The Forest Sandstone is a geological formation in southern Africa, dating to roughly between 200 and 190 million years ago and covering the

Hettangian The Hettangian is the earliest age and lowest stage of the Jurassic The Jurassic ( ) is a Geological period, geologic period and System (stratigraphy), stratigraphic system that spanned from the end of the Triassic Period million years ago (My ...

to Sinemurian stages of the Jurassic Period in the

Mesozoic Era The Mesozoic Era ( ), also called the Age of Reptiles, the Age of Conifers, and colloquially as the Age of the Dinosaurs is the second-to-last Era (geology), era of Earth's Geologic time scale, geological history, lasting from about , comprising ...

. As its name suggests, it consists mainly of sandstone. Fossils of the prosauropod dinosaur '' Massospondylus'' and the primitive sauropod '' Vulcanodon'' have been recovered from the Forest Sandstone.

Geology

Description

The formation is a sedimentary unit, consisting mainly of aeolian sands and silts with interbedded fluvial sediments, laid down during a period of increasing aridity.

Extent

The Forest Sandstone is found in Botswana, Zambia and Zimbabwe, in the Mid-Zambezi, Mana Pools, Cabora Bassa and Limpopo Basins, with its greatest thickness in the Cabora Bassa Basin.

Deposition

Age

The formation is dated at 200 to 190 Ma.

Stratigraphy

The Forest Sandstone is the penultimate formation in the Upper Karoo Group of the Karoo Supergroup, lying above the Pebbly Arkose Formation and below the

Batoka Formation The Batoka Formation is a geological formation in the Zambezi valley in Botswana, Zambia and Zimbabwe. It is predominantly a volcanic unit comprising mainly basalts. It was formerly thought to contain sand stones containing the dinosaur ''Vulcanodo ...

. In the Thuli Basin it is sometimes referred to as the Samkoto Formation. The Forest Sandstone has been correlated to the Clarens Formation of the Great Karoo Basin in South Africa.

Fossil content

Vertebrate fauna

Economic importance

Hydrogeology

The Forest Sandstone is the major groundwater-bearing unit of the Upper Karoo Group.

References

{{Reflist Geologic formations of Botswana Geologic formations of Zambia Geologic formations of Zimbabwe Jurassic System of Africa Early Jurassic Africa Hettangian Stage Sinemurian Stage Geologic formations with imbedded sand dunes Sandstone formations Aeolian deposits Fluvial deposits Fossiliferous stratigraphic units of Africa Paleontology in Botswana Paleontology in Zambia Paleontology in Zimbabwe