Home Multi-Country Search About Admin Login


Information provided by geoscience team at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria --see About

Search by
Select Region(s) to search
Hold Ctrl (Windows/Linux) or Command (Mac) to select multiple
Touiderguilt-Tifounke Formation
Click to display on map of the Ancient World at:
Touiderguilt-Tifounke Fm base reconstruction

Touiderguilt-Tifounke Fm

Period: 
Stenian

Age Interval: 
late Stenian


Province: 
Taoudeni Basin

Type Locality and Naming

This formation is mainly in the western portion (e.g., Adrar and Hohd sub-basins) of the Taoudeni Basin, which a vast intracratonic sedimentary basin spanning parts of Mauritania, Mali, Algeria, Burkina Faso and Guinea.

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 Touiderguilt-Tifounke Fm is made up of carbonates according to the regional stratigraphic diagram of Martin-Monge et al. (2016). It is equivalent to the upper part of the Eib Nous Fmin the Hank subbasin region


Lithology Pattern: 
Limestone


Relationships and Distribution

Lower contact

conformably overlies the Aouleigate Fm

Upper contact

unconformably overlain by the Assabet el Hassiane Gr (unconformity reported as a result of Cryogenian glaciation by Martin-Monge et al., 2016).

Regional extent

This formation is mainly in the western portion (e.g., Adrar-Hohd sub-basin) of the Taoudeni Basin


GeoJSON

{"type":"Feature","geometry":{"type":"MultiPolygon","coordinates":[[[[-8.51,23],[-8.51,20.35],[-7.46,19.1],[-4.81,17.65],[-4.41,17.05],[-5.06,14.65],[-5.46,12.65],[-6.01,11.29],[-7.56,12.4],[-9.76,12.25],[-10.76,12.05],[-11.77,14.25],[-12.27,17.55],[-13.37,19.5],[-13.22,21.45],[-12.32,22.95],[-11.72,23.3],[-10.41,22.6],[-8.51,23]]]]}}

Fossils


Age 

The onset of the Atar Gr is constrained by Re-Os dating of the black shales of its Tod Fm in its lower part, therefore the Martin-Monger et al. (2016) place these as spanning ca. 1150 to 1100 Ma in their summary diagram of the petroleum system; hence the onset of the Adar Gr is arbitrarily placed as base-Stenian (1200 Ma) here; and spanning the entire Stenian. Within the Atar Gr, the component formations are scaled within this Stenian interval according to their relative schematic thicknesses on the stratigraphic figure of Martin-Monge et al. (2016). CAVEAT – All ages and age spans in the Hodh Supergroup are entirely speculative and schematic; the entire pre-Cryogenian succession awaits accurate dating!

Age Span: 

    Beginning stage: 
Stenian

    Fraction up in beginning stage: 
0.85

    Beginning date (Ma): 
1,030.00

    Ending stage: 
Stenian

    Fraction up in the ending stage: 
1.0

    Ending date (Ma):  
1,000.00

Depositional setting


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