Abstract
A characteristic feature of the Damara geosyncline in northern South West Africa is the gradual transgression from the relatively undeformed sediments of the miogeosynclinal facies to the metamorphosed eugeosynclinical facies. A crude mirror-image of the arc separating the two facies is present along the southern foreland of the Damara geosyncline and conforms quite clearly with the northern limit of the Kalahari craton. However, owing to the presence of major thrust-faulting which eliminates the transition-beds between the two facies a direct correlation is not possible. The pre-Damara rocks on the southern side of the Damara geosyncline have been divided into the Marienhof Formation and the Dordabis Group in central South West Africa, and the Kgwebe Group in Botswana. These rocks form the base on which the strata constituting the Damara geosyncline have been deposited, and have been subjected to metamorphism both before and during the Damara orogenesis. The term Southern Marginal Facies is proposed for the unmetamorphosed strata deposited unconformably on the pre-Damara rocks along the southern flanks of the Damara geosyncline. These unmetamorphosed strata are composed of the Klein Aub, Witvlei, Ghanzi and Tsumis Formations which are regarded as the equivalent of the Nosib Group. They are unconformably overlain by the Nama Group which is considered to be, at least in part, the equivalent of the Hakos and Khomas Formations. Copper mineralization associated with calcareous shale, limestone and argillite occurs within the Klein Aub, Witvlei and Lower Ghanzi Formations. The mineralized strata closely resemble that of the Zambian Copper-belt with which they may well be correlated.
Published Version
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