Hostname: page-component-84b7d79bbc-4hvwz Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-07-26T05:50:15.091Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Chronology and Paleohydrology of Late Quaternary High Lake Levels in the Manyara Basin (Tanzania) from Isotopic Data (18O, 13C, 14C, Th/U) on Fossil Stromatolites

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Joel Casanova  and
Claude Hillaire-Marcel
Joel Casanova
Affiliation:
BRGM, Department of Geochemistry, BP 6009, Orléans, 45060, France GEOTOP, Université du Québec à Montréal, P.O. Box 8888, Station A, Montréal, Québec, H3C 3P8, Canada
Claude Hillaire-Marcel
Affiliation:
GEOTOP, Université du Québec à Montréal, P.O. Box 8888, Station A, Montréal, Québec, H3C 3P8, Canada
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Superimposed phases of stromatolite buildup are observed on the eastern margin of Lake Manyara and depict a paleoshoreline at about 20 m above modern lake level. Radiocarbon and Th/U measurements permitted the dating of the last two phases of stromatolite formation at ca. 90,000 yr and between 27,000 and 23,000 yr B.P., respectively. The Th/U chronology is based on the decay of a strong 230Th-excess (over 234U) inherited with the detrital particles cemented into the stromatolites. The various generations of stromatolites show comparable stable carbon and oxygen isotope contents and are located at the same paleolake stabilization levels. This indicates that stringent hydrological conditions are necessary for the development of the encrusting benthic microbial communities responsible for stromatolite formation. A comparison with similar stromatolitic units from the nearby Lake Natron-Lake Magadi basin shows that such conditions occurred during only a few of the late Quaternary humid episodes known in eastern Africa and that they are different in each basin. Stromatolites do not necessarily represent all high lake levels that Lake Manyara experienced during the late Pleistocene and Holocene.

Type
Research Article
Information
Quaternary Research , Volume 38 , Issue 2 , September 1992 , pp. 205 - 226
Copyright
University of Washington

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Barker, P. Diatom Analysis in the East African Rift Valley: Preliminary Results from Lake Magadi, Kenva and Lake Manyara, Tanzania 1989 University of Loughborough 1 30 Working Paper 3 Google Scholar
Bauld, J. Microbial mats in marginal marine environments: Spencer Gulf, South Australia, and Shark Bay, Western Australia Castenholz, R.W. Cohen, Y. Halvorsen, H.O. Microbial Mats: Stromatolites 1986 A. R. Liss New York 39 58 Google Scholar
Beveridge, T.J. Meloche, J.D. Fyfe, W.S. Murray, R.G.E. Diagenesis of metals chemically complexes to bacteria: Laboratory formation of metal phosphates, sulfides and organic condensates in artificial sediments Applied Environmental Microbiology 45 1983 1094 1108 Google Scholar
Bonnefille, R. Palynological Research at Oldovai Gorge Lea, J.S. Powors, N.L. Swanson, W. 1976 Report 1984 National Geographic Society Washington, DC 227 243 Google Scholar
Bonnefille, R. Lobreau, D. Riollet, G. Fossil pollen of Ximenia (Olacaceae) in the Lower Pleistocene of Olduvai, Tanzania: Palaeoecological implications Journal of Biogeography 9 1982 469 486 Google Scholar
Broecker, W.S. Olson, E.A. Lamont radiocarbon measurements, VIII Radiocarbon 3 1961 176 204 Google Scholar
Broecker, W.S. Olson, E.A. Lamont radiocarbon measurements American Journal of Sciences, Radiocarbon Supplement 1 1959 111 132 Google Scholar
Casanova, J. (In press). East African Rift Stromatolites: A synopsis. In “Phanerozoic Stromatolites II” (Monty, C. L. V., Ed.), Springer-Verlag, New York.Google Scholar
Casanova, J. Les stromatolites continentaux: Paléoécologie, paléohydrologie, paléoclimatologie. Application au Rift Gregory Ph.D. thesis 1986 Aix-Marseille II University Google Scholar
Casanova, J. East African Rift stromatolites Frostick, L.E. et al. Sedimentation in the African Rifts Special Publication 23 1986 Geological Society of London 195 204 Google Scholar
Casanova, J. Les oncolites du rift est-africain: Morphométrie et paléoenvironnements Proceedings of the 110e Congrès National des Sociétés savantes, Montpellier 6 1985 345 357 Google Scholar
Causse, C. Coque, R. Fontes, J.C. Gasse, F. Gibert, E. Ben Ouezdou, H. Zouari, K. Two high levels of continental waters in the Southern Tunisian Chotts at about 90 and 150 ka Geology 17 1989 922 925 Google Scholar
Causse, C. Conrad, G. Fontes, J.C. Gasse, F. Gibert, E. Kassir, A. Le dernier Humide pléistocène du Sahara nord-occidental daterait de 80–100 000 ans Comptes Rendus de l'Académie des Sciences, Paris 306 1988 1459 1464 Google Scholar
Chorowicz, J. Le Fournier, J. Le Mut, C. Richert, J.P. Spy-Andersen, F.L. Tiercelin, J.J. Observation par télédétection et au sol de mouvements décrochants NW-SE dextres dans le secteur transformant Tanganyika-Malawi du rift estafricain Comptes Rendus de l'Académie des Sciences, Paris 296 1983 997 1002 Google Scholar
Craig, H. Isotopic standards for carbon and oxygen and correction factors for mass spectrometric analysis of carbon dioxide Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 12 1957 133 149 Google Scholar
Dawson, J.B. Garson, M.S. Roberts, B. Altered former alkalic carbonatite lava from Oldoinyo Lengai, Tanzania: Inferences for calcite carbonatite lavas Geology 15 1987 765 768 Google Scholar
Deans, T. Seager, A.F. Stratiform magnetites from volcanic carbonatites in Tanzania, Kenya, Greenland and India Mineralogical Magazine 42 1978 463 475 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Delibrias, G. Gasse, F. Rognon, P. Existence de lacs importants au Pléistocène supérieur (34 000–23 000 B.P.) dans l'Afar méridional, Ethiopie Comptes Rendus de l'Académie des Sciences, Paris 277 1973 2633 2635 Google Scholar
Dixit, P.C. Pleistocene lacustrine ridged oncolites from the Lake Manyara area, Tanzania, East Africa Sedimentary Petrology 39 1984 53 62 Google Scholar
East African Community Mean Monthly and Annual Rainfall Map of East Africa 1972 Survey of Kenya Nairobi Google Scholar
Fontes, J.C. Un ensemble destinéà la mesure du carbone 14 par scintillation liquide Revue de Géographie physique et de Géologie dynamique 23 1971 67 86 Google Scholar
Fontes, J.C. Moussie, C. Pouchan, P. Weidmann, M. Phases humides au Pléistocène supérieur et à l'Holocène dans le Sud de l'Afar (TFAI) Comptes Rendus de l'Académie des Sciences, Paris 277 1973 1973 1975 Google Scholar
Gasse, F. Rognon, P. Le Quaternaire des bassins lacustres de l'Afar Revue de Géographie physique et de Géologie dynamique 4 1973 405 414 Google Scholar
Gasse, F. Sreet, F.A. Quaternary history of the Afar and Ethiopian Rift Lakes Williams, M.A.J. Faure, H. The Sahara and the Nile, Balkema-Rotterdam 1980 361 400 Google Scholar
Gaven, C. Hillaire-Marcel, C. Petit-Maire, N. A Pleistocene lacustrine episode in southeastern Libya Nature 290 1981 131 135 Google Scholar
Ghaleb, B. Hillaire-Marcel, C. Causse, C. Gariépy, C. Fractionation and recycling of U and Th isotopes in a semi-arid endoreic depression of central Syria Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 54 1990 1025 1035 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Goetz, C. Traçage isotopique et chronologie des processus d'altération et de sédimentation par l'étude des déséquilibres U et Th: Application aux systèmes lacustres de Magadi (Kenya) et Manyara (Tanzanie) Ph.D. thesis 1990 Aix-Marseille II University Google Scholar
Goetz, C. Hillaire-Marcel, C. Th/U disequilibria in early diagenetic minerals from Lake Magadi sediments, Kenya: Dating potential Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 56 1992 1331 1341 Google Scholar
Goldberg, E. Koide, M. Geochronological studies of deep sea sediments by the Io/Th method Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 26 1962 417 449 Google Scholar
Hay, R.L. Geology of the Olduvai Gorge 1976 Univ. of California Press Berkeley, CA CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hillaire-Marcel, C. Casanova, J. Isotopic Hydrology and paleohydrology of the Magadi (Kenya)-Natron (Tanzania) Basin during the Late Quaternary Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 58 1987 155 181 Google Scholar
Hillaire-Marcel, C. Carro, O. Casanova, J. 14C and Th/U dating of Pleistocene and Holocene stromatolites from East African paleolakes Quaternary Research 25 1986 312 329 Google Scholar
Holdship, S.A. The paleolimnology of Lake Manyara, Tanzania: A Diatom Analysis of a 56 meter Sediment Core. M.Sc. memoir 1976 Duke University Durham, NC Google Scholar
Isaac, G.L. Merrick, H.V. Nelson, C.M. Stratigraphic and archeological studies in the lake Nakuru Basin, Kenya Paleoecology of Africa 6 1972 225 232 Google Scholar
Javoy, M. Pineau, F. Staudacher, T. Cheminee, J.L. Kraft, M. Mantle volatiles sampled from a continental Rift: The 1988 eruption of Oldoinyo Lengai (Tanzania) Terra Abstracts 1 1989 324 Google Scholar
Jones, F.G. Wilkinson, B.H. Structures and growth of lacustrine pisoliths from recent Michigan marl lakes Journal of Sedimentary Petrology 4 1978 1103 1110 Google Scholar
Osmond, J.K. Cowart, J.B. The theory and uses of natural uranium isotopic variation in hydrology Atomic Energy Review 14 1976 621 679 Google Scholar
Prell, W.L. Van Campo, E. Coherent response of Arabian Sea upwelling and pollen transport to late Quaternary monsoonal winds Nature 323 1986 526 528 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schlüter, T. Paleoenvironment of lacustrine phosphate deposits at Minjingu, northern Tanzania, as indicated by their fossil record Matheis, G. Schandelmeier, H. Current Research in African Earth Sciences 1987 Balkema Rotterdam 223 226 Google Scholar
Singer, A. Stoffers, P. Clay mineral diagenesis in two East African Lake sediments Clay Minerals 15 1980 291 307 Google Scholar
Stiller, M. Magaritz, M. Carbon-13 enriched carbonate in interstitial waters of Lake Kinneret sediments Limnology and Oceanography 19 1974 849 853 Google Scholar
Stoffers, R. Holdship, S.A. Diagenesis of sediment in an alkaline lake: Lake Manyara, Tanzania Proceedings IXth International Congress of Sedimentology Nice 1975 211 218 Google Scholar
Szabo, B.J. McHugh, W.P. Schaber, G.G. Haynes, C.V. Breed, C.S. Uranium-series dated authigenic carbonates and acheulian sites in Southern Egypt Science 243 1989 1053 1056 Google Scholar
Talling, J.F. Talling, I.B. The chemical composition of African lakes waters Internationale Revue der Gesamtem Hydrobiologie 50 1965 421 463 Google Scholar
Walter, M.R. Bauld, J. Brock, T.D. Microbiology and morphogenesis of columnar stromatolites (Conophyton, Vacerilla) from hot springs in Yellowstone National Park Walter, M.R. Stromatolites Development in Sedimentology 20 1976 273 310 Google Scholar
Zins-Pauwlas, M.P. Géochimie de la silice dans les saumures et les milieux évaporitiques naturels Ph.D. thesis 1988 Louis Pasteur University Strasbourg Google Scholar