New chronology for the southern Kalahari Group sediments: implications for sediment cycle dynamics and early hominin occupation

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dc.contributor.authorMatmon, Aen_AU
dc.contributor.authorHiny, AJen_AU
dc.contributor.authorCrouvi, Oen_AU
dc.contributor.authorFink, Den_AU
dc.contributor.authorErel, Yen_AU
dc.contributor.authorArnold, Men_AU
dc.contributor.authorAumaître, Gen_AU
dc.contributor.authorBourlès, Den_AU
dc.contributor.authorKeddadouche, Ken_AU
dc.contributor.authorHorwitz, LKen_AU
dc.contributor.authorChazan, Men_AU
dc.date.accessioned2020-04-24T02:21:17Zen_AU
dc.date.available2020-04-24T02:21:17Zen_AU
dc.date.issued2014-10-19en_AU
dc.date.statistics2020-04-10en_AU
dc.description.abstractThe Kalahari Group covers an extensive part of the southern African continent and forms a low-relief landscape dominated by extensive unconsolidated sand. Current depositional models assume that the Kalahari Group sediments accumulated gradually throughout the Cenozoic, but an absence of absolute chronology beyond ~60 ka has left this premise untested. Here, we challenge this age model with new cosmogenic burial ages obtained from a 55 m section of Kalahari Group sediments at Mamatwan Mine near the southern edge of the Kalahari basin. Our results indicate that the majority of the existing section was emplaced rapidly at ~1 Ma. At this time the basin filled to its present level and established the Kalahari sand belts, which fostered the modern savannah. Our data suggest a dynamic landscape, with punctuated cycles of erosion and deposition, in contrast to the accepted concept of a stable basin filling slowly throughout the Cenozoic. The sedimentology and cosmogenic nuclide measurements from the lower Mamatwan Mine section reveal the existence of an extensive Early to Middle Pleistocene water body, persisting at least 420 ka prior to the rapid filling event at ~1 Ma. This water body is contemporaneous with a significant hominin occupation as evidenced by neighboring archaeological excavations. We thus provide the first evidence of association of the high-density hominin occupation in southern Africa with an extensive water body. © 2014 The Geological Society of America (GSA)en_AU
dc.identifier.citationMatmon, A., Hidy, A., Vainer, S., Crouvi, O., Fink, D., Erel, Y., Arnold, M., Aumaître, G., Bourlès, D., Keddadouche, K., Horwitz, L., & Chazan, M. (2014). New chronology for the southern Kalahari Group sediments: implications for sediment cycle dynamics and early hominin occupation. Paper presented at the GSA Annual Meeting 19-22 October, 2014, Vancouver, BC, Canada.en_AU
dc.identifier.conferenceenddate22 October 2014en_AU
dc.identifier.conferencenameGSA Annual Meetingen_AU
dc.identifier.conferenceplaceVancouver, Canadaen_AU
dc.identifier.conferencestartdate19 October 2014en_AU
dc.identifier.govdoc9381en_AU
dc.identifier.urihttps://gsa.confex.com/gsa/2014AM/webprogram/Paper248670.htmlen_AU
dc.identifier.urihttp://apo.ansto.gov.au/dspace/handle/10238/9377en_AU
dc.language.isoenen_AU
dc.publisherThe Geological Society of Americaen_AU
dc.relation.ispartofseriesSession No. 53en_AU
dc.subjectAfricaen_AU
dc.subjectSanden_AU
dc.subjectSedimentsen_AU
dc.subjectGeological depositsen_AU
dc.subjectPleistocene epochen_AU
dc.subjectWateren_AU
dc.subjectIsotopesen_AU
dc.titleNew chronology for the southern Kalahari Group sediments: implications for sediment cycle dynamics and early hominin occupationen_AU
dc.typeConference Abstracten_AU
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