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Correlation and Paleogeographic Reconstruction of the Cape-Karoo Basin Sequences and Their Equivalents Across Central West Gondwana

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Origin and Evolution of the Cape Mountains and Karoo Basin

Part of the book series: Regional Geology Reviews ((RGR))

Abstract

The most iconic stratigraphic sequences of West Gondwana are those of the Cape-Karoo Basin of southern Africa. But time-equivalent, extensive, and thick basin sequences are also preserved in the less well-known Congo Basin of central Africa, and the Paraná and Parnaíba Basins of south-east and north-central South America. Here, we review sedimentological and stratigraphic data of these four very large basins of Central West Gondwana to discuss possible correlations and paleogeographic reconstructions during and following the period of amalgamation of Gondwana and Pangea (ca. 600–300 Ma), and during the subsequent period of break-up of these two supercontinents (ca. 200–120 Ma). The aim is to provide a regional framework to the study of the Cape-Karoo type sections and highlight some of the major uncertainties that remain to be clarified before robust continental-scale geodynamic models and global climatic variability can be verified.

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Acknowledgments

We appreciate the support from AEON-ESSRI and the DST/NRF of South Africa, and the Gondwana Map Project in Brazil. We thank Mike Daly for a constructive review. This is a contribution to IGCP-628 and AEON publication number 162.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. AEON-ESSRI (African Earth Observatory Network – Earth Stewardship Research Institute), Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, Port Elizabeth, South Africa

    Bastien Linol & Maarten J. de Wit

  2. Geology Department, University of Dar es Salaam, P.O. Box 35052, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

    Charles H. Kasanzu

  3. Laboratório do Gondwana – Departamento de Geologia, sala J2-020 – Campus Universitário, Universidade Federal de Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

    Renata da Silva Schmitt & Andre Assis

  4. Departamento de Geociências, Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro, Seropédica, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

    Francisco Jose Corrêa-Martins

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  1. Bastien Linol
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  2. Maarten J. de Wit
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  3. Charles H. Kasanzu
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  4. Renata da Silva Schmitt
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  5. Francisco Jose Corrêa-Martins
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  6. Andre Assis
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Correspondence to Bastien Linol .

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  1. Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, AEON-ESSRI Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, Port Elizabeth, South Africa

    Bastien Linol

  2. Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, AEON-ESSRI Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, Port Elizabeth, South Africa

    Maarten J. de Wit

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Linol, B., de Wit, M.J., Kasanzu, C.H., da Silva Schmitt, R., Corrêa-Martins, F.J., Assis, A. (2016). Correlation and Paleogeographic Reconstruction of the Cape-Karoo Basin Sequences and Their Equivalents Across Central West Gondwana. In: Linol, B., de Wit, M. (eds) Origin and Evolution of the Cape Mountains and Karoo Basin. Regional Geology Reviews. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-40859-0_18

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