Bansara area is underlain by rugged topographic features of the Pan-African high-grade metagreywacke-pelite sequence, metagranites and post-Pan-African rift-generated enderbites, adamellites and granites. Rock samples of the igneous rocks were analyzed for trace and rare earth element behavior using ICP-MS technique with a view to document their petrogenetic and geotectonic characteristics. Several variation diagrams and parameters applied to the analytical data indicated linear evolutionary trend from a common source. Trace element behaviors, in particular, strongly suggested that differentiation was the prime cause for their chemical variations. REE behavior of the rocks showed distinctive patterns from highly fractionated patterns with pronounced negative Eu anomaly in the granites and adamellites to less fractionated patterns with moderate negative Eu anomaly in the enderbites. The REE abundance and patterns further reflected mantle to crustal petrogenetic variation trend of different rock suites in the area. The granites and adamellites probably formed at crustal level from the differentiating enderbitic melt of mantle origin in a setting dominated by rifting and post-collision uplift probably due to mantle plume and mantle-crust mingling that characterized the geothermal history of the area in the post-Pan-African.

Igneous intrusions impact on the geotectonics of orogenic and folded belt because the heat supplied from such intrusions results in remobilization, redistribution and recrystallization of the belt. Granitoids are one of such intrusions and are common in rift zones, where crustal thinning is prevalent. The study of the petrogenesis and geotectonic setting of granitoids from such terrains can help reveal the processes of the emplacement and post-tectonic processes. Enderbites, adamellites and biotite granites are the ubiquitous igneous intrusives in Bansara area of the Bamenda Massif. It is therefore crucial to study these granitoids with a view to determine the impact on the geotectonic development of the study area. Thus, the purpose of this present research paper is to give geochemical data on a set of representative granitoids and attempt to use the trace and rare earth elements as petrogenetic and geotectonic markers of the rocks of the Bansara area of the Bamenda Massif.

The Bansara area of the Pan-African tectonothermal belt of the Bamenda Massif, bounded by the Benue Trough in the NE-SW axis and the Cameroon Volcanic Line in the southeast (Figure 1), is a precambrian basement unit, which represents the extension of the Bamenda Massif of Cameroon into southeastern Nigeria. It was affected by the Pan-African polyphase deformation and polymetamorphism, forming a belt of N-S (0^o-30^o) trending migmatitic gneisses and migmatitic schists. Post-Pan-African enderbites, adamellites and granites showed wide distribution as rough topographic highs in a general N-S trend and intrude these metamorphic rocks. The tectonic imprints on the basement units are reflected as remnant Pre-Pan-African (E-W to NW-SE) to dominant Pan-African (N-S to NE-SW) structural features.

Earth Sciences Journal, Earth Element Geochemical Fingerprints, Post Tectonic Processes, Geochemical Data, Geotectonic Markers, Metamorphic Rocks, Fusion Dissolution Methods, Crystallization History, Petrogenetic Links, Product Crustal Decoupling, Tectonic Environment, Differentiation Processes.