Tuff Member (JrUf)

In the eastern side of the Lebombo Mountain range exists a tens of kilometres long
horizon of rhyolitic rocks with tabular bedding, interpreted to represent pyroclastic ash-
fall deposits (Figs. 9.13A-F). In an old quarry, located about 6 km north-west of the
Goba village, the tilered rhyolite comprises alternating layers or beds of unwelded
pyroclastic material, ranging from fine-grained ash to lapilli-size pumice fragments.
Well-preserved pumice fragments, embedded in places into fine-grained tuff beds (Fig.
8.13D), and layers of only partially devitrified shards (Fig. 8.13F) suggest an ash-fall
tuff origin for the rock. However, the rocks locally resemble siltstones. In the
aforementioned quarry (see Fig. 8.13A) near Goba village, the upper sequence may
represent a poorly sorted debris flow, matrix supported, containing several volcanogenic
clasts, ejecta and tuff. The lower part part could have originated from sheetfloods
deposits along a slope and may be a distal equivalent of a lahar. Microtextures of rocks
in the Tuff Member are shown in Fig. 8.14

Fig. 8.13. Pyroclastic ash-fall deposits in rhyolites of the Umbelúzi Formation. (A) Tabular bedding of
rhyolitic ash-fall tuff, (B) A layer of lapilli tuff with pumice fragments on top of a fine-grained tuff with
graded bedding, (C) Detailed photo of the contact between ash-fall tuff and overlying lapilli tuff layers,
(D) A
pumice fragment embedded in fine-grained tuff. Note shard layers in the upper part of the photo, (E)
Detailed
photo of sharp-edged, partly devitrified fragments of volcanic glass (shards). Old quarry by the road,
north of
Mte Ligadjanga (0414117/7107659). (F) Collapsed pumice fragments (fiamme) in a fine-grained tuff
matrix.
Road cut on the EN4 highway (0409944/7169003). Diameter of coin is 28 mm, pen is 15 cm long.