The stratigraphy, sedimentology, and age of the Late Palaeozoic Mesosaurus Inland Sea, SW-Gondwana [Elektronische Ressource] : new implications from studies on sediments and altered pyroclastic layers of the Dwyka and Ecca Group (lower Karoo Supergroup) in southern Namibia / vorgelegt von Mario Werner

Simon Lang

Informations

• Publié par: julius-maximilians-universitat_wurzburg
• Publié le: 01 janvier 2007
• Nombre de lectures: 49
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 44 Mo

Extrait

The stratigraphy, sedimentology, and age
of the Late Palaeozoic Mesosaurus Inland Sea,
SW-Gondwana

New implications from studies on sediments and altered pyroclastic
layers of the Dwyka and Ecca Group (lower Karoo Supergroup) in
southern Namibia


Dissertation zur Erlangung des
naturwissenschaftlichen Doktorgrades der
Bayerischen Julius-Maximilians Universität Würzburg




























vorgelegt von

Mario Werner

Würzburg 2006






































Eingereicht am: 28 July 2006


1. Gutachter: Prof. Dr. Volker Lorenz

2. Gutachter: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tobias Payenberg


1. Prüfer: Prof. Dr. Volker Lorenz

2. Prüfer: Prof. Dr. Franz Fürsich


Tag der Prüfung (öffentlicher Vortrag und Disputation): 31 January 2007


Doktorurkunde ausgehändigt am:













Werner, M. (2006): The stratigraphy, sedimentology, and age of the Late Palaeozoic
Mesosaurus Inland Sea, SW-Gondwana: new implications from studies on sediments
and altered pyroclastic layers of the Dwyka and Ecca Group (lower Karoo Supergroup)
in southern Namibia. Dr. rer. nat. thesis, University of Würzburg, 428 pp., 167 figs., 1
table.



If we, citizens, do not support our artists, then we sacrifice our
imagination on the altar of crude reality and we end up believing
in nothing and having worthless dreams.

Yann Martel (in Life of Pi)

















Why explore? It is as well as those who ask such a question that
there are others who feel the answer and never need to ask.

Wozu sollte man ein Land erforschen? Für diejenigen, die solche
Fragen stellen, ist es nur gut, dass es andere gibt, die die
Antwort im Gespür haben und gar nicht erst fragen müssen.

Sir Wally Herbert Table of contents 5
TABLE OF CONTENTS

Acknowledgements........................................................................................................ 9

Abstract ........................................................................................................................... 13

Kurzfassung.................................................................................................................... 16


Chapter 1 – Introduction ................................................................................................ 19

1.1 Objectives of the study ............................................................................................... 19

1.2 Study area .................................................................................................................. 21

1.3 The Mesosaurus Inland Sea....................................................................................... 22

1.3.1 Palaeogeography......................................................................................... 22
1.3.2 Stratigraphic overview.................................................................................. 28
1.3.3 Tectonics...................................................................................................... 30
1.3.4 Sedimentary development ........................................................................... 32


Chapter 2 – Stratigraphy and sedimentology of the Dwyka and Ecca Groups in
southern Namibia ........................................................................................................... 33

2.1 Principal outcrop and suboutcrop areas of Dwyka and Ecca rocks in
southern Namibia........................................................................................................ 33

2.2 Dwyka Group.............................................................................................................. 37

2.3 Ecca Group................................................................................................................. 51

2.3.1 Prince Albert Formation ............................................................................... 51
2.3.1.1 Nossob Sandstone Member and Owl Gorge Member................... 53
2.3.1.2 Prince Albert Shales, Mukorob Shale Member and
Uhabis Member ............................................................................. 61
2.3.1.3 Auob Sandstone Member.............................................................. 65
2.3.1.4 Deposits tentatively assigned to the Prince Albert Formation
and other correlatives.................................................................... 69
2.3.1.5 Sequence-stratigraphic subdivision of the Prince Albert Formation 70

2.3.2 Whitehill Formation and lateral correlatives (e.g. Rietmond
Shale Member) ............................................................................................ 72
2.3.2.1 Facies successions of the Whitehill Formation and
equivalent deposits in southern Namibia ...................................... 73
Aussenkjer-Noordoewer Whitehill facies succession..................... 73
Goris Whitehill facies succession................................................... 76
Panorama Whitehill facies succession........................................... 80
Gellap Whitehill facies succession................................................. 86
Mukorob-Daberas Whitehill facies succession .............................. 89
Aranos Whitehill facies succession................................................ 93
2.3.2.2 Correlatives of the Whitehill Formation outside
southern Namibia.......................................................................... 97 6 Mario Werner
2.3.2.3 A multi-stratigraphic correlation approach for the Whitehill
Formation and its various facies successions in southern Namibia ......................................................................................... 99

2.3.3 Collingham Formation .................................................................................. 106

2.3.4 Aussenkjer Formation 113

2.3.5 Amibberg Formation..................................................................................... 132


Chapter 3 – Altered volcanic ash-fall tuff layers.......................................................... 159

3.1 Previous records......................................................................................................... 159

3.2 Nomenclature and classification ................................................................................. 160

3.3 Regional distribution and stratigraphic position of altered tuff layers in
southern Namibia........................................................................................................ 162

3.4 Outcrop descriptions and petrography of the tuff layers ............................................. 166

3.4.1 Tuff beds in the Dwyka Group...................................................................... 166
The Ganigobis Tuffs .................................................................................. 166
The Zwartbas Tuffs.................................................................................... 169
Other tuff recordings from the Dwyka Group and equivalent deposits ...... 172

3.4.2 Tuff beds in the Ecca Group......................................................................... 174

3.4.2.1 Prince Albert Formation ................................................................. 174
The Owl Gorge Tuffs 174
The Itzawisis Tuffs 187
The Korabib Tuffs........................................................................... 199
The Uhabis River Tuff .................................................................... 205
The Vreda Tuffs ............................................................................. 220
3.4.2.2 Whitehill Formation ........................................................................ 221
The Khabus, Panorama & Eisenstein Tuffs ................................... 221
3.4.2.3 Collingham and Aussenkjer Formation.......................................... 251
The Ufo Valleys & Rhyofontein Tuffs ............................................. 251
The Sesfontein Tuff 274
Other tuff recordings from the Ecca Group and equivalent
deposits.......................................................................................... 277

3.4.3 Tuff beds in the Beaufort Group ................................................................... 283
The Gai-As/Doros Tuffs of north-western Namibia (Huab area)................ 283