Craton to Regional-scale analysis of the Birimian of West Africa

The tectonic evolution of the West African Craton has been the subject of continuous interest since the first systematic map-ping program were commenced almost 100 years ago (Jessell and Liégeois, 2015). Even with the advent of the plate tectonic paradigm, alternative tectonic models have been proposed ranging from “non-plate tectonic” to “modern plate-tectonic” models and everything in between (Abouchami et al., 1990; Baratoux et al.,2011; De Kock et al., 2012; Feybesse and Milési, 1994; Ganne et al.,2011, 2014; Lompo, 2010; Vidal et al., 2009). This uncertainty is not restricted to West Africa (Cawood et al., 2006; Chardon et al.,2009; De Wit, 1998; Bédard et al., 2013), and an ever broader range of possible Precambrian geodynamic systems is compared by Gerya (2014). The Eburnean Orogeny associated with the formation and cratonization of West Africa represents a key study area for the understanding of the transition (if there was one) between an Archean geodynamic system and the modern day. This Special Issue of Precambrian Research provides results from a series of craton-scale and more local studies that further constrain future geodynamic interpretations.