The central Keraf suture recorded complex lithospheric-scale deformation associated with the formation of the Neoproterozoic Arabian-Nubian shield and hosts the WG03, Central Zone and UTM gold deposits, Gabgaba district, NE Sudan. This study aims at (i) unravelling the tectonic history recorded by the central Keraf suture and (ii) interpreting the spatial and genetic relationships between structural setting and gold mineralization. To this end, we coupled field petrographic observations and structural measurements made along a 50 km-long geological cross-section through the Gabgaba district with macroscopic and microscopic description of mineralized structures.

The structural setting of the central Keraf suture is dominated by progressive deformation, from ductile D_1a Keraf thrusting to ductile-brittle D_1b sinistral shearing in a prolonged northwest-orientated convergence regime. A first mineralization event, leading to a minor gold endowment, relates to magmatic accretion pre-dating D_1a Keraf suturing. The second gold episode is characterized by ore veining as a response to progressive late collisional D_1b Keraf strike-slip shearing and may be classified as orogenic gold. Most of the gold budget of the Gabgaba district formed at this stage.

In summary, the central Keraf suture exemplifies that the Arabian-Nubian shield contains significant polyphase gold mineralization along lithospheric-scale structures. These structures may record a complex tectonic evolution from magmatic to collision, with a strong structural control on gold endowment.

Keraf缝合线中央记录了复杂的岩石圈尺度变形，与新元古代的阿拉伯-努比亚盾构形成有关，并且位于苏丹东北部Gabgaba区的WG03，中心区和UTM金矿床。这项研究的目的是（i）揭示Keraf中央缝合线记录的构造历史，以及（ii）解释结构环境与金矿化之间的空间和遗传关系。为此，我们将沿加布加巴（Gabgaba）地区50公里长的地质剖面进行的现场岩石学观测和结构测量与矿化结构的宏观和微观描述相结合。

凯拉夫缝合线中央的结构设置主要由渐进形变决定，从延性D _1a凯拉夫推进到延性脆性D _1b左向左向剪切，在长期的西北向收敛方式中。第一个矿化事件导致少量的金储量，与在D _1a Keraf缝合之前的岩浆堆积有关。第二个金矿的特征是矿脉的形成是对渐进性晚期碰撞D _1b Keraf走滑剪切作用的响应，可以归类为造山金。加布巴巴地区的大部分黄金预算都在这个阶段形成。

总而言之，Keraf中央缝合线举例说明了阿拉伯-努比亚盾构在岩石圈尺度结构上包含大量的多相金矿化。这些结构可能记录了从岩浆到碰撞的复杂构造演化，并对金gold赋有很强的结构控制力。