Evidence of prolonged felsic magmatism within the Karoo large igneous province

The Karoo large igneous province (LIP) extends from southern Africa to East Antarctica, and marks the onset of rifting of these two continents. The main stage of volcanic activity occurred ~182180 Ma ago, and was mostly mafic in composition. We report new thermal ionization (TIMS) and secondary ion (SIMS) mass spectrometric U-Pb ages on zircon from felsic lavas in Lebombo monocline, southern Mozambique and from granitoid intrusions in Vestfjella, Dronning Maud Land, Antarctica. Utpostane granite in southern Vestfjella yields a TIMS age of 180.7±1.5 Ma, complying with the main stage of magmatism in the Karoo LIP. Three rhyolitic beds intercalating mafic volcanic layers of the Lebombo monocline give SIMS ages of 182±3 Ma, 178±3 Ma, and 172±2 Ma, respectively. The zircon in the oldest of these can be divided in two groups: (a) internally homogeneous, low U and Pb zircon and (b) oscillatorily zoned, relatively high U and Pb zircon. The ages of these groups are ~179 Ma and ~184 Ma, respectively, but they overlap within error limits, and thus a combined age for this sample is preferred. Finally, an alkali feldspar granite xenolith from a lamproite dike in Vestfjella has a SIMS age of 165±1 Ma. Lu-Hf isotopes were analyzed from zircons in the 172 Ma rhyolite sample. They show fairly homogeneous Hf isotope composition, with initial ɛHf values between +4 and +10. The corresponding crustal residence ages for the zircons vary between ~300 and ~500 Ma, implying source recycling. In light of the new data it is thus evident that, while most of the Karoo LIP may have emplaced within a short time frame, igneous activity continued for at least ~15 Ma.