N. Jb. Geol. Palaont. Mh.

Stuttgart, Mai 1994

Sedimentary evolution of the Abay River (Blue Nile)

Basin, Ethiopia

By Antonio Russo, Modena, Getaneh Assefa and

Balemwal Atnafu, Addis Ababa

With 4 figures in the text

Russo, A.; GETANEH, A. &BALEMwAL, A. (1994): Sedimentary evolution of the Abay

River (Blue Nile) Basin, Ethiopia. - N. Jb. Geol. Palaont. Mh., 1994 (5): 291-308;
Stuttgart.
Abstract: The break-up of Gondwanaland, which began in the Late Paleozoic and
persisted up to Jurassic time, produced aulacogen-like basins around the borders
of the megacontinent. The Abay River (Blue Nile) Basin of Ethiopia is one of the
northernmost failed arms of this trough system. The typical succession of the
Abay River basin, about 1200 m thick, occurs in the Abay canyon, and includes,
from the bottom to the top, five units: Lower Sandstone (or Adigrat Sandstone),
Gohatsion Formation (or Abay Beds), Antalo Limestone, Muddy Sandstone (or
Mugher Sandstone), and Upper Sandstone (or Debre Libanos Sandstone).
The sedimentary evolution of the Abay River succession appears to have been
controlled by the following geodynamic stages and events. 1. Peneplain stage. It
corresponds to the Pan-African metamorphic peneplain, probably covered with a
veneer of pediment sediments. 2. Intracontinental rift stage. Formation of several
troughs, including the Abay River Basin, partially filled with upper Paleozoic
fluviatile and lacustrine sediments (Karroo or Gumburo Formation). 3. Post-rift
stage. The entire East African craton is subsequently covered with fluviatile
sediments (Adigrat Sandstone). 4. Early flooding of the craton. The beginning of
the marine transgression over the Ethiopian craton is documented by the lower
Gohatsion Formation. However, marine sediments occur only in the depressed
areas of the former and aborted rift basins. Most probably, this phase corresponds
to the rifting and subsidence of the future African continental margin. The
Gypsum Member could be related to a major sea level lowstand (179 Ma.). 5.
Drowning of the craton. A major transgression, dated as Callovian-Early
Oxfordian over the entire East Africa, is documented by the Antalo Limestone.
Zusammenfassung: Das Aufbrechen Gondwanas, das im Jungpalaozoikum
begann und bis zum Jura andauerte, schuf Aulakogen-ahnliche Becken an den
Randern dieses Megakontinentes. Das Abay-Fiuflbecken (Blauer Nil) in
Athiopien ist eines der n6rdlichsten und nicht vollstandig entwickelten Becken
dieses Systems. Die typische Abfolge des ungefahr 1200 m machtigen
Fluflbeckens befindet sich im Abay-Canyon; sie enthalt von unten nach oben 5
Einheiten: Unterer Sandstein (oder Adigrat-Sandstein), Gohatsion-Formation

0028-36 30/94/1994-0291 $ 4.50

© 1994 E. Schweizerbart'sche Verlagsbuchhandlung, D· 70176 Stuttgart
DOI:10.1127/njgpm/1994/1994/291
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