Abstract
THIS letter reports dates for samples from the volcanic centres east of the main Manyara-Natron fault escarpment of northern Tanzania obtained by the potassium-argon method. The sequence of the Kenyan volcanics has recently been established using potassium-argon age determinations (personal communication from B. H. Baker et al.). During the Miocene both multicentre alkali-basalt eruptions and nepheline-phonolite-carbonatite centres occurred in central and northern Kenya. Volcanic activity forming phonolite and trachyte lavas continued throughout the Pliocene and Pleistocene in central and southern Kenya. The last major volcanic phase was during the Quaternary, with intense fracturing accompanying the volcanic eruptions along the rift floor. The volcanic province of northern Tanzania is the southern limit of both the Gregory rift volcanic zone and the grid faulting which characterizes the rift floors of Kenya and Ethiopia, with the exception of volcanic centres occurring in central and southern Tanzania which have not been dated.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
We are sorry, but there is no personal subscription option available for your country.
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
References
Evernden, J. F., and Curtis, G. H., Curr. Anthropoi, 6, 343 (1965).
Grasty, R. L., and Miller, J. A., Nature, 207, 1146 (1965).
McDougall, I., in Methods and Techniques in Geophysics, 2, 219 (Interscience, 1966).
Collinson, D. W., Creer, K. M., and Runcorn, S. K., Methods in Palaeomagnetism (Elsevier, Amsterdam, 1967).
Dawson, J. B., Geology of Monduli Area, Geol. Surv. Tanzania, Quarter Degree Sheet 54 (1964).
Isaac, C. L., in Background to Evolution in Africa (edit. by Bishop, W. W., and Clark, J. D.), 229 (Chicago Univ. Press, 1967).
Baker, B. H., Geology of Magadi Area, Geol. Surv. Kenya (1958).
Girdler, R. W., Fairhead, J. D., Searle, R. C., and Sowerbutts, W. T. C., Nature, 224, 1176 (1969).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
EVANS, A., FAIRHEAD, J. & MITCHELL, J. Potassium—Argon Ages from the Volcanic Province of Northern Tanzania. Nature Physical Science 229, 19–20 (1971). https://doi.org/10.1038/physci229019a0
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/physci229019a0
This article is cited by
-
Age of Fault Movements in Tanzanian Sector of East African Rift System
Nature (1974)
-
Rifting in Eastern Africa and the Fragmentation of Gondwanaland
Nature (1972)
-
New K/Ar Determinations on Rift Volcanics of S. Kenya and their Bearing on Age of Rift Faulting
Nature Physical Science (1972)