Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Letter
  • Published:

Infracambrian glaciogenic sediments from Sierra Leone

Abstract

THE Rokel River Group1–3 is a sequence of generally marine sediments and interbedded volcanic rocks which extends into Sierra Leone from Guinea as a NNE–SSW trending, northwards plunging synclinorium (Fig. 1). It is divided into six formations3 and rests unconformably on Archaean granitic basement. The Rokel River Group is considered to be late Precambrian to early Cambrian as it was folded and slightly metamorphosed near the present western outcrop margin, during the Rokelide orogeny3,4 around 550 Myr ago, the date of the Pan–African thermo–tectonic episode5. It is unconformably overlain by probable late Ordovician sediments of the Saionia Scarp Group1,6,7. We have studied the basal formation of the Rokel River Group, the Tabe Formation3, and describe here two members, the lower one exhibiting the characteristics of a glacial deposit. These glaciogenic sediments extend the known range of the Infracambrian–Eocambrian glaciation in West Africa.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Dixey, F. Rep. geol. Surv. Sierra Leone 1–10 (1920).

  2. Dixey, F. Q. Jl geol. Soc. Lond. 81, 195–222 (1925).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Allen, P. M. Geol. Mag. 105, 62–73 (1968).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  4. Allen, P. M. Geol. Rundschau 58, 588–620 (1969).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  5. Kennedy, W. Q. 8th A. Rep. Res. Inst. African Geol. 48–49 (1964).

  6. Reid, P. C. & Tucker, M. E. Nature 238, 38–40 (1972).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  7. Tucker, M. E. & Reid, P. C. Palaeogeogr. Palaeoclim. Palaeoecol. 13, 289–307 (1973).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  8. Vallance, G. Rep. geol. Sun. Sierra Leone 1–56 (1974).

  9. Krinsley, D. H. & Doornkamp, J. C. An Atlas of Quartz Grain Surface Features (Cambridge University Press, 1973).

    Google Scholar 

  10. Frakes, L. A., Amos, A. J. & Crowell, J. C. in Gondwana Stratigraphy 821–843 (IUGS Symp. UNESCO, 1969).

    Google Scholar 

  11. Harland, W. B. Geol. Rundschau 54, 45–61 (1964).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  12. Harland, W. B., Herod, K. N. & Krinsley, D. H. Earth Sci. Rev. 2, 225–256 (1966).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  13. Pettijohn, F. J. Sedimentary Rocks (Harper and Row, New York, 1975).

    Google Scholar 

  14. Heezen, B. C. & Hollister, C. in Problems in Palaeoclimatology (ed. Nairn, A. E. M.) 99–107 (Interscience, New York, 1964).

    Google Scholar 

  15. Spjedlnaes, N. Geol. Rundschau 54, 24–45 (1964).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  16. Reading, H. G. & Walker, F. G. Palaeogeogr. Palaeoclim. Palaeoecol. 2, 177–212 (1966).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  17. Howchin, W. Q. Jl geol. Soc. Lond. 64, 234–259 (1908).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Mawson, D. J. Proc. R. Soc. New South Wales 82, 150–174 (1949).

    Google Scholar 

  19. Graindor, M. J. Geol. Rundschau 54, 61–82 (1964).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  20. McElhinney, M. W. & Embleton, B. J. J. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A 280, 417–431 (1976).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  21. Biju-Duval, B. & Gariel, O. Palaeogeogr. Palaeoclim. Palaeoecol. 6, 283–315 (1969).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  22. Choubert, G. & Faure-Mauret, A. in Tectonics of Africa 267–293 (UNESCO, Paris 1971).

    Google Scholar 

  23. Bassot, J. P. Mem. B.R.G.M. (Paris) 40 (1966).

  24. Choubert, G. & Faure-Muret, A. in Tectonics of Africa 295–349 (UNESCO, Paris, 1971).

    Google Scholar 

  25. Thorman, C. H. Geol. Soc. Am. Bull. 87, 851–856 (1976).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

CULVER, S., WILLIAMS, H. & BULL, P. Infracambrian glaciogenic sediments from Sierra Leone. Nature 274, 49–51 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1038/274049a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/274049a0

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing