The epeiric Transvaal Sea covered the Kaapvaal Craton of
southern Africa during the Early Proterozoic and its remnant
strata represent one of the oldest known carbonate depositories.
A genetic stratigraphic approach has been used in this research
on the evolution and syndepositional tectonics of the Transvaal
Sea; research also emphasized the development of basement
precursors, which influenced the Transvaal Sea. Eight subfacies
were initially recognized and their interrelationships through
Transvaal Sea time and space were used to identify ten
depositional systems. Paleogeographic reconstructions indicate
that the depositional systems developed on morphological
variations of a distally-steepened carbonate rarp and that the
depositional character of each was simply a function of water
Backstripping of the depositional systems indicates that the
Transvaal Sea was compartmentalized; three compartments are
preserved on the Kaapvaal Craton. Backstripping also indicates
that the depositional center of the Transvaal Sea lay over the
western margin of an underlying rift. Rifting had developed a
major, north-south-trending structure, and its geographical
interrelationships with the east-west-trending Selati Trough
created the compartment architecture of the basement.
Interpretation of syndepositional tectonics suggests that
six stages of subsidence influenced the Transvaal Sea. Early
subsidence consisted of mechanical (rift) subsidence followed by
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:wits/oai:wiredspace.wits.ac.za:10539/16515 |
| Date | 14 January 2015 |
| Creators | Clendinin, C W |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | application/pdf |
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