What was the Kibaran orogeny in Africa?

The Kibaran orogeny refers to a series of Mesoproterozoic mountain-building events in what is now Africa, spanning from about 1400 to 1000 million years ago during the assembly of the supercontinent Rodinia. While the term has historically been applied broadly to many orogenic rocks from this extended timeframe, recent proposals suggest narrowing its use to an event around 1375 Ma in the southeast of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. These geological events are contemporaneous with similar mountain-building episodes globally, such as the Grenville orogeny in North America.

What we know

• The Kibaran orogeny comprises a series of mountain-building events in Africa that began around 1400 Ma and lasted until the assembly of Rodinia around 1000 Ma. [2]
• Recent proposals suggest using the term Kibaran in a narrower sense for an event occurring around 1375 Ma in the southeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. [2]
• The Kibaran orogeny corresponds to the Grenville orogeny in North America and the Dalslandian orogeny in Western Europe. [2, 3]

Still open

• Whether the term Kibaran should encompass a broad series of extended orogenic events or be restricted to a narrower timeframe and specific region.

Where to go next

• what caused itHow did the supercontinent Rodinia assemble?
• compared withWhat was the Grenville orogeny?
• whenWhat characterizes the Stenian Period?
• the bigger pictureHow are orogenies classified by continent?
• a case in pointWhat is the Dalslandian orogeny in Europe?
• an unexpected connectionHow does African mountain building connect to Scottish geology?The mountain-building events in Africa known as the Kibaran orogeny share a contemporaneous global record with the Grenville orogenic belt, which extends into Scotland.

Sources

• [1]Kibaran orogeny (Wikidata Q6403956) · CC0 1.0
• [2]Kibaran orogeny · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [3]Grenville orogeny · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [4]List of orogenies · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [5]Stenian · CC BY-SA 4.0