Geology Reference
In-Depth Information
Fig. 6
Algerian craters
a
Satellite view of Amguid crater;
b
Satellite view of Ouarkziz
crater,
c
Satellite view of
Talemzane crater,
d
Satellite view
of Tin Bider crater;
e
Panoramic
view of Ouarkziz crater;
f
Panoramic view of Talemzane
crater
the best preserved despite the absence of any protective
measures.
The Amguid crater is a fresh, circular cavity about 550 m
in diameter, affecting Lower Devonian sandstones (Fig.
6
a).
It has an elevated rim up to 65 m above the crater
limestones and has a raised rim up to 75 m above the crater
fl
oor.
The Tin Bider structure (Fig.
6
d) is situated about 265 km
ENE of In Salah and appears as a series of at least three
concentric annular ridges 2, 3.5 and 6 km in diameter,
respectively. The structure affects the Upper Cretaceous clay
and limestone formations, and Lower Cretaceous sandstones.
fl
oor. The
fl
ne-
grained compacted aeolian silts. The age of the crater was
estimated to be 100,000 years considering its near perfect
state of preservation (Koeberl
1994
).
The Ouarkziz crater (Fig.
6
b, e) is located close to the
Algero-Moroccan border, 170 km in the NE of Tindouf. The
crater is a deeply eroded circular ring structure about 3.5 km
in diameter, affecting Carboniferous limestones and shales.
The Talemzane crater (Fig.
6
c, f), also known as
at center of the crater is
lled with very bright and
2.6
The Saharan Atlas Mountains
With the use of satellite images and
Google Earth
, aerial
views have become readily available and, as such, great and
spectacular geological structures can be observed. Over
85 % of the Algeria territory has almost no vegetation which
provides exceptional de
“
Daiet
El Maadna
, is located about 120 km ESE of Laghouat. It is
a simple, bowl-shaped depression of approximately 1,750 m
in diameter. The crater was emplaced in Cretaceous-Tertiary
”
nition of lithologies, outcrops and
geological and geomorphological structures.