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Ain El Barka Formation
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Ain El Barka Fm base reconstruction

Ain El Barka Fm

Period: 
Carboniferous

Age Interval: 
Middle – Late Visean


Province: 
Tindouf Basin

Type Locality and Naming

Djebilet-Yetti subbasin (exposed on northwest margin of Tindouf Basin)

Synonym:

References: Guerrak, 1989

[Fig. 1: Geological map of the Tindouf Basin region. (from Guerrak, 1989).]

[Fig. 2: Location of the Tindouf Basin Province, North Africa, and the six assessment units (AUs) (USGS, 2019).]

[Fig. 3: Stratigraphic column of the Tindouf Basin region (Guerrak, 1989).]

[Fig. 4: Stratigraphic correlation of the northern and southern flanks of the Tindouf Basin (Guerrak, 1989).]

[Fig. 5: Stratigraphic column of the study area (redrawn after Guerrak, 1988a).]


Lithology and Thickness

The Ain El Barka Fm is about 600m thick, and is characterized at the base by shales and limestones, in the midsection by anhydrites, and at the top by shales, limestones, and dolomites (Guerrak, 1989).


Lithology Pattern: 
Clayey limestone


Relationships and Distribution

Lower contact

Conformably overlies the Kerb Es Sefiat Fm

Upper contact

Conformably underlies the Hassi Aouleouel Fm

Regional extent

Extends throughout southern flanks of the Tindouf Basin; and Djebilet-Yetti subbasin (exposed on northwest margin of Tindouf Basin)


GeoJSON

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Fossils


Age 

Middle – Late Visean

Age Span: 

    Beginning stage: 
Visean

    Fraction up in beginning stage: 
0.33

    Beginning date (Ma): 
341.32

    Ending stage: 
Visean

    Fraction up in the ending stage: 
1.0

    Ending date (Ma):  
330.34

Depositional setting


Depositional pattern:  


Additional Information


Compiler:  

Enam O. Obiosio, Solomon Joshua Avong and Henry Nasir Suleiman (2024) - Stratigraphic Lexicon compiled from the following books:

Andrea Ciampalini, Francesca Garfagnoli, Benedetta Antonielli, Chiara Del Ventisette & Sandro Moretti (2012) Photo-lithological map of the southern flank of the Tindouf Basin (Western Sahara), Journal of Maps, 8:4, 453-464, DOI: 10.1080/17445647.2012.746947

Guerrak S. (1989): Time and space distribution of Palaeozoic oolitic ironstones in the Tindouf Basin, Algerian Sahara. In: Young, T. P. & Taylor, W. E. G. (eds), 1989: Phanerozoic Ironstones

Geological Society Special Publication 46, pp. 197-212

Guerrak S. (1988a): Geology of the Early Devonian oolitic iron ore of the Gara Djebilet field. Saharan Platform, Algeria. Ore Geology Reviews, (In Press).