Home Multi-Country Search About Admin Login
Overview

Search by
Select Region(s) to search
Hold Ctrl (Windows/Linux) or Command (Mac) to select multiple
Luanza Formation
Click to display on map of the Ancient World at:
Luanza Fm base reconstruction

Luanza Fm

Period: 
Ediacaran

Age Interval: 
588–600 Ma


Province: 
West Congo Basin / Bas-Congo region, DRC

Type Locality and Naming

Lukala area, Bas-Congo, DRC. The Schisto-Calcaire Subgroup is subdivided into C1–C5 formations (Delhaye & Sluys, 1923; Cahen, 1954).

Synonym:

Includes C3 Formation, Luanza Formation (subdivided into C3a1, C3a2, C3b1, C3b2 submembers).

Reference section:


Lithology and Thickness

massive stromatolitic, oolitic or brecciated limestone with thin layers of greenish shale, bedded limestone or shaly limestone alternating with greenish-grey shale layers. Subdivided into C3a1, C3a2, C3b1, C3b2 members. Thickness: ~ 240 m.


Lithology Pattern: 
Limestone


Relationships and Distribution

Lower contact

Underlain by the Bulu Fm.

Upper contact

Overlain by the Lukunga Fm.

Regional extent

West Congo Belt (DRC, Republic of Congo, Gabon, NW Angola).


GeoJSON

{"type":"Feature","geometry":{"type":"MultiPolygon","coordinates":[[[[10.77,-1.12],[10.9,-1.26],[10.96,-1.41],[10.97,-1.63],[10.99,-1.85],[11.12,-2.02],[11.48,-2.31],[11.78,-2.6],[12.05,-2.82],[12.39,-3.13],[12.86,-3.54],[13.07,-3.66],[13.34,-3.84],[13.56,-3.98],[13.89,-4.3],[14.16,-4.74],[14.24,-5.01],[14.26,-5.32],[14.31,-5.76],[14.41,-5.98],[14.57,-6.31],[14.78,-6.6],[14.99,-6.9],[15.23,-7.22],[15.58,-7.85],[15.64,-8.08],[15.62,-8.5],[15.5,-8.7],[15.19,-8.87],[14.89,-8.84],[14.67,-8.73],[14.55,-8.45],[14.33,-8.11],[14.16,-7.75],[13.95,-7.59],[13.75,-7.36],[13.69,-6.93],[13.68,-6.68],[13.65,-6.33],[13.51,-6.04],[13.39,-5.67],[13.3,-5.34],[13.15,-5.06],[12.98,-4.81],[12.83,-4.72],[12.61,-4.59],[12.44,-4.39],[12.26,-4.27],[11.96,-4.02],[11.8,-3.76],[11.59,-3.65],[11.32,-3.51],[11.21,-3.36],[11.37,-3.32],[11.51,-3.21],[11.24,-2.97],[11.07,-2.82],[10.87,-2.52],[10.71,-2.14],[10.66,-1.92],[10.64,-1.57],[10.64,-1.29],[10.73,-1.18],[10.73,-1.18],[10.73,-1.18],[10.77,-1.16],[10.77,-1.16],[10.77,-1.12]]]]}}

Fossils

Stromatolites, cyanobacterial mats (Siphonophycus septatum), oolites, oncolites.


Age 

Anchor age of "ca. 575 Ma"; but perhaps ca. 600 Ma is more realistic to fit all of the overlying units?

Age Span: 

    Beginning stage: 
Ediacaran

    Fraction up in beginning stage: 
0.49

    Beginning date (Ma): 
587.86

    Ending stage: 
Ediacaran

    Fraction up in the ending stage: 
0.36

    Ending date (Ma):  
600.37

Depositional setting

Ramp composed of deep-marine outer ramp to shallow-marine inner ramp with oolitic shoal barrier, stromatolitic bioherms, lagoon- and sabkha-type environments (Cahen, 1954; Alvarez, 1995; Delpomdor et al., 2015).


Depositional pattern:  


Additional Information


Compiler:  

Cailteux, J.L.H., Delpomdor, F.R.A., & Ngoie Ndobani, J.-P. (2015). The Neoproterozoic West-Congo 'Schisto-Calcaire' sedimentary succession from the Bas-Congo region (Democratic Republic of the Congo) in the frame of regional tentative correlations. Geologica Belgica, 18/2-4, 126–146.