Abstract
SEVERAL recent contributions on the history of the Indian Ocean and eastern coast of Africa1–4 can be supplemented from other sources of information. Contrary to a general view which still persists4, the East African coast must have originated long before the postulated Cretaceous movements, for there is abundant evidence that a Mesozoic sea invaded the modern coastal area of Somalia, Kenya, Tanzania and Madagascar at least as early as Middle Jurassic, the dating varying within modest limits from place to place5–7. The Jurassic sea (Fig. 1) transgressed locally across pre-existing faulted troughs filled with continental Karroo sediments; in coastal Tanzania one internal rift already contained 10,000 foot of halite which had accumulated chiefly through the Trias6. This is the first symptom of the oceanic connexion, although the Permian rifting marks the initial tensional breakdown of the continental margin. The marine regime continued from the Jurassic to the present day without important interruption. Facies changes and overlap features from the Middle Jurassic onwards are consistent with this marine phase in Kenya and Tanzania forming an east-facing oceanic margin, either the Indian Ocean or its precursor.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 51 print issues and online access
$199.00 per year
only $3.90 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Veevers, J. J., Jones, J. G., and Talent, J. A., Nature, 229, 383 (1971).
Dingle, R. V., and Klinger, H. C., Nature, 232, 37 (1971).
Green, A. G., Nature Physical Science, 236, 19 (1972).
Sowerbutts, W. I. C., Nature, 235, 435 (1972).
Gregory, J. W., Rift Valleys and Geology of East Africa (Seeley, London, 1921).
Kent, P. E., Salt Basins Around Africa (Inst. Petrol., London, 1965).
Kent, P. E., Hunt, J. A., and Johnstone, D. W., Geol. and Geophys. of Coastal Tanzania (IGS, London, 1971).
Arkell, W. J., Jurassic Geology of the World (Oxford Univ. Press, 1956).
Brasseur, R., Godard, J. M., Guerin-Desjardins, B., Hindermeyer, J., and Rebilly, G., Preseconnaissance Petroliere du Bassin du Majunga (Madagascar) (Inst. Franc. de Petrole, 1959).
Bott, M. H. P., and Dean, D. S., Nature, 235, 23 (1972).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
KENT, P. Mesozoic History of the East Coast of Africa. Nature 238, 147–148 (1972). https://doi.org/10.1038/238147a0
Received:
Revised:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/238147a0
This article is cited by
-
Giant late Jurassic sabkhas of Arabian Tethys
Nature (1977)
-
The Madagascar controversy still lives
Nature (1976)
-
“Upper Jurassic” sediments of South Africa
Nature (1976)
-
The drift of the Indian subcontinent; an interpretation of recent palaeomagnetic data
Geologische Rundschau (1976)
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.