Data for: The thermo-tectonic evolution of the southern Congo Craton margin as determined from apatite and muscovite thermochronology

The Southern Irumide Belt (SIB) of Zambia consists of predominantly Mesoproterozoic terranes that record a pervasive tectono-metamorphic overprint from collision between the Congo and Kalahari cratons in the final stages of Gondwana amalgamation. This study applies multi-method thermochronology to samples throughout southern Zambia to constrain the post-collisional, Phanerozoic thermo-tectonic evolution of the region. U–Pb apatite and 40Ar/39Ar muscovite data are used to constrain the cooling history of the region following Congo–Kalahari collision, and reveal ages of c. 550–450 Ma. Variations in the recorded cooling ages are interpreted to relate to localised post-tectonic magmatism and the proximity of analysed samples to the Congo–Kalahari suture. Apatite fission track data are used to constrain the low-temperature thermo-tectonic evolution of the region and identify mean central ages of c. 320–300, 210–200 and 120–110 Ma. Thermal modelling of these samples identifies a number of thermal events occurring in the region throughout the Phanerozoic. Carboniferous to Permian–Triassic heating is suggested to relate to the development of Karoo rift basins found throughout central Africa and constrain the timing of sedimentation in the basin. Permian to Jurassic cooling is identified in a number of samples, reflecting exhumation as a result of the Mauritanian–Variscan and Gondwanide orogenies. Subsequent cooling of the majority of samples occurs from the Cretaceous and persists until present, reflecting exhumation in response to larger scale rifting associated with the break-up of Gondwana. Each model reveals a later phase of enhanced cooling beginning at c. 30 Ma that, if not an artefact of modelling, corresponds to the development of the East African Rift System. The obtained thermochronological data elucidate the previously unconstrained thermal evolution of the SIB, and provides a refined regional framework for constraining the tectonic history of central Africa throughout the Phanerozoic.赞比亚南伊鲁米德带（Southern Irumide Belt, SIB）主要由中元古代地体构成，其记录了冈瓦纳大陆聚合末期刚果克拉通与卡拉哈里克拉通碰撞所产生的广泛构造-变质叠加作用。本研究针对赞比亚南部全域的样品采用多方法热年代学手段，以限定该区域碰撞后显生宙的热构造演化历程。铀-铅（U–Pb）磷灰石与氩-40/氩-39（40Ar/39Ar）白云母数据被用于约束刚果-卡拉哈里碰撞后区域的冷却历史，得到的年龄区间约为550~450 Ma。记录的冷却年龄差异被解释为与局域构造后岩浆活动以及采样点距刚果-卡拉哈里缝合带的远近相关。磷灰石裂变径迹数据用于限定该区域的低温热构造演化，得到的平均中心年龄分别约为320~300 Ma、210~200 Ma以及120~110 Ma。对这些样品开展的热模拟揭示了该区域在整个显生宙期间发生的多期热事件。石炭纪至二叠纪-三叠纪的升温作用被认为与遍布中非的卡鲁裂谷盆地发育有关，并限定了该盆地内沉积作用的时间。多件样品中识别出二叠纪至侏罗纪的冷却事件，这反映了毛里塔尼亚-华力西造山运动与冈瓦纳造山运动引发的剥露作用。随后绝大多数样品的冷却作用始于白垩纪并持续至今，这对应于冈瓦纳大陆裂解相关的大规模裂谷作用引发的剥露。每一项模拟均揭示了约始于30 Ma的一期强化冷却阶段，若该阶段并非模拟产物，则对应东非裂谷系的形成过程。本次获得的热年代学数据阐明了此前尚未被限定的SIB热演化历程，并为限定整个显生宙期间中非的构造历史提供了精细化的区域框架。