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Continental Intercalaire Formation
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Continental Intercalaire Fm base reconstruction

Continental Intercalaire Fm

Period: 
Cretaceous

Age Interval: 
Coniacian-Maastrichtian


Province: 
Taoudeni Basin

Type Locality and Naming

Taoudeni Basin is a vast intracratonic sedimentary basin spanning parts of Mauritania, Mali, Algeria, Burkina Faso and Guinea This generalized formation is everywhere in the entire Taoudeni Basin (e.g., Adrar, Hodh and Hank sub-basins)

Synonym:

References: Martin-Monge et al., 2016

[Fig. 1: Location of the Taoudeni Basin Province and the four assessment units defined in the study by Brownfield et al. (2015)]

[Fig. 2: The Taoudeni Basin (Taupin et al., 2017)

[Fig. 3: Abolag-1 well, R well and Atar Group type section stratigraphy, facies description and correlation in the Taoudeni Basin, and organic richness profile in the Abolag-1 well (Claue,1981; Rooney et al.2009; Trompette,1973; Albert-Villanueva et al. 2016).]

[Fig. 4: Generalized stratigraphy of the Taoudeni Basin in Mauritania. Lithostratigraphic name equivalences are provided for the Adrar, Hank and Hodh depocentres. The major discontinuities are numbered and reference to global glacial and tectonic events is provided. (From Martin-Monge et al. (2016) as modified after Lahondere et al. (2003, 2005).]


Lithology and Thickness

The Continental Intercalaire Fm makes up the entirety of the Oualata Super Gr (supergroup). It is made up entirely of continental sandstones, and is characterized at the top and base by unconformities (Martin-Monge et al., 2016).


Lithology Pattern: 
Sandstone


Relationships and Distribution

Lower contact

Major unconformity (entire Permian through mid-Cretaceous is absent). In Adrar sub-basin, it unconformably overlies the Tenemouj Gr of the Dahr Super Gr (Supergroup). In the Hank sub-basin, it Unconformably overlies the Telig Gr of the Dahr Super Gr (Supergroup).

Upper contact

Unconformably (entire Paleogene-Neogene is absent) overlies the Quaternary Superficial Fm deposits (sandstones – Martin-Monge et al., 2016),

Regional extent

This formation occurs through the entire Taoudeni Basin, which spans parts of Mauritania, Mali, Algeria, Burkina Faso and Guinea.


GeoJSON

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Fossils


Age 

Martin-Monge et al. (2016) summary figure schematically indicates a span of the upper third of the Cretaceous. Therefore, arbitrarily shown here as Coniacian to late Maastrichtian (but the major hiatus begins in latest Maastrichtian?)

Age Span: 
Coniacian

    Beginning stage: 
Coniacian

    Fraction up in beginning stage: 
0.0

    Beginning date (Ma): 
89.39

    Ending stage: 
Maastrichtian

    Fraction up in the ending stage: 
0.9

    Ending date (Ma):  
66.65

Depositional setting

fluviatile and lacustrine environment


Depositional pattern:  


Additional Information


Compiler:  

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

Wenzhe, G. (2009): Hydrocarbon generation conditions and exploration potential of the Taoudeni Basin, Mauritania. Pet. Sci., 6: pp.29-37

Taylor, C. D. and Giles, S. A. (2013): Mineral Potential for Sediment-Hosted Copper Deposits in the Islamic Republic of Mauritania: Phase V, Deliverable 75. U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia

Martin-Monge, A., Baudino, R., Gairifo-Ferreira, L. M., Tocco, R., Badali, M., Ochoa, M., Haryono, S., Soriano, S., El Hafiz, N., Mez, J. H., Chacon, B., Brisson, I., Grammatico, G., Varade, R., and Abdallah, H. (2016): An unusual Proterozoic petroleum play in Western Africa: the Atar Group carbonates (Taoudeni Basin, Mauritania). In: Sabato Ceraldi, T., Hodgkinson, R. A. & Backe, G. (eds) Petroleum Geoscience of the West Africa Margin. Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 438, http://doi.org/10.1144/SP438.5

Bradley, D. C., Motts, H. A., Horton, J. D., Giles, Stuart, and Taylor, C. D. (2015): Geologic Map of Mauritania (Phase V, Deliverables 51a, 51b, and 51c), Chap. A1 of Taylor, C. D., ed., Second Projet de Renforcement Institutionnel du Sector Minier de la Republique Islamique de Mauritanie (PRISM-II): U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2013-1280-A1, 3 pl., http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/ofr20131280.