp. From the structural synthesis it appears that reactivation of movements along the Nyama and Kapiri-Mposhi Dislocation Zones may have led to the development of the Lukanga Swamp, probably during the Cenozoic era. Ó 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved. Keywords: Zambia; Lukanga Swamp; Meteorite impact crater; Breccia; Planar deformation features; Strike-slip faults 1. Introduction Lukanga Swamp (Vraana, 1985), the Bangweulu basin (Master, 1993), and the Chituli structure (Master, 2001). Out of the approximately 165 terrestrial impact cra- None of these has, so far, been confirmed as being of ters known worldwide, only 19 African impact craters impact origin. The Lukanga Swamp, centered at 27°450 are now confirmed (Table 1). The total number of ob- E and 14°240 S, is located in central Zambia, about 100 served impact craters on Earth falls, by far, short of the km west of Kabwe. The swamp, with an average dia- number of expected craters from cratering rate estimates meter of about 52 km, is rhomb-shaped (Fig. 2) and (e.g., Grieve, 1987; Trefil and Raup, 1990; Grieve, 1998). surrounded by monotonously flat terrain, which stands Most craters have been destroyed by active geological at about 1100 m above sea level. The southern margin of processes (Grieve et al., 1995), but a large proportion of the swamp is bounded by a roughly east-west trending those that may have survived are yet to be discovered, fault zone, locally known as the Nyama Dislocation especially in Africa (Koeberl, 1994). In Zambia, there Zone. Moore (1964) recognised the Nyama Dislocation are three structures that have previously been proposed Zone and mapped it within the confines of the map sheet to have formed by meteorite impact (Fig. 1): the 1428 SW of the Geological map of Zambia. Later, Vraana (1974) and Vajner (1998a) mapped the western * Corresponding author. Tel.: +43-1-4277-53110; fax: +43-1-4277- continuation of the zone. 9531. Several years later, Vraana (1985) re-examined some E-mail address: [email protected] (C. Koeberl). breccia samples from his map area (Vraana, 1974), and 0899-5362/02/$ - see front matter Ó 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved. PII: S0899-5362(02)00150-1 366 C. Katongo et al. / Journal of African Earth Sciences 35 (2002) 365–384 Table 1 Confirmed impact craters in Africa (modified after Master and Reimold, 2000) Name Country Latitude Longitude Diameter (km) Age (Ma) Amguid Algeria 26°050N04°230E 0.45 6 0.1 Aorounga Chad 19°060N19°150E 12.6 <350 Aouelloul Mauritania 20°150N12°410W 0.36 3:1 Æ 0:3 B.P Structure Libya 25°190N24°200E 2.0 <120 Bosumtwi Ghana 06°300N01°250W 10.5 1:07 Æ 0:05 Gweni-Fada Chad 17°250N21°450E14 <345 Highbury Zimbabwe 17°040S30°070E 20 Not known Kalkkop South Africa 32°430S24°260E 0.64 0:25 Æ 0:05 Kgagodi Botswana 22°290S27°350E 3.5 <65 Morokweng South Africa 26°280S23°320E 70–80 145 Æ 0:8 Oasis Libya 24°350N24°240E18 <120 Quarkziz Algeria 29°000N07°330W 3.5 <70 Roter Kamm Namibia 27°460S16°180E 2.5 3:7 Æ 0:3 Sinamwenda Zimbabwe 17°120S27°470E 0.22 <10 Talemzane Algeria 33°190N04°020E 1.75 <3 Tenoumer Mauritania 22°550N10°240W 1.9 2:5 Æ 0:5 Tin Bider Algeria 27°360N05°070E6 <70 Tswaing South Africa 25°240S28°050E 1.13 0:22 Æ 0:05 Vredefort South Africa 27°000S27°300E 250–300 2023 Æ 4 effort to confirm or discount the impact origin of the swamp, we carried out fieldwork, collected rock samples in the area, scrutinized regional data, and performed petrographic and geochemical studies of these rocks. 2. Geologic framework The swamp is located in the Neoproterozoic to early Palaeozoic Lufilian orogenic belt. Detailed reviews and interpretations of the geological evolution of the Lufil- ian belt are presented by Kampunzu and Cailteux (1999) and Porada and Berhorst (2000). Here, we only present a general geological framework of the area around the swamp. Fig. 1. Locations of proposed impact structures in Zambia. Basement rocks occur to the east and meta-sedi- mentary rocks to the west of the Lukanga Swamp (Fig. 3). The basement rocks consist of Palaeoproterozoic reported several sets of decorated and non-decorated granite-gneisses (Ngaambi et al., 1986), which are un- deformation features in quartz from the breccia, and conformably overlain by a sequence of alternating interpreted them as planar deformation features (PDFs). pelitic schists, polymictic meta-conglomerates, and PDFs (e.g., French, 1998) are diagnostic shock defor- quartzite of the Mesoproterozoic Muva Supergroup mation effects indicative of impact metamorphism. (Moore, 1964; Cairney and Kerr, 1998). The meta-sed- Consequently, Vraana (1985) proposed that the 52-km- imentary rocks to the west comprise intercalated car- wide Lukanga Swamp was of impact origin. The setting bonates as well as argillaceous, arenaceous and of the swamp in Proterozoic basement rocks and lack of conglomeratic units of the Neoproterozoic Katanga a terraced rim and a central uplift suggested to him that Supergroup (Vraana, 1974; Keppie, 1977; Vajner, the structure was old and deeply eroded. No other 1998a,b). Syenites, granites and gabbros of various ages breccia occurrences or, in fact, any other evidence in intrude in both gneisses and meta-sedimentary rocks. In support of Vraana Õs claim has since been described by the area of Map Sheet 1428 SW (south of the Lukanga other workers around the Lukanga Swamp. However, Swamp) Kundelungu rocks of the Katanga Supergroup since the work of Vraana (1985), no dedicated follow-up were reported by Vraana (1974). Rocks in the area to the investigation has been carried out to investigate the west of the swamp (NE of Mumbwa) are mainly of proposed impact origin of the Lukanga Swamp. In an greenschist-facies grade. A concentric array of faults is C. Katongo et al. / Journal of African Earth Sciences 35 (2002) 365–384 367 Fig. 2. Landsat Thematic Mapper satellite image of the Lukanga Swamp, Bands 5 and 7. The swamp is rhomb-shaped and the area around it is relatively flat. The light terrane on the eastern side of the swamp is at a relatively higher elevation than the adjacent dark area. The image is about 110 km wide. The Kafue River is located in the left part of the image. located within about 50 km around the swamp (Fig. 3). bably marks the original margin of the depression in The swamp area is largely covered by Kalahari sands, which the swamp developed. Most of the streams are alluvium, colluvium and laterite. seasonal and filled by thick sand deposits. The swamp consists of isolated lakes and islands of Kalahari Group (<70 Ma) sands. 3. Drainage and topography The Lukanga Swamp is situated on the Central Af- 4. Fieldwork rican plateau. Streams in the region around the swamp are roughly parallel and trend NE and ENE. The par- Fieldwork was conducted in the dry season, at a time allel alignment of streams is controlled by regional when there is limited vegetation that could obscure structural lineaments. A radial pattern of streams sur- outcrops. In the generally flat terrain, rock exposure is rounds the swamp, indicating that the development of poor. However, 96 rock samples could be collected from the swamp diverted the streams from their original NE 31 locations around the Lukanga Swamp, including 82 or ENE trends (Fig. 4). from within and 14 from outside of the Nyama Zone The area surrounding the swamp is monotonously (Fig. 3). Samples were, inter alia, collected from sample flat, especially at the western side that is drained by the locations described by Vraana (1985). Kafue River. The flat topography stands at 1100 m Field observations were mainly focused on the above sea level. Isolated, small ridges of less than 10 m Nyama Zone, from where samples with alleged shock elevation above the surroundings occur as well.