The formation and evolution of Africa
Subtitle: a synopsis of 3.8 Ga of earth history
By: edited by D.J.J. van Hinsbergen ... [et al]
Series: Geological society special publication -- no. 357; Geological Society special publication -- no. 357.
Publisher: Geological Society
Published: 2011
Place of publication: London
Language: eng
Number of pages: 378
ISBN-13: 9781862393356
Subjects: Geology; Structural geology; Africa; Regional geology
Description: The African continent preserves a long geological record that covers almost 75% of Earth's history. The Pan-Africanorogeny (c. 600-500 Ma) brought together old continental kernels (West Africa, Congo, Kalahari and Tanzania) to form Gondwana and subsequently the supercontinent Pangaea by the late Palaeozoic. The break-up of Pangaea since the Jurassic and Cretaceous, primarily through opening of the Central Atlantic, Indian, and South Atlantic oceans, in combination with the complicated subduction history to the north, gradually shaped the African continent. This volume contains 18 contributions that discuss the geology of Africa from the Archaean to the present day. It celebrates African geology in two ways: first, it highlights multidisciplinary Earth science research by viewing the formation and evolution of Africa from 18 different angles; second, it celebrates the work of Kevin Burke and Lewis Ashwal and portrays the wide range of interests and research angles that have characterized these two scientists throughout their careers, working in Africa, and studying African geology--
Notes: Includes bibliographical references and index.
Table of contents: title: The formation and evolution of Africa from the Archaean to present: introduction / D.J.J. Van Hinsbergen, S.J.H. Butter, T.H. Torsvik, C. Gaina & S.J. Webb; title: New palaeoproterozoic palaeomagnetic data from the Kaapvaal Craton, South Africa / S. Letts, T.H. Torsvik, S.J. Webb & L.D. Ashwal; title: Three episodes of crustal development in the Rehoboth Province, Namibia / V. Van Schijndel, D.H. Cornell, K.-H. Goodenough & D. Frei; title: Polyphase neoproterozoic orogenesis within the East Africa-Antarctica orogenic belt in central and northern Madagascar / R. M Key, P.E.J. Pitfield, R.J. Thomas, K.M. Goodenough, B. De Waele, D.I. Schofield, W. Bauer, M.S.A. Horstwood, M.T. Styles, J. Conrad, J. Encarnacion, D.J. Lidke, E.A. O'Connor, C. Potter, R.A. Smith, G.J. Walsh, A.V. Ralison, T. Randriamananjara, J.-M. Rafahatelo, & M. Rabarimanana; title: Tectonosedimentary expressions of the evolution of the Fungurume foreland basin in the Lufilian Arc, neoproterozoic-lower palaeozoic, central Africa / M. Wemdprff; title: Tectonic evolution of the central steep zone, Axum area, northern Ethiopia: inferences from magnetic and geochemical data / H. De Wall, C. Dietl, O. Jungmann, A.T. Tegene & M.K. Pandit; title: Constraining the timing of deformation in the southwestern central zone of the Damara Belt, Namibia / L. Longridge, R.L. Gibson, J.A. Kinnaird & R.A. Armstrong; title: The Palaeozoic palaeogeography of central Gondwana / T.H. Torsvik& L.R.M. Cocks; title: Morphology, internal architecture and emplacement mechanisms of lava flows from the central Atlantic magmatic province (CAMP) of Argana Basin (Morocco) / H. El Hachimi, N. Youbi, J. Madeira, M.K. Bensalah, L. Martins, J. Mata, F. Medina, H. Bertrand, A. Marzoli, J. Munhá, G. Bellieni, A. Mahmoudi, M.B. Abbou & H. Assafar; title: Palaeomagnetic results from upper triassic red-beds and CAMP lavas of the Argana Basin, Morocco / M. Deenen, C. Langereis, W. Krugsman, H. El Hachimi & E.H. Chellai; title: Palaeomagnetic and AMS study of the Tarfaya coastal basin, Morocco: an early turonian palaeopole for the African plate / V.C. Ruiz-Martínez, A. Palencia-Ortas, J. J . Villalaín, G. McInstosh & F. Martín-Hernández; title: Palaeoposition of the Seychelles microcontinent in relation to the deccan traps and the plume generation zone in late cretaceous-early palaeogene time / M. Ganderød, T.H. Torsvik, D.J.J. Van Hinsbergen, C. Gaina, F. Corfu, S. Werner, T.M. Owen-Smith, L.D. Ashwal, S.J. Webb & B.W.H. Hendriks; title: The relations between felsic and mafic volcanic rocks in continental flood basalts of Ethiopia: implication for the thermal weakening of the crust / D. Ayalew; title: Geochemistry of 24 Ma basalts from NE Egypt: source components and fractionation history / C. Endress, T. Furman, M.A.A. El-Rus & B.B. Hanan; title: The mid-miocene East African plateau: a pre-rift topographic model inferred from the emplacement of the phonolitic Yatta lava flow, Kenya / H. Wichura, R. Bousquet, R. Oberhäsli, M.R. Strecker & M.H. Trauth; title: Late neogene volcanics and interbedded palaeosols near Mount Kenya / W.C. Mahaney, R.W. Barendregt, M. Villeneuv, J. Dosta, T.H. Hamilton & M.W. Milner; title: Recent tectonics of Tripolitania, Libya: an intraplate record of Mediterranean subduction / F.A. Capitanio, C. Faccenna, R. Funiciello & F. Salvini; title: The enigmatic Chad lineament revisited with global gravity and gravity-gradient fields / C. Braitenberg, P. Mariani, J. Ebbing & M. Sprlak; title: Towards a better understanding of African topography: a review of passive-source seismic studies of the African crust and upper mantle / S. Fishwick & I.D. Bastow.