Overview of the Neoproterozoic sedimentary series exposed along margins of the Congo Basin

Abstract

The Congo Shield is a central African large landmass with several Archean nuclei welded during the Eburnean orogeny approx. 2.1-1.8 Ga and subsequently stabilized as a coherent unit throughout late Paleoproterozoic to Meso-Neoproterozoic times. The early Neoproterozoic was marked by rifting along the margins of the Congo Shield related to the break-up of Rodinia at about 1.0 Ga, and opening of the Adamastor Ocean, followed by passive margin-type sedimentation and, finally, foreland basin deposition during the amalgamation of Gondwanaland initiated at approximately 600 Ma. We summarize the present knowledge of the lithostratigraphy of the Neoproterozoic basins exposed along margins of the Congo Basin in an attempt to establish chronostratigraphic correlations between these isolated basins in the Democratic Republic of Congo and neighboring countries.