Tamale Fm

The Tamale Sandstone Fm caps the local Obosum Gr and is observed at the Geological Survey office in Tamale.

Synonym: Tamale Sandstone Fm

References: Anani et al, 2013

[Fig. 1. Geological map of the Volta Basin and surroundings, after Sougy (1970) and Affaton et al. (1980).]

[Fig. 2. Schematic lithostratigraphic sections showing principal lithologies and inferred correlations between Kwahu and Bombouaka group units across the Volta Basin.]

[Table 1. Published stratigraphic data available for Voltaian deposits]

[Table 2. Proposed lithostratigraphic scheme (left-hand column) compared with previous nomenclature.]

[Fig. 3. Synthetic lithologic section of the Volta Basin sedimentary infilling]

It consists of red, medium-grained, moderately well-sorted quartz rich sandstone with rounded to subangular grains and dominated by a large-scale trough cross-bedding. In other locations, the Tamale exposures show pink to maroon-weathering, flaggy, very finely laminated sandstone and siltstone with grey mudstone partings; ripple-drift cross-lamination and lunate to sinuous-crested ripples of typical bedding plane structures. The limited paleocurrent data, suggest a predominantly southerly flow.

latest Ediacaran (ca. 92% up in Ediacaran in south and west; 95% up in east where it is given equal durations to Dunkro Fm and Sarg Fm in this Obosum Gr)

Terrestrial molasses depositional environment (Anani et al, 2013). The Tamale Sandstone Fm is a fluvial red-bed deposit, for which limited paleocurrent data indicate dominantly south-southeasterly paleoflow and indicate a component of centripetal drainage to the basin.