Chapter Four

Tertiary-Quaternary Volcanic rock

succession and related structure in
Ethiopia
4.1. Introduction to Rift Formation and Propagation
4.2. Variation of Tertiary-Quaternary volcanic rocks
4.3. Stratigraphy of Tertiary-Quaternary volcanic rocks

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 4. Tertiary-Quaternary Volcanic rock succession and
related structures of Ethiopia

4.1. Introduction:
Tertiary-Quaternary Volcanic rocks
of Ethiopia are exposed
• Mainly at the central part (high-
standing mountains and the
MERV)
 Range in Composition from
Basaltic to Rhyolite i.e.
bimodal in composition
• Vary in mode of occurrence or
Eruption form Central to Fissural
• Essentially controlled by
Tectonisim which gave rise to the
MERV
 Tertiary-Quaternary cont’
MER Rift development and association to
Volcanic activity:
 Rifting has developed in response to Mantle
Plume which in turn is derived due to:
 Decompressive heating at mantle resulted in
Melt accumulation in the lithosphere
 Up-ward migration of the melt as a result of
gravity
 Up-arching of the crust
 Cracking as a result of tension
 Opening of Fissures
 Ascension of Voluminous basaltic magma
(300,000 Km3)
 Finally resulted in he Flood Basalt of
Ethiopia and Trap Series
 Rift Formation and Propagation
Rift initiation..
– Following the up arching the
rift Valley started to develop
by Miocene (22–25 million
years ago)
– Rifting Started at Red Sea-
Gulf of Aden-and Joins the
MERV (younger) at Afar.
– It forms Rift-Rift-Rift triple
junction
– Further south the MERV dies
out or bifurcates into lake
Turkana and Lake Stifan and
Reirehba Rift south of Lake
Chamo.
 Rift Formation and Propagation
• Some dating shows that MER
stated by about 15 ma
• Followed by Episodes at 10,
5, 4, 1.8 and 1.6 Ma.
• Each phase of down
faulting/rifting was
associated with basaltic to
acidic volcanic eruption
• Rifting migrated from Red sea-
Gulf of Aden through Afar to MER
• Implying SW younging rift
propagation
 Elements of East African Rift System
 There are a number of regional faults/lineaments
which are associated to the EAR system.
 These include:

1. The Gulf of Aden Fault System

This Forms southern margin of Afar Depression
and controls trends of regional Lineament such
as
Addis-Ambo-Nekemte Lineament
Adwa-Axum Lineament
Each of these lineaments are deep-seated
and expressed as escarpments, or served as
conduits for later magmatic intrusions
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 Lineaments associated to Rift System
2. The Red Sea Fault
system
 It is NW-SE in orientation
 Separates the Danakil
Horst (Alps), Red sea and
Afar Depression
 It extends further south to
Southern Plateau
expressed as Marda Fault

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3.The Afar Rift
Place where the three
rift join at R-R-R triple
Junction

4. The Main Ethiopian Rift

NE-SW broad rift zone
which extends from Lake
Chew-Bahir up to Afar,

It extends to Lake

Turkana-Reirba-Chew-
Bahir proto rift in the
southwest
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 4.2. Variation of T-Q Volcanic rocks.
Regional Variation
• Associated to the rift development and its
evolution in time and space, volcanic rocks
varied in the following broad aspects:
1. Type and mode of occurrence
2. Mineralogical and Chemical composition
3. Distribution in age
 Regional Variations in Volcanic rocks
cont’
1. It is established (with the exception of local
variation), volcanic activity/volcanicity youngs
southwestward from NE following the Red sea-Afar-
MERV sequential rift development
2. It is also established that Volcanic rocks young rift
wards from Plateau (towards the axial zone where
there are still active spots)
– => Plateau basalt older that Rift Shoulder older than Axial
zone volcanic rocks
 Regional Variations in Volcanic rocks
cont..
3. Through time (age), the mode of occurrence varied from:
– fault controlled Fissural type (typically Basaltic) to
– Localized Central type (typically felsic lava with minor basaltic) in any
given pulse (also known as Shield Volacnos)

4. Compositionally it varied form Unimodial (basaltic, old) to

Bimodal (coexisting Basalt-Rhyolite younger end members)
5. Geo-chemically it varied from:
Alkaline-Mildly alkaline (olivine rich, oldest) to tholeiitic (iron
enriched) through Per-alkaline to Sub-alkaline (youngest)
 4.3. Stratigraphy of T-Q volcanic rocks
• Several pulses of volcanic activities were recorded in
Ethiopia related to or preceded by major tetonsim.
• Originally, the stratigraphic classification of Volcanic
rocks of Ethiopia took the initiation of Rifting as a
threshold and classified the volcanics as:
1. Pre-rift Series (Oligocene - Miocene)
2. Post Rift series (younger than Miocene)
 T-Q Stratigraphy cont’…
Mohr (1962) gave structured stratigraphic classification as Trap
and Aden Series
1. The Trap Series: Pre-rift volcanic rocks
• Includes pile of Teritiary flood basalt with intercalated felsic
lava, pyroclastic of NW Plateau and SE Plateau.
2. The Aden Series: Post-rift volcanic rocks
Includes
• Mid Miocene to Quaternary Volcanic rocks of the Main
Ethiopian Rift Valley,
• Afar Depression
• Some parts of Plateau basalt (ex. Tana Rift Volcanics)
 Stratigraphy cont’..
4.3.1.The Trap-Series
– Also known as Plateau Group as they cover the
NW and SE Plateaus
– Commonly occur as Fissural following fault zones
and flow like flood hence flood basalt
– Because of its viscosity, they flow fast and cover
large area
– At places there are shield forming volcanoes in the
Plateau Group.
 Stratigraphy cont’..
– These group of Volcanoes include,
• from the oldest to the youngest:
1. Ashangi Group (Pre-Oligocene, first pulse)
2. Aiba basalt Fm. (Oligo. -Mio.; 2nd pulse)
3. Alaji Basalt Fm.
4. Termaber Basalt Fm. (3rd Pulses)
– Examples of Shield forming Volcanoes in the Trap
series/Plateau Group include:
• Ras Dashin/Semen Mountains
– Similar In composition to Ashangi with more silisic and alkaline
rhyolites
• Tulu-Wolele
• Termaber-Gussa
Some more Silisic and alkaline centers are recorded from the
southern Plateau.
 Stratigraphy cont’..
Description:
• Ashange Formation
– Named After Ashangi in central Ethiopia
– The Earliest Fissural flood basalt on NW Ethiopia
– Several Hundereds of mt. to Km thick (the Thickest being at
Debrebrehan)
– Has a number of Flows (ranging from 5-6)
– Characterized by:
• Strong weathering, crashing and tilting
• Mildly alkaline in chemistry
• Mostly basaltic with interbeds of pyroclastics and rhyolite
• Some sedimentary rocks are present
• Equivalent in Southern Ethiopia is Akobo Basalt (49-36ma)
 Stratigraphy cont’..
Description:
• Aiba Basalt
– Named After Aiba, also given different type area names as
equivalent in other places
– The second major puls of Fissural baslt flow in Northern
Ethiopia
– Unconformably overly Ashange
– Characterized by
• Affric basalt, Fresh, at places showing stratification with
interflow acidic layers/mainly tuff
• Dated (34-28Ma) Late Ole- Early Miocene
• Equivalents:
– Arsi and Bale Basalt in SE
– Mekonnen Basalt in SW
– Wollega Basalt in Western Ethiopia
 Stratigraphy cont’..
Description:
Alaji Formation
• Named after Alaji mountain in Northern Ethiopia
• Makes up the bulk of NW and SE plateau
• Conformably overlay Ashange and Aiba, in the
absence directly overlay the Mesozoic
• Represents the third major pulse
Characteristics:
• Mostly Tholeiitic basalt at early stage and becoming
more alkaline in the younger members
• Has age range of 36-13 Ma
 Stratigraphy cont’..
Description:
• Termaber Formation
– Named after Termaber
– Represents the Shield Volcanoes in Plateau Group
– Chracterised by:
• Basaltic rocks,
• Alakaline chemistry
– Age range
– 26-16 Ma in the north
– 16-13 Ma in the south
– Marks the initiation of the MER
– Continued after the wards up to 7Ma
• E.g. Arba Gugu Mountains, Tulu Welel Trachyte of central Ethiopia
 Stratigraphy cont’..
Description :
4.3.2. Post Rift Volcanic rocks (Aden series)
• Commonly occur in the rift valley and adjacent plateau
• Represented by Aden Series
– Occures:
• In MER
• Affar Depression
• Omo Valley
• Some parts of the Plateau
• Formal Stratigraphic names include:
– Meqdella Group
– Afar Group
Others of local importance that occur within the rift and marginal areas include:
• Boffa Basalt
• Nazert series
• Wonji Group
• Bishoftu Formation
• Adwa Formation (within Plateau)
• Ginner Fm (bale)
Most of these are alkaline, erupted through pre-existing fracture
 Stratigraphy cont’..
Description:
• The Afar Group
• Exclusively occur in Afar area
• Divided into
– Stratiod series
– Axial range and (Rift axis)
– Marginal range (Rift margin)
 Stratigraphy cont’..
Description:
Stratiod Series
• Stratified volcanic sequence that includes basalts,
interlayered with ignimbrites and rhyolites
Characterised by:
– Flows, domes and pyroclastric deposits
• => Bimodal in nature (basic-acidic)
• 500-1000 mt thick
Age:
– Pleistocene-recent
 Stratigraphy cont’..
Description:
The Axial Range
• Commonly occur along the axial rift zone
• Mostly basaltic with minor silisic rocks
• Transitional tholeiitic in chemistry

Characterized by:
– Fissural and central volcanoes
– Form ranges such as: Erta’ale, Tat’ale, Mada-hararo

• Age: range form Pleistocene to recent

 Stratigraphy cont’..
Description:
• Marginal Range
– These are stratified/strato volcanoes along the
margin of Afar depression
Characterized:
– Mostly over-saturated trachytes and rhyolites with
sheets of ignimbrite
– Also contain obsidian domes and pumice
Age: quaternary (0.55ma)
 Stratigraphy cont’..
Description:
Adwa Formation
– Named after Adwa town in northern Ethiopia
– Widespread in northern, north western and western Ethiopia
– Less common in southern Ethiopia
– Cuts all the older basaltic formations and the youngest in plateau
Characterised by:
• Plugs of Trachytic and phonolitic compostion
• Also some flows and pyroclastics of the same composition
• Silica poor, sanadine rich to foid bearing
• Usually alkaline in chemistry
• Usually followed stractural weak zones (e.g. Adwa-Axum lineament)
Range in Age: Neogine to Pleogine
 Stratigraphy cont’..
Description:
Other Quaternry volcanics of Local Importance:
• Boffa basalt in Rift Valley
• Fissural baslt with thick ignimbrite
• 4-1.5.Ma in age range
• Nazerate series
– Mostly ignimbrites
• Winji Group:
– Related to NW-SE (across rift) Wonji Fault
– Fresh, olivine basalt with AA surface
 Stratigraphy cont’..
Description:
Bishoftu Basalt
– Basalt with scoria, cones, spatter cones
• Common at south of Addis Ababa (e.g. Butajira) and near rift
escarpment
• Eruption of these is controlled by transverse faults (across Rift
faults)
• Commonly alkaline in chemistry
Other Central Volcanoes of Quaternary age that Belong
to Post Rift series are:
• Fentale
• Boseti
• Tulu Moye
• Gedemsa
• Zukwala
All of these are fresh basalt with aa structure, caldera
forming, pentellritic in chmistry
 Stratigraphy cont’..
Description:
The Meqedella Group
– Coomonly occur in Ethiopian Rift Valley
– Also known around Wondogenet, Dilla and Omo
Valley
– The thickest is around Meqdella (>500 mt)
– Chracterised by:
• Acidic tuff, rhyolites and trachytes with rare basic lavas
and aggolomarate
• Errupted through several centers
• Upper Pliocene in age
Summary T-Q volcanic rocks of
Ethiopia