cryogenian glacial topography across a carbonate shef ...€¦ · b2 b1 p600 p6528-9 p8502-4...

1
Kranspoort vehicle track Karibib Fm Keilberg Mb cap dolomite Ghaub Fm diamictite Ombaatjie Fm (base b8 ) Gruis Fm Rasthof Fm cap carbonate Chuos Fm diamictite Basement complex 0 1.0 2.0 km Kranspoort salient N P1338 P1339 P8519 P6520 P8522 P6521 P1337 P1337 P5520 P1335 P1333 P1334 P8515 P8514 P1336 P5507 P8505 P7016 P7507- P7510 P5517 P9514 P1330 B1311 BP07 BP06 P1332 P6521 P6004 P1413 P1414 P1419 P1419 E1407 P1420 P1421 P1414 P5519 measured section measured section with isotope data CO1 Fig. 5 (below). Photomap of the shelf break on Kranspoort farm, showing the truncation of the Ombaatjie Fm by the upper Cryo- genian (sub-Ghaub Fm) glacial surface, which is overlain on the shelf by the Keilberg Mb (’cap’ dolomite) of the Maieberg Fm. 1 P1607 P2013 2 P6539 P6540 3 P2014 4 P8006 P2521 G1029 5 P8002 P2533 6 P7001 P7005 P7008 P7017 P6538 P5004 P7004 P7018 8 P6535 9 P6537 P8007 10 P6536 P8008 P8009 11 P7003 P6507 P5003 P7002 13 P6506 Narachaams Rasthof Franni-aus Karibib Ghaub WEST -100 100 -200 -300 -400 -500 -600 200 300 0 A B E N A B S U B G R O U P T S U M E B S U B G R O U P P7009 15 16 P7014 P9010 P5503 P5501 P4027 P7013 P7010 P9009 P7011 P6510 P6508 P6513 P1426 P9520 P8013 P8513 P6526 P6512 P6519 P8518 P6520 P7503 P6514 EAST 7 12 14 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 -700 -800 -900 P8519 P6515 P8500 Keilberg Rasthof Ombaatjie Maieberg Gruis A B E N A B S U B G R O U P T S U M E B S U B G R O U P -100 100 -200 -300 -400 -500 -600 200 300 400 0 -700 -800 -900 -1400 -1300 -1200 -1100 -1000 -1500 P9519 -1700 ( m ) -1600 200 300 400 500 600 100 ( m ) P1339 P1338 P1337 P8512 P6511 -1000 -1100 -1200 -1300 E1408 P7515 P1425 P1424 P5502 P6516 P1422 P1423 P8520 J1405 E1407 P1419 P1415 P1336 P1414 P8515 P1413 P1332 41 42 43 44 -1900 -1800 C35 C39 2744 2666 Fransfontein Malta 7 Cypress 64 Schoenau 60 Danube 59 Duurwater 66 Panorama 314 Kranspoort 475 Bothashof 476 Gemsbok- oord 477 Gros Tutara 55 Fransfontein Aub 683 Naachaams 5 0 5 10 km Kalahari Group Mulden Group Tsumeb Subgroup Abenab Subgroup Orosirian complex 1 2 3 4 5 34 6 11 14 16 10 8 19 9 13 20 21 22 24 26 27 30 31 Maieberg Formation Keilberg Member (cap dolostone) Ghaub Formation dolostone rhythmite, debrite marly limestone rhythmite as above with seafloor cements swaley laminated dolopelarenite marly dolostone turbidite geoplumb tubestone stromatolite massive carbonate diamictite stratified diamictite with IRD sorted rudite/arenite with IRD Narachaams Member Gruis Formation Rasthof Formation Franni-aus Member Chuos Formation OROSIRIAN (2.05-1.80 Ga) BASEMENT COMPLEX oolite-clast debrite, rhythmite dolostone turbidite, rhythmite limestone turbidite, rhythmite quartz siltstone, dolostone beds allodapic dolostone, debrite quartz arenite dolostone microbialaminite dolostone grainstone dolostone stromatolite sublittoral microbialaminite boulder diamictite, jaspilite gneissic granodiorite, porphyritic syenogranite 37 35 42 38 49 29 23 17 15 o 00’ E 20 o 15’ S 40 36 Narachaams Garettes Fransfontein Malta Duurwater Panorama Kranspoort Bothashof Danube columnar thrombolite dolostone ribbonite dolostone rhythmite dolostone grainstone dolostone ribbonite limestone rhythmite, debrite dolostone rhythmite, debrite T SUMEB S UBGROUP A BENAB S UBGROUP (S LOPE F ACIES ) Ombaatjie Formation dolostone rhythmite dolostone microbialaminite dolostone grainstone dolostone stromatolite dolostone ribbonite marly dolostone ribbonite limestone rhythmite quartz siltstone, dolomite turbidites arkose, conglomerate, debrite A BENAB S UBGROUP (S HELF F ACIES ) 62 64 52 60 47 59 63 41 32 39 57 56 55 51 43 44 45 46 dolarenite solution breccia with void-f illing f ibrous isopachous dolosparite cement Fig. 4. Fence diagram for the Abenab and lower Tsumeb subgroups on Fransfontein Ridge. Section numbers 1 to 64 are keyed to the inset location map. 36 P5506 P5516 F430 P5507 P5505 P7504 P7505 P7506 P7511 P7510 F431 P7517 P8505 38 45 46 47 48 P9516 P9517 P9518 P1416 P9514 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 37 39 40 61 62 63 64 b8 b7 b6 b5 b4 b3 b2 b1 P600 P6528-9 P8502-4 P8506-7 Datum = base of Tsumeb Subgroup (younger Cryogenian glacial surface). Conservative vertical offset of 500 m between the slope and shelf sections. 60 km H UAB R IDGE Cryogenian glacial topography across a carbonate shelf break, Otavi Group, Fransfontein Ridge, Kunene Region, Namibia S H E L F S L O P E K RANSPOORT T ROUGH D UURWATER M ORAINE Paul Hof fman (UVic/Harvard), Eric Bellefroid (Yale), Blake Hodgin (Harvard), Ben Johnson (UVic), Marcus Kunzmann (McGill), Pierre Sansjofre (Brest), Justin Strauss (Dartmouth) and Dan Schrag (Harvard). Correspondence: paulfhoff[email protected] A Neoproterozoic carbonate shelf break is exposed in oblique cross-section on Fransfontein Ridge, northern Namibia, where a new fence diagram has been constructed from 64 measured sections. The Otavi Group is a <2.4-km-thick carbonate platform succession that was deposited between 770 and 590 Ma on the southwest promontory of the Congo craton. It is exposed in an arcuate 600-km-long fold belt. The carbonate platform was glaciated twice during the Cryogenian, and regionally extensive erosion surfaces beneath the respective glacial deposits (Chuos and Ghaub formations) divide the carbonate succession into three subgroups (S1 to S3). Subsidence of the platform occurred in two stages, the first in response to north-south crustal stretching and the second to post-rift cooling. The rift-to-drift transition occurs in the middle of S2 (Abenab Subgroup), during the nonglacial interlude. After the transition, a south-facing shelf break developed, dividing a shallow-water platform in the north from a distally-tapered foreslope and basin in the south. We studied shelf-break development on Fransfontein Ridge through mapping, closely-spaced measured sections and stable isotope chemostratigraphy. To our surprise, the development and location of the shelf break are not structurally controlled: no significant growth fault intersects our transect. Instead, the dominant control on S2 stratigraphy and sedimentation was <1.8 km of local paleotopography on the older glacial surface, which is underlain by crystalline basement in this area. The location of the shelf break is dictated by >0.5 km of relief on the younger glacial surface, which ramps across the 0.3-km-thick upper S2 carbonate platform (Ombaatjie Fm) on farm Kranspoort 475 with a cut-off angle of 8 degrees in the line of section. Preservation of <1.8 km of local paleorelief on the older glacial surface, inferred from stratigraphic onlap relations, is consistent with a nonglacial medial Cryogenian epoch (S2) of short duration. ABSTRACT A Congo craton Kal. West Africa Otavi -10 -5 0 5 10 -10 -5 0 5 10 δ 13 Ccarb o /oo (VPDB) Ombombo Subgroup Ugab Sbgp Abenab Subgroup Tsumeb Subgroup Huttenberg Elandshoek Maieberg Ombaatjie Rasthof Gruis Makalani Ridge Huab Ridge Paleoproterozoic metamorphic- plutonic complex (Kamanjab inlier) 746 + 2 Ma - 759 + 1 Ma - " Devede Nosib Karibib Naauw -poort shallow-water carbonate deep-water carbonate glacigenic diamictite cannibalized clastics (syn-rift) bimodal alkaline volcanics feldspathic sandstone (paleoflow) Keilberg 0 (km) 150 0 (km) -0.5 -1.5 O T A V I P L A T F O R M South Chuos Ghaub Ugab (635 Ma) F O R E S L O P E -1.0 ~590 Ma Ombombo Abenab Tsumeb Fig. 2. Abenab and lower Tsumeb subgroup shelf break (red box) in a restoration of the Otavi platform in the Kunene Region, Namibia. Composite inorganic carbon isotope record from the platform is shown (right). RUACANA OPUWA KAMANJAB KHORIXAS OUTJO 14 o 16 o 18 o 17 o 15 o 20 o 19 o 18 o 18 o 19 o 20 o 14 o 15 o 16 o 17 o 18 o 0 50 100 km O w a m b o B a s i n Kamanjab Inlier Etendeka Plateau Epupa Inlier K a o k o B e l t D a m a r a B e l t Karoo, Etendeka and Kalahari group covers Ediacaran-Cambrian orogenic belts and granites Mulden Group foreland basin clastics (Ediacaran) Otavi Group carbonate platform (770 - 590 Ma) Orosirian basement and Nosib Group clastic cover L E G E N D Fransfontein Ridge TSUMEB OTAVI shel f break Fig. 1. Location of Fransfontein Ridge (red box) and approximate shelf break (yellow line) in the upper Otavi Group. 1 2 3 4 5 6 8 9 10 11 13 Narachaams Rasthof Franni-aus Karibib -100 700 -200 -300 -400 -500 -600 800 900 0 A B E N A B S U B G R O U P T S U M E B S U B G R O U P 15 16 7 12 14 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 -700 -800 -900 Rasthof Ombaatjie Maieberg Gruis A B E N A B S U B G R O U P T S U M E B S U B G R O U P -100 100 -200 -300 -400 -500 -600 200 300 400 0 -700 -800 -900 -1400 -1300 -1200 -1100 -1000 -1500 -1700 -1600 200 300 400 500 600 100 ( m ) -1000 -1100 -1200 -1300 41 42 43 44 (m) -1800 36 38 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 37 39 40 61 62 63 64 HUAB RIDGE S H E L F S L O P E KRANSPOORT TROUGH DUURWATER MORAINE Older Cryogenian glacial erosion surface (sub-Chuos Fm) Younger Cryogenian glacial erosion surface (sub-Ghaub Fm) Narachaams Garettes Fransfontein Malta Duurwater Panorama Kranspoort Bothashof Danube 60 km WEST EAST Fig. 3. Cryogenian glacial erosion surfaces beneath the Chuos (magenta) and Ghaub (blue) formations. Fransfontein Ridge Kunene Region Namibia 1 5 δ C (VPDB) -5 7 9 3 -3 -7 -1 δ C (VPDB) 1 5 -5 7 9 3 -3 -7 -1 1 5 δ C (VPDB) -5 7 9 3 -3 -7 -1 δ C (VPDB) 1 5 -5 7 9 3 -3 -7 -1 1 5 δ C (VPDB) -5 7 9 3 -3 -7 -1 δ C (VPDB) 1 5 -5 7 9 3 -3 -7 -1 1 5 δ C (VPDB) -5 7 9 3 -3 -7 -1 δ C (VPDB) 1 5 -5 7 9 3 -3 -7 -1 1 5 δ C (VPDB) -5 7 9 3 -3 -7 -1 δ C (VPDB) 1 5 -5 7 9 3 -3 -7 -1 1 5 δ C (VPDB) -5 7 9 3 -3 -7 -1 δ C (VPDB) 1 5 -5 7 9 3 -3 -7 -1 1 5 δ C (VPDB) -5 7 9 3 -3 -7 -1 δ C (VPDB) 1 5 -5 7 9 3 -3 -7 -1 1 5 δ C (VPDB) -5 7 9 3 -3 -7 -1 δ C (VPDB) 1 5 -5 7 9 3 -3 -7 -1 1 5 δ C (VPDB) -5 7 9 3 -3 -7 -1 δ C (VPDB) 1 5 -5 7 9 3 -3 -7 -1 1 5 δ C (VPDB) -5 7 9 3 -3 -7 -1 δ C (VPDB) 1 5 -5 7 9 3 -3 -7 -1 1 5 δ C (VPDB) -5 7 9 3 -3 -7 -1 δ C (VPDB) 1 5 -5 7 9 3 -3 -7 -1 1 5 δ C (VPDB) -5 7 9 3 -3 -7 -1 δ C (VPDB) 1 5 -5 7 9 3 -3 -7 -1 100 200 300 0 m Danube Bothashof Kranspoort Schoenau Kranspoort Panorama Panorama Duurwater Duurwater Duurwater Malta Fransfontein P8502/4 P8505 P9514 P1332 P1337 P8518 P6517 P8513 P8512 P8013 P7503 P9500 datum between sections correlation lines Trezona CIE basement-clast diamictite (iron-formation) clast-supported boulder conglomerate feldspathic/subfeldspathic quartz sandstone quartz siltstone, fine-grained sandstone shale, marly shale plutonic/high-grade metamorphic complex stratified carbonate diamictite non-stratified carbonate diamictite Ghaub glacial erosion surface Chu os glacial erosion surface 1 2 3 4 5 Tsumeb Subgroup Kamanjab basement 13 24 27 29 31 35 40 43 46 47 50 64 littoral microbialaminite (tepees/breccia) ooid/intraclast dolarenite columnar or mounded stromatolite sublittoral microbialaminite/thrombolite flaggy dololutite ribbons or rhythmite flaggy dololutite with coarse debrite marly dololutite ribbons or rhythmite limestone ribbons or rhythmite flaggy micropeloidal dolarenite peloidal dolarenite (tube stromatolite) Carbonate lithotopes Abenab Subgroup δ 13 C carb data Ghaub Fm Franni-aus Mb Narachaams Mb Rasthof Fm Keilberg Mb Ombaatjie Fm Gruis Fm Rasthof Fm Keilberg Mb Tsumeb Sbgp Abenab Subgroup Chuos Fm Abenab Subgroup Tsumeb Subgroup Fig. 6. Carbon isotope data from the Abenab Subgroup on Fransfontein Ridge and chemostratigraphic correlations across the shelf break. NB: 20x vertical exaggeration 300 m 3.0 km Sections with Abenab Subgroup high-resolution isotope data Sections with Tsumeb Subgroup high-resolution isotope data Field work in Namibia was supported by CIFAR (Canadian Institute for Advanced Research) in agreement with the Geological Survey of Namibia. Stable isotope measurements were performed in the Laboratory for Geochemical Oceanography at Harvard University.

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Page 1: Cryogenian glacial topography across a carbonate shef ...€¦ · b2 b1 P600 P6528-9 P8502-4 P8506-7 Datum = base of Tsumeb Subgroup (younger Cryogenian glacial surface). Conservative

Kranspoort

vehicle track

Karibib Fm

Keilberg Mb cap dolomite

Ghaub Fm diamictite

Ombaatjie Fm (base b8 )

Gruis Fm

Rasthof Fm cap carbonate

Chuos Fm diamictite

Basement complex

0 1.0 2.0km

Kranspoort salient

N

P1338

P1339P8519

P6520

P8522

P6521P1337

P1337

P5520

P1335

P1333

P1334

P8515

P8514P1336

P5507

P8505

P7016

P7507-P7510

P5517

P9514P1330

B1311

BP07

BP06

P1332

P6521

P6004

P1413

P1414

P1419

P1419

E1407

P1420P1421

P1414 P5519

measured sectionmeasured section with isotope data

CO1

Fig. 5 (below). Photomap of the shelf break on Kranspoort farm, showing the truncation of the Ombaatjie Fm by the upper Cryo-genian (sub-Ghaub Fm) glacial surface, which is overlain on the shelf by the Keilberg Mb (’cap’ dolomite) of the Maieberg Fm.

1

P1607P2013

2

P6539P6540

3

P2014

4

P8006 P2521G1029

5

P8002P2533

6

P7001P7005P7008P7017P6538P5004

P7004

P7018

8

P6535

9

P6537

P8007

10

P6536P8008P8009

11

P7003P6507P5003

P7002

13

P6506

Nar

acha

ams

Rast

hof

Fran

ni-a

usKa

ribi

b Gh

aub

WEST

-100

100

-200

-300

-400

-500

-600

200

300

0

A B

E N

A B

S

U B

G R

O U

PT

S U

M E

B S

U B

G R

O U

P

P7009

1516

P7014P9010

P5503P5501

P4027P7013 P7010

P9009

P7011

P6510

P6508

P6513P1426

P9520P8013

P8513P6526P6512

P6519

P8518P6520

P7503P6514

EAST

7 12 14

1718

19

2021 22 23

2425

26

27 28

29

30

31

32

33

34

35

-700

-800

-900

P8519P6515

P8500

Keilberg Rasthof

Om

baatjie

Maieberg

Gruis

A B

E N

A B

S U

B G

R O

U P

T S U M

E B S U

B G

R O

U P

-100

100

-200

-300

-400

-500

-600

200

300

400

0

-700

-800

-900

-1400

-1300

-1200

-1100

-1000

-1500

P9519

-1700

( m )

-1600

200

300

400

500

600

100

( m )

P1339

P1338

P1337P8512P6511

-1000

-1100

-1200

-1300

E1408P7515

P1425P1424P5502

P6516P1422

P1423P8520

J1405

E1407

P1419

P1415P1336

P1414P8515

P1413

P1332

41

42

43

44

-1900

-1800

C35

C39

2744

2666

Fransfontein

Malta 7

Cypress 64

Schoenau 60

Danube 59

Duurwater 66

Panorama 314

Kranspoort 475

Bothashof 476

Gemsbok-oord 477

Gros Tutara 55

Fransfontein

Aub 683

Naachaams 5

0 5 10

km

Kalahari GroupMulden GroupTsumeb SubgroupAbenab SubgroupOrosirian complex

12 3 4 5

34

611 14

16108

19913 20

212224

26

273031

Maieberg Formation Keilberg Member (cap dolostone) Ghaub Formationdolostone rhythmite, debrite

marly limestone rhythmite

as above with sea�oor cements

swaley laminated dolopelarenite

marly dolostone turbidite

geoplumb tubestone stromatolite massive carbonate diamictite

strati�ed diamictite with IRD

sorted rudite/arenite with IRD

Narachaams MemberGruis Formation Rasthof Formation

Franni-aus Member

Chuos Formation

OROSIRIAN (2.05-1.80 Ga)BASEMENT COMPLEX

oolite-clast debrite, rhythmite

dolostone turbidite, rhythmite

limestone turbidite, rhythmite

quartz siltstone, dolostone beds

allodapic dolostone, debrite

quartz arenite

dolostone microbialaminite

dolostone grainstone

dolostone stromatolite sublittoral microbialaminite

boulder diamictite, jaspilite

gneissic granodiorite,

porphyritic syenogranite

373542

38

49

292317

15o00’E

20o15’S

4036

Narachaams Garettes Fransfontein Malta Duurwater Panorama Kranspoort Bothashof Danube

columnar thrombolite

dolostone ribbonite

dolostone rhythmite

dolostone grainstone

dolostone ribbonite

limestone rhythmite, debritedolostone rhythmite, debrite

T SUMEB S UBGROUP A BENAB S UBGROUP (S LOPE F ACIES)

Ombaatjie Formation

dolostone rhythmite

dolostone microbialaminite

dolostone grainstone

dolostone stromatolite

dolostone ribbonite

marly dolostone ribbonite

limestone rhythmite

quartz siltstone, dolomite turbidites

arkose, conglomerate, debrite

A BENAB S UBGROUP (S HELF F ACIES)

6264

52

60

47

59

63

4132 39

57565551

43444546

dolarenite solution breccia with void-f illing f ibrous isopachous dolosparite cement

Fig. 4. Fence diagram for the Abenab and lower Tsumeb subgroups on Fransfontein Ridge. Section numbers 1 to 64 are keyed to the inset location map.

36

P5506

P5516

F430

P5507

P5505

P7504

P7505

P7506P7511

P7510F431

P7517P8505

38

45

46

47

48

P9516

P9517

P9518 P1416

P9514

4950 51

52 53 54

55 56

57

58

59

60

37

39 40

61 62 63

64

b8

b7

b6

b5

b4

b3

b2

b1

P600 P6528-9 P8502-4 P8506-7

Datum = base of Tsumeb Subgroup (younger Cryogenian glacial surface). Conservative vertical o�set of 500 m between the slope and shelf sections.

60 km

H U A B R I D G E

Cryogenian glacial topography across a carbonate shelf break, Otavi Group, Fransfontein Ridge, Kunene Region, Namibia

S H E L F

S L O P E

K R A N S P O O R T T R O U G H

D U U R W A T E R M O R A I N E

Paul Hof fman (UVic/Harvard), Eric Bellefroid (Yale), Blake Hodgin (Harvard), Ben Johnson (UVic), Marcus Kunzmann (McGill), Pierre Sansjofre (Brest), Justin Strauss (Dartmouth) and Dan Schrag (Harvard). Correspondence: paulfho�[email protected]

A Neoproterozoic carbonate shelf break is exposed in oblique cross-section on Fransfontein Ridge, northern Namibia, where a new fence diagram has been constructed from 64 measured sections. The Otavi Group is a <2.4-km-thick carbonate platform succession that was deposited between 770 and 590 Ma on the southwest promontory of the Congo craton. It is exposed in an arcuate 600-km-long fold belt. The carbonate platform was glaciated twice during the Cryogenian, and regionally extensive erosion surfaces beneath the respective glacial deposits (Chuos and Ghaub formations) divide the carbonate succession into three subgroups (S1 to S3). Subsidence of the platform occurred in two stages, the �rst in response to north-south crustal stretching and the second to post-rift cooling. The rift-to-drift transition occurs in the middle of S2 (Abenab Subgroup), during the nonglacial interlude. After the transition, a south-facing shelf break developed, dividing a shallow-water platform in the north from a distally-tapered foreslope and basin in the south. We studied shelf-break development on Fransfontein Ridge through mapping, closely-spaced measured sections and stable isotope chemostratigraphy. To our surprise, the development and location of the shelf break are not structurally controlled: no signi�cant growth fault intersects our transect. Instead, the dominant control on S2 stratigraphy and sedimentation was <1.8 km of local paleotopography on the older glacial surface, which is underlain by crystalline basement in this area. The location of the shelf break is dictated by >0.5 km of relief on the younger glacial surface, which ramps across the 0.3-km-thick upper S2 carbonate platform (Ombaatjie Fm) on farm Kranspoort 475 with a cut-o� angle of 8 degrees in the line of section.Preservation of <1.8 km of local paleorelief on the older glacial surface, inferred from stratigraphic onlap relations, is consistent with a nonglacial medial Cryogenian epoch (S2) of short duration.

ABSTRACT

A

Congo craton

Kal.

West

Africa

Otavi

-10 -5 0 5 10

-10 -5 0 5 10

δ13Ccarbo/oo (VPDB)

OmbomboSubgroup

Ugab Sbgp

AbenabSubgroup

TsumebSubgroup

Huttenberg

Elandshoek

Maieberg

Ombaatjie

RasthofGruis

Makalani Ridge

HuabRidge

Paleoproterozoic metamorphic-plutonic complex (Kamanjab inlier)

746 + 2 Ma- 759 + 1 Ma-

"

Devede

Nosib

Karibib

Naauw-poort

shallow-water carbonate

deep-water carbonate

glacigenic diamictite

cannibalized clastics (syn-rift)

bimodal alkaline volcanics

feldspathic sandstone (paleoflow)

Keilberg

0 (km) 150

0 (km)

-0.5

-1.5

O T A V I P L A T F O R MSouth

Chuos

Ghaub

Ugab

(635 Ma)

F O

R E

S L

O P

E

-1.0

~590 Ma

Ombo

mbo

Aben

abTs

umeb

Fig. 2. Abenab and lower Tsumeb subgroup shelf break (red box) in a restoration of the Otavi platform in the Kunene Region, Namibia. Composite inorganic carbon isotope record from the platform is shown (right).

RUACANA

OPUWA

KAMANJAB

KHORIXAS

OUTJO

14o 16o 18o17o15o

20o

19o

18o18o

19o

20o

14o

15o 16o 17o 18o

0 50 100km

O w a m b o B a s i n

Kamanjab InlierEtendeka Plateau

Epupa Inlier

K a o k o B e l t

D a m a r a B e l t

Karoo, Etendeka and Kalahari group covers

Ediacaran-Cambrian orogenic belts and granites

Mulden Group foreland basin clastics (Ediacaran)

Otavi Group carbonate platform (770 - 590 Ma)

Orosirian basement and Nosib Group clastic cover

L E G E N D

Fransfontein Ridge

TSUMEB

OTAVI

shelf break

Fig. 1. Location of Fransfontein Ridge (red box) and approximate shelf break (yellow line) in the upper Otavi Group.

1

23

4 5

6

89 10 11 13

Nar

acha

ams

Rast

hof

Fran

ni-a

usKa

ribi

b

-100

700

-200

-300

-400

-500

-600

800

900

0

A B

E N

A B

S

U B

G R

O U

PT

S U

M E

B S

U B

G R

O U

P

1516

7 12 14

1718

19

2021 22 23

2425

26

27 28

29

30

31

32

33

34

35

-700

-800

-900

Rasthof O

mb

aatjieM

aieberg G

ruis

A B

E N

A B

S U

B G

R O

U P

T S U M

E B S U

B G

R O

U P

-100

100

-200

-300

-400

-500

-600

200

300

400

0

-700

-800

-900

-1400

-1300

-1200

-1100

-1000

-1500

-1700

-1600

200

300

400

500

600

100

( m )

-1000

-1100

-1200

-1300

41

42

43

44

(m)

-1800

36

38

45

46

47

48

4950 51

52 53 54

55 56

57

58

59

60

37

39 40

61 62 63

64

H U A B R I D G E

S H E L F

S L O P E

K R A N S P O O R T T R O U G H

D U U R W A T E R M O R A I N E

Older Cryogenian glacial erosion surface (sub-Chuos Fm)

Younger Cryogenian glacial erosion surface (sub-Ghaub Fm)

Narachaams Garettes Fransfontein Malta Duurwater Panorama Kranspoort Bothashof Danube

60 kmWEST EAST

Fig. 3. Cryogenian glacial erosion surfaces beneath the Chuos (magenta) and Ghaub (blue) formations.

Fransfontein Ridge

Kunene Region

Namibia

-200

-300

-100

1 5δ C (VPDB)

-5 7 93-3-7 -1

δ C (VPDB)1 5-5 7 93-3-7 -1

1 5δ C (VPDB)

-5 7 93-3-7 -1

δ C (VPDB)1 5-5 7 93-3-7 -1

1 5δ C (VPDB)

-5 7 93-3-7 -1

δ C (VPDB)1 5-5 7 93-3-7 -1

1 5δ C (VPDB)

-5 7 93-3-7 -1

δ C (VPDB)1 5-5 7 93-3-7 -1

1 5δ C (VPDB)

-5 7 93-3-7 -1

δ C (VPDB)1 5-5 7 93-3-7 -1

1 5δ C (VPDB)

-5 7 93-3-7 -1

δ C (VPDB)1 5-5 7 93-3-7 -1

1 5δ C (VPDB)

-5 7 93-3-7 -1

δ C (VPDB)1 5-5 7 93-3-7 -1

1 5δ C (VPDB)

-5 7 93-3-7 -1

δ C (VPDB)1 5-5 7 93-3-7 -1

1 5δ C (VPDB)

-5 7 93-3-7 -1

δ C (VPDB)1 5-5 7 93-3-7 -1

1 5δ C (VPDB)

-5 7 93-3-7 -1

δ C (VPDB)1 5-5 7 93-3-7 -1

1 5δ C (VPDB)

-5 7 93-3-7 -1

δ C (VPDB)1 5-5 7 93-3-7 -1

1 5δ C (VPDB)

-5 7 93-3-7 -1

δ C (VPDB)1 5-5 7 93-3-7 -1

100

200

300

0

m

DanubeBothashofKranspoortSchoenauKranspoortPanoramaPanoramaDuurwaterDuurwaterDuurwaterMaltaFransfonteinP8502/4P8505P9514P1332P1337P8518P6517P8513P8512P8013P7503P9500

datum between sections

correlation lines

Trezona CIE

basement-clast diamictite (iron-formation)

clast-supported boulder conglomerate

feldspathic/subfeldspathic quartz sandstone

quartz siltstone, �ne-grained sandstone

shale, marly shale

plutonic/high-grade metamorphic complex

strati�ed carbonate diamictite

non-strati�ed carbonate diamictite

G ha ub gla

c ial e

ros io

n sur fa ce

C hu os gla

cial e

ros ion su r face

1

2

3

4

5

TsumebSubgroup

K amanjabbasement

13 24 27 29 31 35 40 43 46 47 50 64

littoral microbialaminite (tepees/breccia)

ooid/intraclast dolarenite

columnar or mounded stromatolite

sublittoral microbialaminite/thrombolite

�aggy dololutite ribbons or rhythmite

�aggy dololutite with coarse debrite

marly dololutite ribbons or rhythmite

limestone ribbons or rhythmite

�aggy micropeloidal dolarenite

peloidal dolarenite (tube stromatolite)

Carbonate lithotopes

Abenab Subgroup δ13Ccarb data

Ghaub Fm

Franni-aus Mb

Narachaams Mb

Rasthof Fm

Keilberg Mb

Ombaatjie Fm

Gruis Fm

Rasthof Fm

Keilberg Mb

Tsumeb Sbgp A

benab Subgroup

Chuos Fm

Abe

nab

Subg

roup

T

sum

eb S

ubgr

oup

Fig. 6. Carbon isotope data from the Abenab Subgroup on Fransfontein Ridge and chemostratigraphic correlations across the shelf break.

NB: 20x vertical exaggeration

300 m

3.0 km

Sections with Abenab Subgroup high-resolution isotope data

Sections with Tsumeb Subgroup high-resolution isotope data

Field work in Namibia was supported by CIFAR (Canadian Institute for Advanced Research)

in agreement with the Geological Survey of Namibia. Stable isotope measurements were

performed in the Laboratory for Geochemical Oceanography at Harvard University.