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Tichit Gr
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Tichit Gr base reconstruction

Tichit Gr

Period: 
Ordovician

Age Interval: 
late Katian-Hirnantian


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 glacial formation is everywhere in the entire Taoudeni Basin (e.g., Adrar, Hodh and Hank sub-basins)

Synonym:

References:

[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 Tichit Gr is made up entirely of glaciogenic deposits composed of quartzitic sandstones and is characterized at its base by the Hirnantian Glaciation. In the Hank sub-basin, the Tichit Gr is made up of quartzose cross-bedded sandstone; argillaceous microconglomerate and micaceous siltstone; argillaceous sandstone with boulders; quartzite; argillaceous sandstone and microconglomerates with Skolithos (Bradley et al., 2015). The group is present in all major subbasins.


Lithology Pattern: 
Glacial till


Relationships and Distribution

Lower contact

Unconformably overlies the Oujeft Gr in the Adrar and Hodh sub-basins (Martin-Monge et al., 2016); and unconformably overlies the Erg Cheg Gr in the Hank sub-basin.

Upper contact

Conformably overlain by the Oued Chig Gr in the Adrar and Hodh sub-basins; and is conformably overlain by the Toba el Hamar Gr in the Hank sub-basin

Regional extent

Occurs throughout the Taoudeni Basin


GeoJSON

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Fossils


Age 

Martin-Monge et al. (2016) summary figure schematically indicates a span of latest Ordovician, hence the Hirnantian glaciation. Onset placed as mid-Katian here to emphasize glacial deposits on graphics.

Age Span: 

    Beginning stage: 
Katian

    Fraction up in beginning stage: 
0.5

    Beginning date (Ma): 
448.98

    Ending stage: 
Hirnantian

    Fraction up in the ending stage: 
1.0

    Ending date (Ma):  
443.07

Depositional setting

Glacial, proglacial, and periglacial environments


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.