ECONOMIC GEOLOGY

AN'D THE

BULLETIN OF THE SOCIETY OF ECONOMIC GEOLOGISTS

VOL. 71 MARcH-APRIL, 1976 No. 2

Paleogeographical
andSedimentological
Controlsof Copper,
Lead, and Zinc Mineralizationsin the Lower
Cretaceous Sandstones of Africa

J. CAYA
Abstract

Stratiform copper and lead mineralizafion occurs in detrital sedimentsat the base
of the Cretaceousat several locations in Africa: Merija (Cu-Pb) and Bou-Sellam
(Pb-Zn) in Morocco,Cachoeiras(Cu) in Angola, Kroussou(Pb) in Gabon,and Ain-
Serra (Cu) in Algeria.
From the author'sobservationsin Morocco,Angola, and Gabon,it appearsthat:
(1) On a regional scale, the mineral concentrationsare distributed at the edge of a
continent which was being eroded during Lower Cretaceoustime. They are hosted by
conglomerates,sandstones,and siltstonesdeposited in laguno-deltaic conditions at the
boundarybetweenthe continentand sedimentarybasins.
(2) On a local scale,the discontinuous, stratiform mineral occurrencesare mainly
controlledby paleochannels of highly v.ariablesize and by the nature of the sediments.
(3) In detail, the mineralization is associatedwith carbonatecement and surrounds
the detrital grains. It commonlyfollows the normal beddingor cross-bedding.It may
alsobe foundas "clouds"or, lesscommonly(Bou Sellamin Morocco), in specialforms
resemblingarrowheads.
The author believes that the copper and lead were derived from the continent and
transportedfrom it along with the detrital material of the host rocks. These metalswould
have been depositedas sulfidesduring the formation of the cement in the host rocks.
The role of imbibition waters during the diagenesisand compactionof the sedimentsis
mentioned. The mineralization would be diagenetic. After the consolidation of the
host rocks the metals underwent weak epigeneticremobilization,associatedwith tectonic
movements.

Introduction published,including some (Merija, Bou-Sellam,

T•. detrital formationsmarking the beginningof
Cretaceous time in Africa contain numerous
currencesof copperand lead mineralizations. The
best known are the deposits of Merija (Cu-Pb)
and Bou-Sellam (Pb-Zn) in Morocco, Ain-Sefra
(Cu) in Algeria, Kroussou (Pb) in Gabon, and
Cachoeiras(Cu) in Angola (Fig. 1). Each has
beendescribedin detail in reports,publishedor un-
*This paper was presented at "Gisements Stratiformes
et Provinces Cuprif•res", a colloquium sponsored by the
Soci•t• G•ologique de Belgique held in Liege, Belgium, in
September 1974. Other papers presented at the collouuium
appear in "Gisements Stratiformes et Provinces Cuprif•res",
coordinatedby P. Bartholom•, I. de Magn•e, P. Evrard, and
J. Moreau. Published by the Soci&• G•ologique de Belgi-
que, Place du Vingt-Aofit, 7, 4000 Liege, Belgium. This
volume was reviewed in Economic Geolo9y, v. 69, p. 1357-8,
1974.
Kroussou,Cachoeiras)by the presentauthor (1968,
oc- 1969).
The geologicalsettings and the morphological
characteristics of the mineral occurrences are all
very similarand can be synthesized in order to de-
sign a modelof depositionwhich fits the basiccri-
teria of the family of known cupriferoussandstones
of the world, generally known as "red bed"-type
deposits.
x
x We prefer the term "cupriferous sandstones"used by
Soviet authors because almost everywhere in red beds the
beds hosting the mineralization are white and gray (sand-
stones and conglomerates), or black (siltstones) due to
residual organic matter. They are distinguishablefrom the
underlyingand overlyingunits, which are usually red. This
is quite normal consideringthat the mineralswere deposited
in a reducing environment.
409

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by Society of Economic Geologists, Cesar Ricardo Vargas
 410 y. CAiA

70 ø OøBasinin the maiginal 2 0ø

fold region 7oo

20 ø
Casablar
BOU-$ELLAM MERIJA (Cu)

AIN- SEFRA (Cu)

Dakar

Nigeria
basin

N'Toum(Cu•

Gabon basin
L ibre ville

10ø Oø •OUSSOU

0 500 1000 1500kin

- - Cuanza
Luanda
•.•
..::.'..•% basin
.

• Stratiform
deposits
ß Occurrences
:::_• Sedimentary
basins
ofthe
cretaceous series
.:!::::•gue,a
• aJeozoic
and
Jurassic
formations
of the High Atlas Mo•amede•
f•J• (Cu)
::':.' •
• Precambrian
basement
I o

Fro.1. Locations
of the principal
occurrences
of stratiform
copper
andleadmineralization
at the baseof detrital formationsof the Lower Cretaceousin Africa.

The historyof the stratiformcopperand lead de- The essentialcharacteristicof the paleogeography
positshostedby the detritalformations at the base duringCretaceous time,in regionswherestratiform
of the Cretaceous from that mineralizationis known, is that of subsidingsedi-
in Africa is inseparable
of the sediments that contain them. This conclusion mentarybasinsborderingcontinents.Subsidence
results from the observation of numerous connections beganjust beforeor at the beginning
of the Cre-
betweenmineralizationand the sedimentological
fea- taceous. It continuedto the end of this period,and
tures of the host rocks. The mineral concentrations in certaincases
beyond
it. Duringthe earlypart of
controlledby the regionalpaleo- the formation of the basins,sedimentationat the
were essentially
geographic conditionscontinentalmarginswas mainly of a continental
and local paleohydrographic
during the Lower Cretaceous. laguno-deltaic
type,resulting
in deposits
of conglom-

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by Society of Economic Geologists, Cesar Ricardo Vargas
 LOWER CRET/tCEOUS S•tNDSTONES OF ,'iFRICA 411

erares,sandstones,
and siltstones,varying in thick- We shallconcentrate
in this reporton the deposits
hess from a few meters to several hundred meters in Morocco, as we have studied these most
accordingto the particularbasin. The detrital ele- thoroughly. Moreover, their excellent exposures
ments of the sedimentscame from the emerged con- permitthe easiestobservation.
tinentsin the courseof degradation. Generally,from The Mineralization of Morocco
the Middle Cretaceousonward, the sea invaded these
subsidingregionsand depositeda few hundredto a The Moroccandeposits are situatedin the marginal
few thousand meters of marine sediments,again fold region of the eastern High Atlas. The region
with variationsin thicknessaccordingto the particu- is boundedon the southby the folded chain of the
lar basin. High Atlas and on the north by the high plateausof
The three Moroccanand Algerian depositsare Rekkame. The terrain consistsessentiallyof Lower,
situated on the northern border of the folded chain Middle, and Upper Cretaceoussedimentslying dis-
of the High Atlas, which largely emerged during cordantlyon Middle Jurassicsediments(Fig. 2).
the Lower Cretaceous. The lead occurrence at It shouldbe noted that, prior to the formationof
Kroussou in Gabon and the copper deposit at the Cretaceoussedimentarybasin in the marginal
Cachoeirasin Angola occur on the western border fold region, the High Atlas and the Rekkamepla-
of the Precambrianbasement,which emergedduring teauswere markedby differentpalcogeographic evo-
the sameperiod. lutions. During the Lower and Middle Jurassic,

•i"• Cenomanian
and
Turonian:
evaporites
andoverlied
marine
carbonate
facies
infra-cenomanian:
deltaTc
andlagoon
detritic
facies
with
evaporltes
intheupper
part
• Unconformity

Jurassic:'•High
Plateaux*marine
carbonate
focies
Jurassic Atlas
• marinecarbonate
facies .•
Oldschists
( paleozo','c
?) .'::"::.'.•••••••.-:•...••-'::1
Boundarybetweenzonesin whichthe infro_ .'' .'.''. :• 5••••••:•i.: % ß • '' :-.' 'l
Cenomanian detritalmaterialwasder,red from _.'. ''. •"-"• ••••••: •':• ß . - ' ' '. ' ''l
eitherthe HighAtlasortheR•kkame •-'.
•xt'.'... ".•'.'• •••j..?:v...•.... • . • .....i
Directionofinfra-Cenomanian paleocurrents •.. ß '"2.'.';:-•••'• q'' '. ß'.' '.' q ' -'%' ':•
250m-Total
se,
thickness
rie•
oftheinfra_Cenomanian
•:''""' '""' '' '"'"""'•"•s•c'h•
-"•":••"'
[;f ß... ß. ß'..'. ' ' . ßß . . . -... g ß ß • lm..:[•]
--Stratiform
minerali•atio•
atthe
base
of
the •}'•."-'
. .:.•.':
nfra_Cenomanian aetri•a
:.'•..j....•r•'•
..'.."•"•'}•.•'•'•'."
sequence •" ' ' ' ''ffiO[I• •[1' ' ' -:•7' - ' ' ' ' ' ' ' '-':•-
..
•a •e •.: .. -.............•?......:.,'.-. •Xu ::..•:. • :::...
0 ,0 :0• ,o •,•7•%'. "."•;•X:Od;•'''-•X•.:: •":-
I I I • ,•.':"/.'.. •.• ......
ß •'.'. '-..'. 2of:•'..-'
,• ,,q q::.:.'..'_....'.........• •.•a .: .''.....' •":7..:
ssx ** • .'.' ....
v;,t
'.'.'.':q*-.'.:
ß '•' '"-".
i;i'g' "" (::'::
'.'.
,** ,ß½ )' :'......
': '""'"'.'• ..... ß' ............ ..-.......,
('Continenta
I textt
a• ..• ..'...'.'.'..'..'c6.'
e.• :S0m . ':' '':'
ß . . . ß '
'' 600m' '

Robat

.!•

Fro. 2. Paleogeographicsketch of the marginal fold region of the eastern High Atlas of
Morocco during the Lower Cretaceous,with locationsof areas containingstratiform mineraliza-
tion.

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by Society of Economic Geologists, Cesar Ricardo Vargas
 412 J. C.4•A

EASTERN HIGH REKKAME

MARGINAL FOLD REGION
ATLAS j HighPlateaux
Northern
limit J NorthPart Southern
limit
SouthPort j
N
S BOU~SELLAM MERJJA
I KSAR_KADDOU
Direction
of , ,
J currents , E W I
I
Section I

D[rectlon
transport
., KSAR_ KADDOU terrigenous
i•OU SELLAM MERIJA , moterio/o N_S
-

S_N _ • -

Section 2.

BOU-SELLAM MERJJA KSAR-KADDOU

• •
I - sort
\•terriaenousmater•al
of II J
, [
ß
•...•_Direction
of
tran
p.. I ..... I ,
-- --.._--_• .... • •- •-•

Red orgillaceous sandstone

formotionwith gypsumand
..... lacustrine
limestones
(terrigenous .•?kk•.,•Z
• il~Atlas
type
facies
[nfro_ _
Cenomonion moteriai
Bosal Atlasand Soharatypes
) Dogger•.x•-Ji/--zJ
formation:il_sandstones Ji_High
Plateaux
•tøøi
continentol
]oilo
ih and
conglomerates
with
cross_bedding
i h_conglomerote
ond
Atlos
typeterrigenous
with material;
Rekkame_type
Lias• type
facies
Limestone
terrigenous materiol

Jurossic
I
continentol Red and
argillitesgreen
sandstones
and

FIG.3. Evolution
of themarginal
foldregion
o• theeastern
HighAtlasin Morocco,
fromthe
endo• theMiddleJurassic
to theendof theinfra-Cenomanian.

theregion Formationandevolutiono1
beforeitsupliftat theendof theJurassic, • the sedimentary basinin
corresponding to theHighAtlaswasa marinetrough themarginal j•oldregiona•tertheJurassic
bounded on the northby an epicontinental
platform. The continuous, progressive uplift of the High
The carbonate facies of the Lower and Middle Atlasandthestability of theRekkame plateausdur-
Jurassicterrainsin theAtlasarethereforedifferent ingthetectonicphase resulted in thegradual forma-
fromthoseof Rekkame(ChoubertandFaure-Muret, tion of a basinin the marginalfold regionwith the
1962;du Dresnay,1971). At theendof theMiddle deposition of sediments. This sedimentation was
Jurassicthesearetreated fromthisarea. The post- terrigenousandcontinental for aninaccurately dated
MiddleJurassic andante-Cenomaniantectonicphase, period(infra-Cenomanian) between theendof the
well known in Morocco,beganat aboutthis time.
The deposition
of the firstterrigenousdetritalsedi- Jurassic
After
andtheCenomanian
the end of the
transgression.
orogeny,the basinsubsided
mentscommenced at the end of the Middle Jurassic
in thesynclines
whichwerebeginning to form(Fig. more and more,and the sea,coming from the west,
3, section1). progressively
invaded
the entirebasinduringthe

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by Society of Economic Geologists, Cesar Ricardo Vargas
 LOWER CRET.4CEOUSS.4NDSTONES OF •4FRIC,•I 413

Cenomanian:first, evaporites,and then carbonates The unit of gray sandstoneand conglomerateis

were deposited. The sea occupiedthe basin from characterizedby cross-bedding indicatingpaleocur-
the north of the Atlas to the southern part of the rents from the south= (Fig. 2). The rounded
Rekkame. The region continuedto evolve during detrital grains and pebblesconsistentirely of quartz
the Tertiary and Quaternary,eventuallytaking on and limestonefragments. The latter are representa-
its present aspect: the Cretaceoussea retreated, tive of theAtlas-typefaciesof the Lower and Middle
varioustectonicphasesfoldedand upliftedthe Atlas Jurassic.The thickness of the unit variesperiodically
with repercussions creatingweak undulationsin the from west to east between 0.5 and 10 m, with the
former basin, and the Rekkame high plateaus re- thickestcorresponding to paleochannels (Fig. 5A)
mained stable. whosewidth can be measuredbecausethe unit crops
Theseobservations do not opposebut, indeed,back out transverselyto the directionof the paleocurrents
up the modelproposed by Schenk(1971) concerning at Bou-Sellamand obliquelyat Merija. This width
the geologicalevolutionof southeasternCanadaand varies from 100 to 200 m and that of the interchannel
northwesternAfrica, using the tectonicplate theory. highs varies from 50 to 150 m. These characteris-
This modelwas partly roughedout as early as 1965 tics are thoseof piedmontdepositsderivedfrom the
by Bullard et al. For Schenk, "Cretaceous sedi- degradationof the Atlas at the beginningof the infra-
ments of both continentalshelvesare mainly near- Cenomanian(Fig. 3, section2).
shoredeltaicto shallowmarine faciesand represent In the paleochannelsthis unit consistsmostlyof
marginsof a narrow and growing abyssalAtlantic conglomerates in which are interbeddedlensesof
Early Cretaceous". We believethat the basinof the microconglomerates and coarsesandstoneabout 1 m
marginal fold region,situateda few hundredkilom- thick. It continues in the interchannelhighs as a
eters east of the rift, at the foot of the Atlas, formed single bed of conglomerate,microconglomerate,or
part of the shelf which extended betweenthe grow- coarse sandstone. The cement of the sandstones is
ing oceanand the Atlas during the Cretaceous. carbonate.The matrix of the conglomerates
is formed
of sandstone with carbonate cement. The size of the
The infra-Cenomanianof the sedimentarybasin in pebblesvarieswith the thicknessof the bed. Their
and paleo- centilea valuesvary, in fact, from 0 to 2 in the inter-
the marginalfold region: sedimentology
geography channelhighs, from 1 to 9 in the paleochannels.
The white sandstone unit consists of lenses of
The terrigenoussedimentationin the basin was fine- to medium-grainedsandstonewith calcite ce-
associatedwith the late orogenicdenudationof the ment. Its thicknessis as variable as that of the pre-
High Atlas and the Rekkame. A distinctionshould cedingunit, from 15 to 40 m in the paleochannels, to
be noted between facies of the northern and southern
6 to 8 m in the interchannelhighs. Mud cracksare
parts of the basin. The differences observed frequentlyobserved at the top of thisunit.
between the infra-Cenomanian sediments of the north-
(2) The upper formation,unconformablyoverly-
ern and southernparts indicatedifferent sedimento- ing the lower, is composed of red argillaceoussand-
logical characters determining two distinct paleo-
stones. It is very thick in the southwest(600 m)
geographiczones. at Bou-Sellamand becomesprogressivelythinner
In the southernpart of the basin,the infra-Ceno- toward the north (150 m at Merija). The sedi-
manJan sediments can be subdivided into two forma-
mentationconditionschangedrelative to the underly-
tions:
ing formation,and severallayersof lacustrinelime-
(1) The lower, discordantwith the underlying stone can be noted. The period of piedmont-type
Middle Jurassicseries,consistsof conglomerates and depositionwould thereforehave been followedby a
white sandstones. It is continuousand crops out laguno-lacustrine phaseof sedimentation in the basin
from west to east, runningalong all the High Atlas, (Fig. 3, section3).
and on the flank of an anticlinal structure in its In the •orthern part of the basin the infra-Ceno-
periclinal closureat Bou-Sellam,and on the two manianis representedby only a few metersof con-
flanksof an anticlineat Merija (Fig. 2). The cores glomeratecontainingcoarselimestonepebblesresting
of the anticlines consist of Middle Jurassic rocks discordantlyon the Middle Jurassiclimestonesof
(Fig. 4). • 2,400 measurements of cross-bedding were taken at 24
The thicknessof the lower sandstone-conglomerate stations, using the method for measurement and interpreta-
formation is variable, between 20 and 50 m. From tion given by the Institut Francais du P•trole, 1966, in
Essai de nomenclaturedes principales structures s•dimen-
the baseto the top the formationcan be subdivided taires: Technip, eds., Paris, v. 291.
as follows: a unit of gray sandstoneand conglom- *The "centlie" was defined by Cailleux and Tricart
(1959). It is a methodof grain-slzemeasurement for con-
erate, and a unit of white, fine- to medium-grained glomerate pebbles. The average value obtained dependson
sandstone. the size of the pebbles.

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by Society of Economic Geologists, Cesar Ricardo Vargas
 414 /. CA)fA

GEOLOGIC SETTING OF THE BOU-SELLAM

LEAD_ZINC
( NORTHERN DEPOSIT
BORDEROF THE EASTERNHIGH ATLAS)

..

SCALE

•_• •••m GEOLOGIC SETTING OF THE MERIDA

COPPER DEPOSIT
LEGEND

MIDDLEAND • Mor•necorbonotesetres wtth

(NORTHERN
BORDER
OF
THE
EASTERN
HiGH
ATLAS)
UPPER • evopor
tesot thebose • • ] I • • 'f 'MER
JA ' • r I I J•
, ,,
CONTINENTAL
/• Red
and
wh.... dst
...... dorgres , ' JJ J, •
CENOMANIAN
[,'.'/.'.-:• show
nq
' crossbedd
ng end contan ng PbZn I I , I, II . ' & ' / J ,

HIDDLE• H........ bonat

....... I...... t,ngwith ½- ' ' '
JURASSIC
•-- • cont
,ent
.... dst
..... dments ' '
• ' V' ' . •MER JA
I J , [I • :1 :,.,, _• ....._ ,,,• ;...:•:...

• SuBhorizontal
d•p ••* ' ' / "/
,"' ;•, '/',"4•" ':'" '-•

• Flexure •..-" - - ' , , , ,[ (: ' •, [

•' '-•///•• '• I••"•".,. r h( '
7 ,

FmuR•. 4.

the epicontinentalplatformof Rekkame. The con- Terrigenousmaterial from the Atlas did not reach
glomeratebecomesprogressivelythinner toward the this zone (Fig. 3, sections2 and 3).
north, approachingRekkame,where it disappears. Mineralixation
Thus, in the northernpart of the basinduring the
Lower Cretaceous,minor quantitiesof detrital ma- The mineralization occurs in the two conglom-
terial were transportedfrom the Rekkameand de- erate and white sandstone units of the lower forma-
positedin a zoneslightlyinclinedtowardthe south. tion of the infra-Cenomanianin the southernpart of

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by Society of Economic Geologists, Cesar Ricardo Vargas
 LOIffER CRET/ICEO US S.•INDSTONES OF/iFRICA 415

tlm former baslit. Mineralizationis known in four Bou-Scllam,the mincralization

co]•sists
of Icad,with
areas,of which the westernmostand the easternmost accessory
copperand zinc. At Merija it is mainly
are about 100 km apartß They are Bou-SelIam, copper,with accessory
lead. At MazzerandJ. Bou-
Merija,Mazzer,andJ. Bou-Kechba (Fig. 2). At Kechba,it is cupriferous.The sizesof the deposits

Pb_following Pb-os Pb-as Cu-as Sandstone Pb_as

the bedding "arrowheads .... clouds .... clouds" unit "clouds '•

,
--.••• R •-/ \ '• _-•
ed•hdst$•--•-s
16
7/_ZL•/ _-•'•
andargill,tes
•--- • • •
..-..• .............. •- - •-•- - .•...• .•. •. •_- • .•.

0 0
i i

TYPES OF MINERALIZATION

Erosion surface Rounded terrigenous Medium grained Pb_as

separating thin material (limestone,quart sandstone with "clouds"
cross beds in colcareous cement
\ P--mb/ 4cmn

_-•---•L
'-.ß = -• .... ?•• 24

½careous
cement_
•,.•7__4c
i --

Pb
following
the
beddin•X•
--
forming
a "cloud',\
Medium grained sondstone
with calcareous cement

•::.• '• •.t•, •'.- .•. -- •

• "::•[).• •;>• • • "orr•whead,,

• ',•- - • •:":•?z.:.:•

Fro.5. Morphology
of themineralization
of Bou-Sellam
in Morocco.
(A) Schematic
crosssection
showing
the distribution
of the mineralization
in the earliest
infra-Cenomanian units.The lead(galena-cerussite) is situatedin the paleochannels,
the
copper(chalcocite-malachite) in the interchannel
highs.The cross-beddingin the sandstone-
conglomerate unitindicates south-northcurrents,
whilethatin thegreencontinental Jurassic
sandstones indicates east-west
unit is coarser in the channels.
currents.The detritalmaterialof the sandstone-conglomerate
(B) Galenaandcerussite
followingthe cross-bedding
in the sandstone-conglomerate
unit.
The mineralization
in the carbonatecementis mainly concentrated
abovesmall erosionsur-
facesseparating
thincross-beds,
wherethedetritalmaterialis comparatively
coarse.
(C) Galena and cerussiteas "clouds"in the sandstoneunit.
(D) Galenaandcerussite
as "arrowheads"
in the sandstone
refit. The parallelar]'owheads
pointtoward the top of the bed.

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by Society of Economic Geologists, Cesar Ricardo Vargas
 41• I. c,4L4

vary fr•,l• areato area. At Bou-Scllamand Mcrija Tl,c clo•t(l mineralization consists oœ concentra-
mineralizationcrops out over several kilometers, tions of 0.10 to several meters in thickness and
with numerousinterruptionsalong strike; in the two lateral extent of disseminatedspecksof galena,chal-
other areasit extendsfor only a few tens of meters. cocite,or malachite. The specksare on the order
Lead mineralization occursin the form of galena of 1 mm in size. They form blackor greenclouds
and cerussite,while copper is found as chalcocite of irregularmorphologyand dimensions (Fig. 5C),
and malachite. Three morphologicaltypes of min- containingwhite patchesof barren rock. Between
eralizationare found, in order of importance(Fig. the clouds the rock is unmineralized. In some
5): mineralizationwhichfollowsthe bedding(nor- clouds the minerals follow the rock bedding and
mal or cross-bedding) form small bands from 1 to 2 cm in thickness. Later-
in the sandstone-conglomerate
unit; mineralization which forms "clouds" in the ally thesebandsgiveway abruptlyto barrenrock.
sandstone unit and sometimes in the sandstone-con- At Bou-Sellam the clouds contain lead, but rare
glomerateunit; mineralizationwhich occursin forms cupriferous
cloudsare foundat the top of the sand-
resemblingarrowheadsin the sandstoneunit. The stone unit, sometimesin paleochannelswith lead
third type is seenonly in the leadmineralizationof mineralization and sometimes in the interchannel
Bou-Sellam. highs.At Merija the cloudsare cupriferous.Locally,
These mineralizations are discontinuous and con- however,in the easternpart of the deposit,a few
centratedmainly in certain paleochannels.Copper clouds of lead are found. In the clouds of lead the
mineralization,in very minor quantities,is found gradesare from 1 to 3 percentPb, and from 1 to
only as cloudsin the sandstoneunit of someinter- 1.5 percentCu in the cupriferousones. Under the
channelhighs in the Bou-Sellam lead deposit. The microscope (as in the beddedtypedescribed above),
first type of mineralizationhasundergoneoccasional millimeter-sizespecksof mineralizationassociated
minor remobilization. with the cementmouldthe detritalgrainsof the rock.
Bedded mineral•zatfon: The mineralization follow- Arrowheads: Only observedat Bou-Sellam,the
ing beddingconsists of leadat Bou-Sellam "arrowhead" mineralizationis a particular form of
essentially
and copperat Merija. In eachdepositthe mineral- the cloud type. In certain casesthe cloudstake
ization seemsto occur in certain paleochannelsin formsresembling arrowheads(Fig. 5D). The latter
which the detrital material is fine comparedto that havebeenfoundvery locallyin certainpaleochannels
of the barren palcochannels in which the centile which also contain lead mineralization of the two
valuesof the conglomerates are low (from 1 to 4). precedingtypes(Fig. 5A). They can be observed
The thickness of sediments mineralized varies from
in the lowerpart of the sandstone
unit, all oriented
one to a few meters,with the grade varying from 1 parallelandpointingtowardthe top of that unit at
to 4 percentPb at Bou-Sellamand Cu at Merija. an angle of about 45ø to the horizontal. Their
The morphological typeis definedby theaccumula-
tion and distribution,followingthe bedding,of small averagesizeis between15 and20 cm in length,1.5
cm in width, and 5 cm in height. Characterizedby
grains(on the orderof 1 mm in size) of galenaat
Bou-Sellamand of chalcociteand malachiteat Merija. smallblackbandsterminatingat the top in chevrons
Thesegrainscomprisecoloredbandsfrom 1 to 2 with acuteanglesof 15 to 20ø, they are spacedfrom
cm in thickness(Fig. $B). The frequencyof the 2- to 3-cm intervals over several meters. Under the
bandsseemsto havebeendeterminedby the process microscope the morphology of sulfidesis identical
of gradingin the beds. In the cross-beds, the min- to that of the previoustwo types.
eralizationmarks the basesof the laminations,where Other types: Remobilizedmineralizationis only
the material is slightlycoarser. very local,foundin thevicinityof the mineralization
Under the microscope, galenaand cerussitein one which follows the bedding. At Bou-Sellam, weak
deposit or copperin theotherare seencementing the lead mineralization is disseminated over several
rounded detrital grains of the host rocks. The metersin the Middle Jurassicsandstones underlying
relationships of thesemineralsto the carbonatece- the sandstone-conglomerate
unit. It is situatedvery
ment are poorly defined. It is unknownwhether
the mineralizationwas emplacedbeforeor after the locallyborderinga paleochannel.
cement. Subordinateamounts of sphalerite some- At Merija, a few detritalpebblesof barite of sev-
timesaccompany
the leadmineralsat Bou-Sellam. eral centimetersin diameterare distributedlocallyin
Clouds: The cloudsare generally locatedin the the sandstone-conglomerateunit, which containscop-
which also per followingthe bedding. In their vicinity,dis-
white sandstoneunit in paleochannels
contain mineralization of the first type. However, continuons veinlets 1 cm thick of barite associated
they alsooccurin otherpaleochannels
and in the with chalcocite and malachite cut across the strati-
underlyingsandstone-conglomerate
nnit. form COl)per
mineralization.

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by Society of Economic Geologists, Cesar Ricardo Vargas
 LOWER CRETACEO US' S'ANDSTONES' OF AFRICA 417

Relationshipsbetweenmineralizationand the host have been controlledby certain paleohydrographic

rocks criteria. On a regionaIscale,the lead is particularly
We have noted in the marginal fold region a concentrated to the south,immediatelyborderingthe
marked contrast between the thick mineralized infra- Atlas at Bou-Sellam, just where subsidencewas
Cenomaniansequenceof the south, composedof greatest. In contrast,the copperis situatedmore to
detrital material from the High Atlas and the the northeast,at Merija, where subsidencewas less,
Sahara,andthe very reducedthickness oœunmineral- with the basinfloor risingtowardthe north (Fig. 3,
ized sedimentsto the north whose terrigenousele- sections 2 and 3). Lookingat an individualdeposit,
ments came from the Rekkame. A spatiaI relation- we have seenat Bou-Sellamhow the copper,in very
ship therefore exists betweenthe mineralization and minor amounts, is alwayssituatedat the top of the
the in[ra-Cenomanian formations whose detrital ma- mineralizedunit,accompanying Ieadin the paleochan-
terial camefrom the south. Moreover, the distribu- nels, or alone in the interchannelhighs. However,
tion of the mineralization over notable distances in a this last modelis valid only immediatelyadjacentto
singlelithologichorizon,discordanton impermeable the Atlas,because farthernorthcopper,the principal
Middle JurassicmarIs, sandstones, or argillites, re- andessential elementof the deposits,
is foundonly in
strictsthis spatialrelationship to stratawhosesedi- the paleochannels.
mentation conditions were different from those of
Comparisonwith the CopperDepositsof
the underlyingand overlyingformations(red clays Ain-Seœrain Algeria
and sandstones with gypsum,and lacustrinelime-
stones). These sedimentationconditonsare revealed Occurrences at Ain-Sefra a few hundred kilom-
eters to the
discussed above are east of those
by certain characteristicsedimentarystructures,in-
cluding very abundant cross-beddingand paleo- found within a quite similar general geologiccon-
channelswhoseconstantpresenceon a regionalscale text. They are Iocated in the Saharan Atlas, an ex-
suggeststhe floorof a basinpreviouslycut by ravines. tensionof the easternHigh Atlas of Morocco,and
Within thesefavorablestrata,the spatialrelationship occur as sulfidesin continentaI detrital sediments,
is againrestrictedto particularsedimentaryfeatures. contemporaneouswith those mentionedabove. Cail-
The mineralizationoccursin the paleochannels of the leux and Thdbault (1962) have describedthe de-
cross-bedded basalunit, followingthe beddingand posits.
associatingwith a particularrange of grain sizes. The numerousoccurrences are distributedin argiI-
Accordingly,consideringthe abovefactors,it can laceousand sandy layers, sometimesconglomeratic,
be suggested that the supplyof metal necessaryfor of AptJanand Albian age. The host deltaic-type
the formation of the depositsat Merija and Bou- sedimentswere depositedon vast floodplains.
Sellam, derived from the continent to the south of On a local scale,the cupriferousmineralizationis
the basin, was brought by paleocurrentsfrom the controlledby paleochannels of similarsizeto thosein
southtransportingterrigenousmaterial eroded from the Moroccandeposits. Three morphological types
the continent. The metals brought in this manner, of mineral concentrations have been distinguished.
with the materialof the basalsandstone-conglomerate The first type is characterized by mineralization
unit, would then have been depositedas sulfides, distributed in oneto threethin greenargilliteIayers,
partly following the bedding of the host rocks. eachof 10- to 60-cmthickness.They are sometimes
Anotherpart couldhavebeendisplacedby the move- micaceous and containfineplant debris. The grade
mentsof the imbibitionwaterscausedby compaction of copper mineralization (chalcocite)can reach5 to
duringdiagenesis. 6 percentandis relatedto the abundance of vegetable
The weak lead mineralization,disseminated in the debris. Where no debris exists, the argillitesare
Middle Jurassicsandstonesunderlying the sand- barren.
stone-conglomerate unit at Bou-Sellamand situated The secondtype of mineralization occursas spots
borderinga paleochannel, couldcorrespondto a re- of chalcociteand malachite,foundover thicknesses of
mobilizationof lead "per descensure" and effective 1 to 2 m in a white sandstone.The copperforms
over a very limited distancealong small fissuresor part of the cementof the hostsandstone.The grades
through the pores of the rocks. are irregular; althoughgenerallyIessthan 1 percent,
Finally, the presenceof baritepebblesin the sand- they may reach2 to 3 percent.
stone-conglomerate unit at Merija and of thin short The third type of mineralizationis found in lenses
fissureswith barite and copper mineralizationsug- of carbonate-cemented sandstonecontainingcoarse
gest a detrital depositof barite, remobilizedalong plant debris such as branches and tree trunks. The
with the beddedcopper. presence of mineralization is again related to the
Approachingthe questionfrom anotherangle, it abundanceof the debris. The outer parts of the
seemsthat the distribution of copperandleadwould trunksand branchesare replacedby chalcocite, the

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by Society of Economic Geologists, Cesar Ricardo Vargas
 418 .•. CASA

inner parts by silica. The mineralizationis also continentalcrust, the floor of the initial rift. It is
found along bedding planes and in joints. The probably the collapsemechanismwhich, after final
lengthof the mineralizedlensesvariesfrom 1 to 50 ruptureof the floor of the initial rift and the begin-
m, the thicknessfrom 0 to 1.6 m. The averagecop- ning of the separation of the two margins,was re-
per grade is 2 percent. Where a sandstonelens sponsible for the marine invasionof the trough at
thinsout, the mineralizationis cut off, and the green the endof the AptJan. Openmarinecarbonatesedi-
argillitesand white sandstones give way to red units. mentationthen replacedthe postdeltaicevaporitic
For thesethree types of mineralization,observed sedimentation. After the ruptureof the crust,sepa-
in sandstone-conglomerate paleochanneldepositsof rationof the two margins,andopeningof the marine
the sameage as thoseof the Moroccandeposits,the trough,the coastalbasinswere the sceneof large
sulfide mineralization appears to be related to the collapseflexures,sequentialin time and space. In
organicmaterial or to sedimentarypyrite. Sulfide Gabonthey were sequentialfrom east to west, that
mineralization does not occur in joints. Only the is, from the continenttoward the sea. In Angola
carbonatemineralizationhasmigratedinto the joints, they at first evolvedin the oppositedirectionbut
but without strayingmore than 2 or 3 m from the laterfollowedthe morenormalcourse(Brognonand
sulfides. Verrier, i968). However,in the Miocenethe large
subsidence flexureswere generallydistantfrom the
Comparisonwith the Deposits of outer limits of the basins,leavingbehindthem an
Southwest Africa already well-stabilizedzone.
Depositsin southwestAfrica alsooccurin terrig- The lead depositso)e Kroussou
enous, detrital sediments,contemporaneousto the
The eastern border of the Gabonesebasin is marked
mineralizedsedimentaryformationsof North Africa,
However, in southwestAfrica, the host formations from north to southby occurrences of copperand
on the African Precambrian leadmineralization.Theyaregenerally
are directlydiscordant unimportant
basement.They constitute the first deposits
in sedi- in size,very oftenconsistingof simplemineralogi-
mentarybasinswhichbeganto form at the beginning ca1occurrences. Only theleaddeposits
of theKrous-
of the Cretaceous. The lead depositof Kroussou sou area achieve noteworthy dimensions,on the
order of 50 to 100 m. All these occurrences were
and the copper depositof Cachoeirasoccupythe
coastalbasins of Gabon and of Cuanza in Angola, described by Cartie et al. in 1966,Demangein 1971,
respectively,alongthe westernborderof the African and the authorin unpunishedreportsin 1973. We
shall limit ourselves here to a brief rdsum• taken
Shield (Fig. i).
At the beginningof the formation of these two from these descriptions
observations.
and our own unpublished
basins in the Lower Cretaceous,the sedimentation
In the Kroussou area, the contact between the
was of a continental,laguno-deltaicnature. As early
as the Cenomanian,the seainvadedboth basins. As Precambrian basementand the Lower Cretaceous,
in Morocco,the purely marine sedimentationwas continental,detrital series, which has a general
precededby the deposition
of evaporites,
immediately north-south,rectilinearaspect,is in fact very com-
plex and indented. The detrital sediments fill
following the laguno-deltaicphase. A schematic basement lows in the form of narrow lobes of 100 to
section of the Cretaceous series in these two basins
shows,from bottom to top: 500 m in width and 1 to 3 km in length (Fig. 6).
The basementlows are elongated in an east-west
A Lower Cretaceous,terrigenous,detrital assem- direction,dueto a particularpaleotopography
of the
blage (AptJan in Gabon, Ante-Aptian to Lower top of the basementat the beginningof Cretaceous
Aptianin Angola); time. The groupof basementlows suggests a paleo-
An AptJanto Albianevaporiticformation; hydrographyconsistingof channelscut into the base-
A series of Cenomanian to Miocene marine forma- ment (continent) near the basin,with infilling of
tions. the channels.
The section of the detrital series shows, from
A recentexplanation for the evolutionof these bottomto top:
basins merits mention. As in Morocco, the coastal
basins of southwest Africa and America are con- Brecciasand conglomerates
with polygenicclasts
sideredto representthe originalmarginsof a rift, of about a meter to a decimeter in size and with
todayseparatedfrom oneanotherby the process of sandstone matrices. Beds are from 0 to 30 m in
continentaldrift. Accordingto J. Bauer (oral com- thickness.
mun.,1972), the "graben"whichevolvedinto the Brecciaswith less coarseclasts,discordanton and
basinsof Gabonand Angola openedfrom the north in part fillingchannelsin the precedingunits (a few
to a collapsed metersto 30 m in thickness).
toward the south. It corresponded

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by Society of Economic Geologists, Cesar Ricardo Vargas
 LOI/FER CRETACEOUS SA,¾DSTONEoe OF AFRICA 419

Arkoses,sandbtones, and microconglomerates with

carbonatecement, organic debris, and sedimentary
structures (cross-bedding,ripple marks, graded
bedding), from 30 to 40 m in thickness.
A rhythmicseriesof black,organic-richsiltstones
and carbonate-cemented sandstones (a few metersto
30 m in thickness). On the edgesof the lobesthis
seriesis thinner and coarsergrained. Along the
axes of the lobes it is thicker.
The mineralizationtakesthe forn'tof galenaand
pyrite,with accessory
sphalerite,smithsonite,barite,
and sometimes chalcopyrite.It is distributedin the
lobes,primarily in the cementof the sandstones and
siltstones,rarely in that of the breccias. Within the
series it forms clouds reminiscent of those in the 1ø30

Bou-Sellam depositof Morocco. The size of the Agourea

cloudsvariesfrom 1 to severalmeters. They are
generallyisolatedbut may be groupedhorizontally
andverticallywithinan approximate
radiusof 100to
150
The galena,pyrite,and otherminerals,generally
about 1 mm in size and associated with the carbon-
Diguela
I
ate cement,mouldthe detrital elements. The grades
vary from 1 to 20 percentfor lead. Occasionally,
smallfissuresa few centimeterslong, filled with l- ß:..• Lower
Cretaceaus
rocks"'
mm grainsof galena,sphalerite, and pyrite,can be I io l•Okm
observed.The latter type of mineralization prob- ß/• Precambrian
basement '. ß

ably results from remobilizationof the former dis- ß Principal

depasit• ..
seminatedtype. ß Pboccurrences
i•0o
Thecopper
mineralixation
of Cachoeiras
in Angola FIG. 6. Geologic sketch showing the distribution of lead
Several copper occurrencesin the Lower Cre- occurrences in the Kroussou area of Gabon.
taceousdetrital assemblage have been noted in the
coastal basins of Angola (Peres, 1970, and the From Peres' observationsand our own it appears
author,unpub.report,1972). Only that at Cacho- that this mineralizationis distributedin paleotroughs
eirasin the Cuanzabasinis at presentknownto be with east-westaxes, perpendicularto the basement-
of significant size. detritalsedimentcontactas in Gabon. The deposi-
The Cuanzabasinhas beenstudiedin detail by tionof sandstones wasmoresignificant in thesepaleo-
Brognon and Verrier (1968). The Lower Cre- channelsthan in the interchannelhighs,5 to 10 m in
taceousdetrital assemblage, discordantsometimeson thicknessas opposedto 0 to 2 m. Sedimentary
the Precambrianbasementand sometimes on Juras- structures(cross-bedding, gradedbedding)are fre-
sicbasalts,consists from bottomto top of: quentin the sandstones.The lengthof the channels
An initial formation called the "Lower Cuvo"
varies from 50 to 600 m, their width from a few
meters to 100 m.
which includesred conglomerates
whosepolygenetic The mineralization
is mainlysituatedin the upper
elements came from either the basement or the under-
part of the sandstones
and siltstonesof the Upper
lying lavas. Its thicknessis at most50 m. Cuvo, over an averagethicknessof 1 to 2 m. The
A secondformation("Upper Cuvo") consisting
of averagegrade of the copper is around 2 percent.
white sandstoneswith carbonate cement; it lies on This copperoccursas chalcopyrite,
bornire,digenite,
the first with an intermediate erosion surface. It and as supergenecovellite and idaite. Malachite is
containsvegetabledebrisand thin layers of carbon. commonin outcrops. These minerals,1 mm in size
At its top is a silty layer with a maximumthickness or finer, are associatedwith the cementof sandstones
of 1 to 3 m. and siltstones,
mouldingthe detritalgrainsand some-
timeswith organicmatter. Morphologically themin-
The coppermineralization of Cachoeirasis hosted eralizationis similar to that of Merija in Morocco,
by the sandstones and siltstonesof the Upper Cuvo. followingthe beddingor occurringin clouds.

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by Society of Economic Geologists, Cesar Ricardo Vargas
 42O J. cAM

Conclusions The detrital series restilt froIn the erosion of the

From the aboveobservationsit is possibleto syn- altered zones: only the heavy elements stocked
thesizethe characteristics during the weatheringare found concentratedin
of the copper and lead- these detrital series.
zinc occurrences at the base of the Cretaceous in
Africa in order to designa depositional
modelfor a There remainthe problemsof the transportationof
the elementstoward the bordersof the sedimentary
givenperiodof geological history:
The mineralizationis hostedby terrigenousdetrital basin and of the precipitationas sulfidesto form the
mineralizations which we have observed. The model
sediments
depositedduring the Lower Cretaceoushas still to be defined.
on the marginsof sedimentary basinsbordering
If we refer to Routhier'sdefinition (i967), such
continents. Tile sedimentaryenvironmentwas con-
depositswould be consanguineous (the metal has the
tinentallaguno-deltaicand geographically situated sameorigin as the host rocks). As we believethat
betweena marine environmentand an emergedcon-
in our case the crystallizationof the minerals took
tinent. The sedimentary materialwas providedby
placeduringthe diagenesis, the mineralizationwould
the denudationof emergedlands. This particular
thereforebe consanguineous and diagenetic.
periodof sedimentation waslate andpostorogenic However, the "sabkha process"model suggested
andpreceded a phaseof evaporitic depositionfol- by Renfro (1974) shouldalso be considered. The
lowedby a marinetransgression.
On a local scale,the mineralizationwas mainly regionalpaleogeographical contextof the formations
of the African Lower Cretaceous which host the
controlledby the paleotopography and the forma- mineralization we have described could be simulated
tion of paleochannels. The detritalhostrocksare by thismodel: detritichostformations with continen-
whiteor gray. Theyunderlieandoccasionally over- tal material,overlainby evaporitesand depositedat
lie barren red sandstones.
On the scaleof individualexamples,the mineral- the limit of the sedimentarybasins and emerged
continents. It is certain that during the Lower
ization,whetherit followsnormalor cross-beddingCretaceous the zones in which the mineralizations
or occursin clouds,is mainlyassociatedwith carbon-
ate cement in the rocks. It is impossibleto say are situated(deltasand lagoonsbetweenthe clearly
whether it is earlier or later than the cement. marine environment and the wholly emerged con-
Like the cement, the minerals surround the tinents) were the site of meetingsbetweenmarine
waters and continental waters brought there by
roundeddetrital grains. It is thereforepossible
percolation. Extensive evaporationthereforetook
that the crystallizationof the mineralswas con-
placewherethe metalsfrom the continentcouldhave
temporaneous with the consolidation of the cement
and was related to the imbibition waters during com- crystallizedwith the sulfur of the sulfatesfrom the
seain the reductionconditionsdescribedby Renfro.
pactionof thesediments. The presence of layersof In our case,it appearsdifficultto choosebetween
organicdebrisindicates that the environment
wasa these two models. That of Routhier would seem to
reducing one,andsulfurwasabundant (evaporitesexplain the local controlsof our mineralizations
overlie the mineralized horizons).
(paleochannels,
geometricrelations between min-
Thismodelis quitewelldefined fromthepointof erals,and certainsedimentarystructures),as it does
view of mineralizationcontrols and their relations
not precludea superficialtransportationof metals
with the paleogeographicalenvironment.We may froIn a source(continentin this case). In contrast,
concludealsothat the sourceof the metalswas situ-
the model of Renœro,which is more attractive on the
ated in land whichemergedand was submittedto
regionalscale,seemsto be less applicablefor local
degradation
during
theLowerCretaceous
(geochemi-
controls.
cal stockscontainedin certain continentalforma-
There are manycommoncharacteristicsamongthe
tions). stratiformcopperand lead depositsof the Lower
For the weatheringprocessof the continentwe Cretaceousin Africa and other known cupriferous
havebasedour observationson the work of Samama
and lead-bearingsandstones,
e.g., the sedimentary
(1973). Thisauthor
showed
fromcertain
examplesenvironmentand lithologicnature of the host rocks,
in Francethat, according
to the major weathering controllingthe mineralization.Furthermore,all these
process
of a continental
zone,thesameheavyele- depositsbelongto a particularperiodof geologic
ment(Pb, Zn, Cu,U) mayeitherbecarriedtoward history, at the end of and following an orogeny,
the sedimentary
basinsor enriched
andtemporarilyduringa phaseof continentalerosionand sedimenta-
stockedon the continentat the paleo-alteration
level.
tion in basins(Samarea,1973):
The modelled Samamato analyzethe correspondence
observed betweenthe geochemistry of the alteration After the Precambrianorogeniesand before the
levels and of the metalliferousconcentrationscon- first Paleozoictransgressions--forexample,certain
in the basins. copperdeposits
tainedin the detritalseriesdeposited in sandstones
of the Copperbelt
and

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by Society of Economic Geologists, Cesar Ricardo Vargas
 LOIFER CRET,4CEOUS S.4A'DSTONES OF r•FRICA 42l

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