Distribution of Albian clastic deposits in the Benguela basin (Angola): evidence of a Benguela palaeocurrent?

Didier Quesne (1) , Andrea Buta-Neto (2) , Dominique Bénard (1) , Michel Guiraud (1)

1 BGS - Biogéosciences [UMR 6282]
2 Université Agostinho Neto

The Albian clastic Tuenza Formation of the Benguela basin (south Angola) is described and its geographic distribution analysed in detail. From these observations, the existence of an Albian "PalaeoBenguela current" is proposed. This Would imply that a marine longshore current reworked the sand transported by palaeorivers and settled it northward along the coast of the young Atlantic Ocean (during the Albian). A parallel between Albian clastic deposits and the modern sediments deposited by the Benguela current is drawn, focusing on the striking resemblance between the two currents. i.e. the actual Benguela current and the Albian marine Current, and the associated sedimentary bodies.

Mots clés: Angola; Tuenza Formation; Albian; Kwanza basin; Albian palaeocurrents; Benguela current; Angola.

Domaines: Stratigraphie

Didier Quesne, Andrea Buta-Neto, Dominique Bénard, Michel Guiraud. Distribution of Albian clastic deposits in the Benguela basin (Angola): evidence of a Benguela palaeocurrent?. Bulletin de la Société Géologique de France, 2009, 180 (2), pp.117-129. ⟨hal-00386099⟩