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Luwumbu Coal Formation

Luwumbu Coal Fm

Period: 
Permian

Age Interval: 
Early-Middle Permian (Asselian-Capitanian)


Province: 
Zambia-D.R. Congo

Type Locality and Naming

Luangwa Basin (Zambia). Named for the Luwumbu River area in the northern Luangwa Valley, Zambia. It is the formally recognized lithostratigraphic unit for the basal coal-bearing sequence of the Karoo Supergroup in this specific rift basin.

Synonym:


Lithology and Thickness

Composed of a cyclic terrestrial sequence primarily containing carbonaceous shales, mudstones, siltstones, and economically significant coal seams, interbedded with sandstones. The formation is formally subdivided into two main members: the basal Mukumba Siltstone Member (dominated by siltstones) and the overlying Mpwashi Carbonaceous Member (which contains the primary coal horizons).


Lithology Pattern: 
Siltstone


Relationships and Distribution

Lower contact

Unconformably overlies the ancient Precambrian crystalline basement rocks, or locally rests upon patchy basal glacial deposits, Musipizi Conglomerate Mbr Fm (Dwyka equivalents) where they are preserved.

Upper contact

Conformably to transitionally overlain by the Lower Madumabisa Mudstones Fm of the Madumabisa Mudstone Fm.

Regional extent

Geographically restricted to the Luangwa Basin (particularly well-exposed in the northern Luangwa Valley) in Zambia. Correlates with the Ecca Gr (specifically the Vryheid Fm equivalent) of the Main Karoo Basin in South Africa, and other Lower Karoo coal measures across south-central Africa (e.g., Gwembe Coal Fm in the Mid-Zambezi Basin).


GeoJSON

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Fossils


Age 

Early-Middle Permian (Asselian-Capitanian)

Age Span: 

    Beginning stage: 
Asselian

    Fraction up in beginning stage: 
0.1

    Beginning date (Ma): 
298.35

    Ending stage: 
Capitanian

    Fraction up in the ending stage: 
1.0

    Ending date (Ma):  
259.55

Depositional setting

Paludal (peat swamp), fluvial, and lacustrine environments.


Depositional pattern:  


Additional Information


Compiler:  

From the O. Catuneanu et al. The Karoo basins of south-central Africa, Journal of African Earth Sciences 43 (2005) 211–253; Utting, J. (1976): Pollen and spore assemblages in the Luwumbu Coal Formation (Lower Karroo) of the North Luangwa Valley, Zambia, and their biostratigraphic significance. Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology; Barbolini, N., et al. (2016): Permo-Triassic palynology and palaeobotany of Zambia: A review. Palaeontologia Africana.