Neoproterozoic transpressional tectonics of the Transaharan Orogenic Belt
The Trans-Saharan Orogenic Belt formed between 750 and 500 My ago and spans ~3,000 km from Algeria to the North and Nigeria to the South. This orogenic belt resulted from prolongued oblique continental collision between the West African craton, Congo craton and East Saharan block and is widely interpreted to have continued into the Braziliano Orogenic Belt before the opening of the Atlantic Ocean.
The Trans-Saharan Belt is marked by voluminous granitic plutonism with spectacular exposures in the arid Jos-Bauchi area. The internal fabric of these plutons attests of their emplacement during transpressional tectonics (Ferré et al., 1995;1996; 1997, 1998; 2002, 2007).
Many of the Neoproterozoic plutons emplaced in the Jos-Bauchi area encompass a bimodal composition with granite and diorite such as the Toro Complex (Déléris et al., 1996).