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Dahr Super Gr

Dahr Super Gr

Period: 
Ordovician, Silurian, Devonian, Carboniferous

Age Interval: 
late Katian to base Permian


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 Supergroup is everywhere in the entire Taoudeni Basin (e.g., Adrar, Hodh and Hank sub-basins). In the Adrar-Hohd subbasins, the Dahr Supergroup is made up of three groups (Tichit Gr, Oued Chig Gr, and Tenemouj Gr; although Tinemouj Gr seems to be absent in the Hodh subbasin). In the Hank subbasin, the Dahr Supergroup is made up of four groups (Tichit Gr, Tobe el Hamar Gr, In Dagouber Gr, El Guettara Gr).

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

Dahr Supergroup composed an upward succession of glacial till, black shale and sandstone. In the Adrar-Hohd subbasins, the Dahr Supergroup is made up of three groups (Tichit Gr glacial till, Oued Chig Gr black shale, and Tenemouj Gr sandy limestone; although Tinemouj Gr seems to be absent in the Hodh subbasin). In the Hank subbasin, the Dahr Supergroup is made up of four groups (Tichit Gr glacial till, Tobe el Hamar Gr black shale, In Dagouber Gr fine-grained sandstone, El Guettara Gr sandstone).The Hirnantian glaciation characterizes the base of the supergroup.


Lithology Pattern: 
Clayey sandstone


Relationships and Distribution

Lower contact

unconformably overlies the Oujeft Gr of the Adrar Super Gr

Upper contact

unconformably overlain by the Oualata Supergroup, (Hercynian Orogeny)

Regional extent

Spanning parts of Mauritania, Mali, Algeria, Burkina Faso and Guinea


GeoJSON

null

Fossils


Age 

Martin-Monge et al. (2016) summary figure schematically indicates a span of late Katian (or onset of Hirnantian-type glacial deposits) to base Permian. However, dating is uncertain, especially for the late Silurian through Carboniferous.

Age Span: 

    Beginning stage: 
Katian

    Fraction up in beginning stage: 
0.5

    Beginning date (Ma): 
448.98

    Ending stage: 
Gzhelian

    Fraction up in the ending stage: 
1.0

    Ending date (Ma):  
298.89

Depositional setting

Shallow marine to coastal siliciclastic depositional 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.