Geology of Angola
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
.jpg)
The geology of Angola includes large areas of Precambrian age rocks. The west of the country is characterized by meta-sedimentary rocks of Proterozoic age including tillites assigned to the Bembe System. Overlying these are a thick pile of limestones and other marine sediments laid down during the Mesozoic and Cenozoic eras. Amidst the Proterozoic sequence are areas of crystalline basement dating from the Archaean. More Archaean basement rocks form the Kasai Craton in northeastern Angola. In the north, within the Cassanje Graben are clastic sediments and volcanic rocks of the Karoo Supergroup. Kimberlites and carbonatites resulting from magmatic activity during the Karoo period are found along a northeast-southwest line through the country. Continental sediments of the Kalahari Group are widespread in eastern Angola.[1]
The Mesozoic of Angola is very rich of fossil vertebrates, namely marine reptiles such as turtles (Angolachelys[2]), mosasaurs and plesiosaurs,[3] related with the opening of South Atlantic.[4] Only a couple of terrestrial fossils have been collected, including the unique dinosaur Angolatitan adamastor.[5]
