Reading History From the Afar - Carbonates and Evaporites Unveil the Birth of a Future Ocean

Explore the complex sedimentary record of the Danakil Depression in Northern Afar, Ethiopia through this 57-minute lecture. Delve into the unique geological features of this incipient rift basin, which serves as an ideal field laboratory for studying the transition between continental rifting and oceanization. Examine the interplay of tectonics, surface processes, volcanic events, climate variations, and eustasy on sediment flux, deposition, and basin dynamics. Discover how Pleistocene and Holocene sedimentary patterns contribute to understanding the intermittent opening and closure of this rift basin. Learn about the stratigraphy of the region, including the Danakil and Zariga Formations, and investigate various geological features such as aragonite crusts, spherulites, microbialites, and Mg-silicates. Analyze the sedimentological model of the margin, including Pleistocene coralgal reef deposits and terraces. Explore the central Danakil Basin's modern salt giant and the recent hypersaline lake of the Afdera Formation. Gain insights into the importance of teamwork, diversity, inclusion, and equity in geosciences while studying this unique geological field laboratory.

Introduction
Unique field laboratory
Historical background
Stratigraphy
Danakil Formation
Zariga Formation
Margin: Aragonite crusts
Margin: Spherulites
Margin: Microbialites
Margin: Mg-silicates
Microbial mediated versus abiotic mineralization: a continuum
The fate of diagenesis
Margin: trilogy of reefs - crusts - microbialites
Margin: Pleistocene coralgal reef deposits - MIS 5e and MIS7
Margin: Pleistocene coralgal reef deposits - older terraces ?
Margin: sedimentological model
Central Danakil Basin: Modern Salt Giant
Afdera Formation: Recent hypersaline lake
Afdera: Recent hypersaline lake
Afdera: Spring carbonates
Afdera: Gypsum precipitation
Danakil Depression unique geological field lab
Danakil Depression holistic field analogue
Geosciences - Teamwork - Diversity + Inclusion + Equity