Abstract
The regionally well-known Laingsburg depocenter and lesser-known Ripon depocenter is situated between Prince Albert (Western Cape) and Willowmore (Eastern Cape) of the southern Main Karoo Basin, South Africa. Independently, both depocenters are well studied and boast a plethora of literature specifically on key lithostratigraphic units including the Laingsburg and Vischkuil formations (Laingsburg depocenter) and the Ripon Formation (Ripon depocenter). At first glance, exposures of these formations indicate a possible interfingering relationship; yet, the linkages between these two depocenters and their lithostratigraphic units remain cryptic and unresolved. Therefore, this study sought to re-address this unresolved complexity between the Laingsburg and Ripon depocenters by coupling traditional and novel sedimentological techniques. Through detailed facies and architectural analysis, this study was successful in producing a rigorous basin reconstruction, which indicates that sediments were emplaced with a basin floor to slope palaeoenvironment. Broad-scale facies reconstruction coupled with sedimentary petrology indicates that the two depocenters have slightly different source regions and represent two separable submarine fan complexes. These results are corroborated when coupled with markedly different zircon histories recovered from the Ripon (Antarctica provenance: Dyer arc) and Laingsburg (South American provenance: Northern Patagonia Massif, Choiyoi Provence) depocentres. This study was successful in resolving that distinct sedimentological, petrological, and geochronological differences are present between these two depocenters.
Published Version
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call