Duration: 20-25 September 2023

The Pan-African Damara Belt is a geological wonder, where arid climate and dissected topography allow structural analysis at all scales and in the three dimensions. A 6-day/5-night-long traverse will provide an overview of the main tectonostratigraphic zones of the Damara Belt. 

We will visit key outcrops dealing with the stratigraphic evolution of the Neoproterozoic Damara Supergroup, and the magmatic, structural and metamorphic inception, growth and collapse of the orogen. 

We will start in the Southern Margin Zone on the Kalahari Craton, and progressively venture north through the Southern Zone accretionary prism, the Central Zone hot hinterland, to end up in the Northern Zone and Northern Platform on the Congo Craton. 

Observations of spectacular outcrops will spark discussions on various topics related to the paleogeography of the Congo and Kalahari cratons prior to Damara collision, tectonomagmatic and metamorphic evolution of the Damara Belt, and the interpretation of deformation structures at hypersolidus and solid-state conditions. Accommodation will be in chalets in Swakopmund, Karibib, Uis and Khorixas.