Iullemmeden Basin

Location of the Iullemmeden Basin

West African basins

The Iullemmeden Basin is a major sub-Saharan inland basin in West Africa, extending about 1000 km north to south and 800 km east to west. It covers western Niger and portions of Algeria, Mali, Benin and Nigeria. It is named after the Iullemmeden, a federation of Tuareg people who live in the central region of Niger.^[1] Its geographic range is largely coincident with the Azawagh region.^[2]

The area of the Iullemmeden Basin seems to have started to subside in Permo-Triassic times, and to have experienced gradual downwarping during the Upper Cretaceous - Lower Tertiary times, while steadily filling with sediment. Two prominent fault trends run NNE-SSW through the center of the basin, while WSW-ENE faults trends are found in the northeast of the basin near the Aïr Mountains.^[1] The sediments from Cambrian to Pleistocene times are 1,500 to 2,000 meters deep, with alternating layers formed when the basin was undersea and above sea level. Potentially valuable minerals include uranium and copper ores and coal and salt deposits. Niger is one of the world's largest producers of Uranium.^[3]

References

1 2 Richard C. Selley (1997). "The Iullemmeden Basin". African basins. Elsevier. p. 89ff. ISBN 0-444-82571-1.
↑ Paris, François (1995). "L Bassin de I'Azawagh : peuplements et civilisations, du néolithique à l'arrivée de l'islam" (PDF). Milieux, sociétés et archéologues (in French). Karthala. p. 228. Retrieved 3 April 2012.
↑ "URANIUM GEOLOGY: NIGER, WEST AFRICA" (PDF). NWT Uranium Corporation. Retrieved 2010-12-18.

Major African geological formations

Plates	African Plate Somali Plate Madagascar Plate Seychelles Plate

Cratons and shields	Arabian-Nubian Shield Congo Craton Kaapvaal Craton Kalahari Craton Saharan Metacraton Tanzania Craton Tuareg Shield West African Craton Zimbabwe Craton

Shear zones	Aswa Dislocation Broodkop Shear Zone Central African Shear Zone Chuan Shear Zones Foumban Shear Zone Mwembeshi Shear Zone Todi Shear Zone Western Meseta Shear Zone

Orogens	Alpide Orogen Cape Fold Belt Damara Orogen East African Orogen Eburnean Orogen Gondwanide Orogen Kuunga Orogen Mauritanide Belt Pan-African orogens Terra Australis Orogen

Rifts	Afar Triangle Anza trough Bahr el Arab rift Benue Trough Blue Nile rift East African Rift Gulf of Suez Rift Lamu Embayment Melut Basin Muglad Basin Red Sea Rift Sangha Aulacogen Atbara rift White Nile rift

Sedimentary basins	Angola Basin Aoukar Blue Nile Basin Chad Basin Congo Basin Douala Basin El Djouf Foreland Karoo Basin Gabon Basin Iullemmeden Basin Kufra Basin Murzuq Basin Niger Delta Basin Ogaden Basin Orange River basin Ouled Abdoun Basin Owambo Basin Reggane Basin Rio del Rey Basin Sirte Basin Somali Coastal Basin Taoudeni basin Tanzania Coastal Basin Tindouf Basin Turkana Basin

Mountain ranges	Aïr Mountains Atlas Mountains Aurès Mountains Bambouk Mountains Blue Mountains Cameroon line Central Pangean Mountains Chaillu Mountains Drakensberg Ethiopian Highlands East African mountains Great Escarpment Great Karas Mountains Guinée forestière Imatong Mountains Jebel Uweinat Loma Mountains Mandara Mountains Marrah Mountains Mitumba Mountains Nuba Mountains Rif Mountains Rwenzori Mountains Sankwala Mountains Serra da Leba Serra da Chela Teffedest Mountains Tibesti Mountains

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Iullemmeden Basin

References

Further reading