Abstract New U–Pb zircon ages from the Eastern Saghro massif in the Anti-Atlas of Morocco demonstrate a link between Pan-African transpressive collision at c. 600 Ma and transtension caused by the onset of Cadomian subduction and arc development from c. 570 Ma onwards. We present new U–Pb laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry ages of detrital and magmatic zircon from the Saghro, M'Gouna, and Ouarzazate Groups. The siliciclastic deposits of the Saghro Group were deposited in a back-arc setting developed on stretched continental crust of the West African margin. Collision with the Atlas–Meseta domain led to the closure of the back-arc basin before 600 Ma. Time of exhumation and surface exposure of the newly formed Pan-African basement is bracketed to c. 30 Ma owing to the maximum depositional age of 571 ± 4 Ma of the overlying M'Gouna Group. The U–Pb age of 567 ± 4 Ma for the lowermost ignimbrite of the Ouarzazate Group limits the time for the deposition of the M'Gouna Group to less than 4 Ma. The Pan-African orogeny was finished at c. 600 Ma whereas the onset of transtension related to Cadomian back-arc formation was very much younger from c. 570 Ma onwards.

Abstract The West African craton (WAC) was constructed during the Archaean and the c. 2 Ga Palaeoproterozoic Eburnian orogeny. Mesoproterozoic quiescence at c. 1.7–1.0 Ga allowed cratonization. In the absence of Mesoproterozoic activity, there are no known WAC palaeogeographical positions for that time. At the beginning of the Neoproterozoic, the WAC was affected by several extensional events suggesting that it was subjected to continental breakup. The most important event is the formation of the Gourma aulacogen in Mali, and the Taoudeni cratonic subcircular basin and deposition of platform sediments in the Anti-Atlas. At the end of the Neoproterozoic, the WAC was subjected to convergence on all its boundaries, from the north in the Anti-Atlas, to the east along the Trans-Saharan belt, to the south along the Rockelides and the Bassarides and to the east along the Mauritanides. This led to a partial remobilization of its cratonic boundaries giving rise to a metacratonic evolution. The WAC boundaries experienced Pan-African Neoproterozoic to Early Cambrian transpression and transtension, intrusion of granitoids and extrusion of huge volcanic sequences in such as in the Anti-Atlas (Ouarzazate Supergroup). Pan-African tectonism generated large sediment influxes around the WAC within the Peri-Gondwanan terranes whose sedimentary sequences are marked by distinctive zircon ages of 1.8–2.2 Ga and 0.55–0.75 Ga. WAC rocks experienced Pan-African low grade metamorphism and large movements of mineralizing fluids. In the Anti-Atlas, this Pan-African metacratonic evolution led to remobilization of REE in the Eburnian granitoids due to the activity of F-rich fluids linked to extrusion of the Ouarzazate Supergroup. During the Phanerozoic, the western WAC boundary was subjected to the Variscan orogeny, for which it constituted the foreland and was, therefore moderately affected, showing typical thick-skin tectonics in the basement and thin-skin tectonics in the cover. During the Mesozoic, the eastern and southern boundaries of the WAC were subjected to the Atlantic opening including Jurassic dolerite intrusion and capture of its extreme southern tip by South America. The Jurassic is also marked by the development of rifts on its eastern and northern sides (future Atlas belt). Finally, the Cenozoic period was marked by the convergence of the African and European continents, generating the High Atlas range and Cenozoic volcanism encircling the northern part of the WAC. The northern metacratonic boundary of the WAC is currently uplifted, forming the Anti-Atlas Mountains. The boundaries of the WAC, metacratonized during the Pan-African orogeny have been periodically rejuvenated. This is a defining characteristic of the metacratonic areas: rigid, stable cratonic regions that can be periodically cut by faults and affected by magmatism and hydrothermal alteration – making these areas important for mineralization.