Geochronology and Tectonic Evolution of the Hohewarte Complex, Central Namibia: New Insights in Paleoproterozoic to Early Neoproterozoic Crustal Accretion Processes

The Hohewarte Metamorphic Complex has been variously correlated with the Abbabis Complex, Kamanjab Inlier and the Rehoboth inlier, which is better studied. The Hohewarte Metamorphic Complex is wholly surrounded by the Damara Sequence that experienced peak orogenesis at circa 550 Ma. The Damaran cover has been thrusted over the Hohewarte gneisses, producing subhorizontal fabrics. The Hohewarte Metamorphic Complex was already accreted onto the Kalahari craton during Damaran peak orogenesis. The Hohewarte Metamorphic Complex is composed of a variety of gneisses, ranging from amphibolites, quartz-feldspathic gneiss, plagioclase-rich striped gneisses that enclose two varieties of augen gneiss; a felsic K-feldspar-augen gneiss and an augen gneiss with plagioclase and K-feldspar augens in a matrix of biotite and hornblende rich matrix, occurring mainly to the east of the complex.