Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-mkpzs Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-28T03:21:54.953Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Middle, Upper Jurassic and Lower Cretaceous sedimentary environments of the Djebel Nefusa region, northwestern Libya

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 March 2015

Richard J. Hodgkinson
Affiliation:
Department of Geology, University College Swansea, Swansea, Wales
Christopher D. Walley
Affiliation:
Department of Geology, University College Swansea, Swansea, Wales

Extract

Carbonate and clastic sediments of Jurassic and Cretaceous age are exposed along the fault-scarp of Djebel Nefusa in north-western Libya. Previous geological investigations have been mainly restricted to the eastern sector of the scarp. Recent studies by the authors in the western sector of Djebel Nefusa and on equivalent sediments in southern Tunisia have allowed the first regional interpretation of these rocks.

The area studied lies geographically and geologically at the edge of the Saharan Platform, a large cratonic block, composed of rocks of Precambrian-Palaeozoic age. To the north and east lies a downfaulted sedimentary basin (Gabes-Sabratha Basin) containing a large thickness of Mesozoic sediments. The location of the sections measured along Djebel Nefusa are depicted in Fig.1.

The stratigraphic nomenclature of the rock succession of Djebel Nefusa was first established in the east and continued laterally towards the west by later workers. Difficulties in the application of this nomenclature are presented by the recognition of facies changes previously overlooked by earlier investigators. However, as a framework for understanding these changes and the sedimentary processes which caused them, the stratigraphy erected by Magnier (1963) is adopted.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Society for Libyan Studies 1977

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Assereto, R., and Benelli, F., 1971, Sedimentology of the Pre-Cenomanian formations of the Jebel Gharian, Libya. In Gray, C. (ed.) Symposium of the geology of Libya, Faculty of Science, University of Libya, pp. 3785.Google Scholar
Busson, G., 1967, Le Mésozoique saharien. 1 re. partie: l'Extreme Sudtunisien. Publ. Centre Rech, zones arides Paris, sér. Géol. No.8.Google Scholar
El-Zouki, A. Y., 1976, Sedimentological and Stratigraphical Aspects of the Chicla, Cabao, and Chameau Mort Formations (Upper Jurassic-Lower Cretaceous) of Jebel Nefusa, N.W. Libya, Ph.D. Thesis (unpublished) University of Bristol.Google Scholar
Hammuda, O. S., 1971, Nature and significance of the Lower Cretaceous unconformity in Jebel Nefusa, N.W. Libya. In Gray, C. (ed.), Symposium on the geology of Libya, Faculty of Science, University of Libya, pp. 8797.Google Scholar
Magnier, P., 1963, Etude stratigraphique dans le Gebel Nefousa et le Gebel Garian (Tripolitaine, Libye). B. Soc., geol. Fr., vol. 7, pp. 8994.CrossRefGoogle Scholar