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Frasnian (Late Devonian) conodonts and environment at the northern margin of the Algerian Sahara platform: the Ben Zireg section

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 February 2015

ABDESSAMED MAHBOUBI ,
RAIMUND FEIST ,
JEAN-JACQUES CORNÉE ,
ABDELKADER OUALI MEHADJI  and
CATHERINE GIRARD
ABDESSAMED MAHBOUBI
Affiliation:
Institut des Sciences de l’Evolution, Université Montpellier 2, CNRS, IRD, CC064, Place Eugène Bataillon, Montpellier Cedex 05 (France)
RAIMUND FEIST
Affiliation:
Institut des Sciences de l’Evolution, Université Montpellier 2, CNRS, IRD, CC064, Place Eugène Bataillon, Montpellier Cedex 05 (France)
JEAN-JACQUES CORNÉE
Affiliation:
UMR 5243 CNRS, Université Montpellier 2, Geosciences Montpellier, Place Eugène Bataillon, 34095 Montpellier Cedex 05 (France)
ABDELKADER OUALI MEHADJI
Affiliation:
Département des Sciences de la Terre, Université d’Oran, Es Sénia, Oran (Algérie)
CATHERINE GIRARD*
Affiliation:
Institut des Sciences de l’Evolution, Université Montpellier 2, CNRS, IRD, CC064, Place Eugène Bataillon, Montpellier Cedex 05 (France)
*
§Author for correspondence: catherine.girard@univ-montp2.fr
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Abstract

The Ben Zireg anticline NW of Bechar yields the currently most-important Frasnian succession on the northern margin of the Algerian Sahara. It represents 26.5 m of calcilutites which are attributed to the middle–late Frasnian. As the early Frasnian is not represented, the succession rests conformably on undifferentiated, probably late Givetian, substrate. Fine-scaled conodont biostratigraphy reveals a continuous sequence of Montagne Noire Zones 5–13, superseded by the earliest Famennian Lower triangularis Zone. The deposits are organized into 15 sedimentary cycles that are initially condensed and become dilated upwards. Conodont biofacies indicate an overall deepening towards the top of the section with an episode of slight shallowing at the MN11/12 transition marked by an increase of ancyrodellids, which is also seen in the Marhouma section of the Ougarta region (SW Algeria). Homogeneous calcareous microfacies with only a few shaly intercalations determine a predominantly oxygenated depositional environment on an outer platform, submarine rise or ramp setting. This is also indicated by relatively low sedimentation rates which are similar in selected sections from the Tafilalt platform, and contrast with those from the Marhouma trough and the Maider basin. Unlike other Frasnian successions south of the Atlas Fault, but similar to the Moroccan Meseta, the Upper Kellwasser horizon is clearly discriminated at Ben Zireg by an outstanding occurrence of black shales on top of the oxygenated latest Frasnian deposits.

Keywords

Frasnianconodont biostratigraphybiofaciesdepositional environmentNW Algerian Sahara
Type
Original Articles
Information
Geological Magazine , Volume 152 , Issue 5 , September 2015 , pp. 844 - 857
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2015 

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