Lower Palaeozoic unconformities in an intracratonic platform setting: glacial erosion versus tectonics in the eastern Murzuq Basin (southern Libya)

The stratigraphic record of the eastern Murzuq Basin has been importantly influenced by deformation resulting in angular and/or deeply erosional unconformities, though the overall context is intracratonic. Major transgressive events and the Ordovician glaciation are nevertheless documented, allowing the delineation of tectonic-, eustasy- or climate-driven unconformities. Lower Palaeozoic key events and related unconformities that characterize the North Gondwana platform have therefore a signature in the eastern Murzuq Basin. The basement/cover unconformity, also known as the infra-Tassilian surface, truncates all the deformed and metamorphosed Lower Cambrian and older rocks. Above is a ?Middle Cambrian to Lower Ordovician megasequence (Murizidié and Hasawnah Fms.), which is in turn truncated by an intra-Ordovician, angular unconformity. This megasequence is unconformably overlain by a Middle Ordovician (Hawaz Fm.) to Silurian (Tanzzuft and Akakus Fms) megasequence, which includes the Upper Ordovician glaciogenic unit (Mamuniyat Fm.), bounded at the base by a polygenic glacial erosion surface showing corrugated glacial lineations, tillites, and glaciotectonic structures. The Middle Ordovician to Silurian megasequence is finally truncated by a base-Devonian, angular unconformity overlain by fluvial sandstones. Regarding the possibility that those fluvial deposits may be as younger as Late Devonian in the eastern Murzuq Basin based on palaeoflora, the so-called Caledonian unconformity might be here a much younger (mid-Eifelian?) surface, and the occurrence of the Lower Devonian “Tadrart Fm.” is questioned. The Upper Ordovician glacial erosion surface, which is sometimes referred to as the Taconic unconformity, usually truncates Middle Ordovician strata in the Murzuq Basin but reaches significantly deeper stratigraphic levels in places that have been previously involved in the intra-Ordovician deformation event. In the Murizidié (southeastern Murzuq Basin), the infra-Tassilian surface, the intra-Ordovician unconformity, and the Upper Ordovician glacial erosion surface amalgamate together. Here, an estimate of the glacial erosion depth cannot be derived from the stratigraphic hiatus beneath the glacial incision, the main part of which relate to the intra-Ordovician tectonic event. The Upper Ordovician climate-related glacial erosion surface is not a valid unconformity for a sequence hierarchy framework of the Lower Palaeozoic, although it presents most of the physical attributes of tectonic-driven unconformities.     

Chad Basin: Paleoenvironments of the Sahara since the Late Miocene

Since the mid 1990s, the Mission paléoanthropologique francotchadienne (MPFT) conducts yearly paleontological field investigations of the Miocene-Pliocene of the Chad Basin. This article synthesizes some of the results of the MPFT, with focus on the Chad Basin development during the Neogene. We propose an overview of the depositional paleoenvironments of this part of Africa at different scales of time and space, based on a multidisciplinary approach (sedimentary geology, geomorphology, geophysic, numerical simulations and geochronology). The Miocene-Pliocene paleoenvironments are examined through the sedimentary archives of the early hominids levels and the Holocene Lake Mega-Chad episode illustrates the last major paleoenvironmental change in this area. The sedimentary record of the Chad Basin since the Late Miocene can be schematized as the result of recurrent interactions from lake to desert environments.     

Tracking the isostatic and eustatic signals in an end Ordovician–early Silurian deglacial sedimentary record (Algeria – Libya border)

To elucidate the signature of isostatic and eustatic signals during a deglaciation period in pre‐Pleistocene times is made difficult because very little dating can be done, and also because glacial erosion surfaces, subaerial unconformities and subsequent regressive or transgressive marine ravinement surfaces tend to amalgamate or erode the deglacial deposits. How and in what way can the rebound be interpreted from the stratigraphic record? This study proposes to examine deglacial deposits from Late‐Ordovician to Silurian outcrops at the Algeria–Libya border, in order to define the glacio–isostatic rebound and relative sea‐level changes during a deglaciation period. The studied succession developed at the edge and over a positive palaeo‐relief inherited from a prograding proglacial delta that forms a depocentre of glaciogenic deposits. The succession is divided into five subzones, which depend on the topography of this depocentre. Six facies associations were determined: restricted marine (Facies Association 1); tidal channels (Facies Association 2); tidal sand dunes (Facies Association 3); foreshore to upper shoreface (Facies Association 4); lower shoreface (Facies Association 5); and offshore shales (Facies Association 6). Stratigraphic correlations over the subzones support the understanding of the depositional chronology and associated sea‐level changes. Deepest marine domains record a forced regression of 40 m of sea‐level fall resulting from an uplift caused by a glacio‐isostatic rebound that outpaces the early transgression. The rebound is interpreted to result in a multi‐type surface, which is interpreted as a regressive surface of marine erosion in initially marine domains and as a subaerial unconformity surface in an initially subaerial domain. The transgressive deposits have developed above this surface, during the progressive flooding of the palaeo‐relief. Sedimentology and high‐resolution sequence stratigraphy allowed the delineation of a deglacial sequence and associated sea‐level changes curve for the studied succession. Estimates suggest a relatively short (<10 kyr) duration for the glacio‐isostatic uplift and a subsequent longer duration transgression (4 to 5 Myr).     

Forced regressive deposits of a deglaciation sequence: Example from the Late Quaternary succession in the Lake Saint‐Jean basin (Québec,Canada)

Differentiating between forced regressive deposits from deglacial periods in high latitude domains and forced regressive deposits from the onset of glacial periods in low latitude domains is fundamental for the accurate interpretation of glacial cycles within the geological record and then for the reconstruction of palaeogeography and palaeo‐climate. A forced regressive deglacial sequence is documented from the Lake Saint‐Jean basin (Québec, Canada). In this area, the Late Pleistocene to Holocene sediments have recorded the Laurentide ice sheet retreat accompanied by the invasion of marine waters (Laflamme Gulf) from ca 12·9 cal kyr bp . Subsequently, fluvio‐deltaic and coastal prograding wedges were deposited; they followed the base‐level fall due to glacio‐isostatic rebound. This succession, representing a transition from glacial to post‐glacial periods within a previously glaciated area, was investigated through recent mapping, preserved landforms, facies analysis, and new optical stimulated luminescence and radiocarbon dates. Three basin‐scale geological sections share a common lower part made of isolated ice‐contact fan deposits overlying bedrock. Throughout the entire basin, ice‐contact fans are capped by glacimarine muds. Above, fluvial and coastal prograding systems were deposited and evolved through four steps: (i) deltaic systems progressively increased in width; (ii) coastal influence on sedimentation increased; (iii) hydrographic drainage systems became more organised; and (iv) deltas graded from steep (Gilbert delta) to low‐angle foresets (mouth‐bar delta). Deposited during the base‐level fall from glacio‐isostatic rebound, the complete succession has been designated as a single falling stage system tract referred to as a deglacial falling stage system tract. It is representative of a deglaciation sequence in areas previously covered by ice during glacial periods (i.e. medium to high latitude domains). Diagnostic criteria are provided to identify such a deglacial falling stage system tract in the geological record, which may aid identification of previously unknown glacial cycles.     

Seismic‐stratigraphic record of a deglaciation sequence: from the marine Laflamme Gulf to Lake Saint‐Jean (late Quaternary,Québec,Canada)

The stratigraphy of the last deglaciation sequence is investigated in Lake Saint‐Jean (Québec Province, Canada) based on 300 km of echo‐sounder two dimensional seismic profiles. The sedimentary archive of this basin is documented from the Late Pleistocene Laurentidian ice‐front recession to the present‐day situation. Ten seismic units have been identified that reflect spatio‐temporal variations in depositional processes characterizing different periods of the Saint‐Jean basin evolution. During the postglacial marine flooding, a high deposition rate of mud settling, from proglacial glacimarine and then prodeltaic plumes in the Laflamme Gulf, produced an extensive, up to 50 m thick mud sheet draping the isostatically depressed marine basin floor. Subsequently, a closing of the water body due to glacio‐isostatic rebound occurred at 8.5 cal. ka BP, drastically modifying the hydrodynamics. Hyperpycnal flows appeared because fresh lake water replaced dense marine water. River sediments were transferred towards the deeper part of the lake into river‐related sediment drifts and confined lobes. The closing of the water body is also marked by the onset of a wind‐driven internal circulation associating coastal hydrodynamics and bottom currents with sedimentary features including shoreface deposits, sediment drifts and a prograding shelf‐type body. The fingerprints of a forced regression are well expressed by mouth‐bar systems and by the shoreface–shelf system, the latter unexpected in such a lacustrine setting. In both cases, a regressive surface of lacustrine erosion (RSLE) has been identified, separating sandy mouth‐bar from glaciomarine to prodeltaic muds, and sandy shoreface wedges from the heterolithic shelf‐type body, respectively. The Lake Saint‐Jean record is an example of a regressive succession driven by a glacio‐isostatic rebound and showing the transition from late‐glacial to post‐glacial depositional systems.     

Palaeovalleys and fault-controlled depocentres in the Late-Ordovician glacial record of the Murzuq Basin (central Libya)

In the Gargaf area, the stratigraphic architecture of the Late-Ordovician glacial drift results from successive glacial erosion events, with the location of the main glacial valleys partly controlled by inherited Panafrican structural trends, and by the existence of glacio-isostatically induced fault-related depocentres. Four laterally discontinuous, depositional units correspond to the filling of palaeovalleys. Each of the corresponding basal bounding surfaces was incised during a major ice front advance, reaching at least the northern Gargaf (>28°S). The bulk of the glacial record is made up of fluvial to shallow-marine sediments deposited in relatively distal glacial environments. Each unit, which recorded a glacial-interglacial climatic cycle, can be used for correlation throughout the Murzuq Basin and even at the scale of the North Gondwana platform. To cite this article: J.-F. Ghienne et al., C. R. Geoscience 335 (2003).     

Late Ordovician glaciation in southern Turkey

ABSTRACT We present a new survey of several Palaeozoic sections in both the Taurus range and the Border Folds that documents typical glacial features including a glacial pavement and striated dropstones (Halevikdere Formation) and demonstrates the former presence of an ice sheet in southern and south-eastern Turkey. Evidence for the late Ashgill (Hirnantian) age of this episode is provided by macro- and microfossils found within the glacial formation. The extension of ice-related deposits into the northernmost part of the Arabian Platform (Mardin region) implies a much wider distribution of the Ordovician ice sheet than was previously believed, and strongly suggests that southern Turkey lay close to Egypt during the Lower Palaeozoic.