The plio-pleistocene history of sedimentation in lake Baringo basin, Kenya - a drill core perspective

Abstract

Baringo Basin is a sedimentary basin located in the Central Rift Valley in Kenya. A 230m drill core was recovered from the Tugen Hills site, location at 0°33'16.5"N 35°56'14.9"E at an elevation of 1158m. This research is aimed at resolving the Plio-Pleistocene history of the study area. It involved conducting magnetic susceptibility logging on the recovered core to give a refined stratigraphy of the area and analysing coarse sediments petrographically to ascertain the provenance. The stratigraphy is made up of alternating layers of silts, sands and clays with few volcanics and diatomite layers. The coarse sediments are mostly weathered quartz and feldspars with cementing material being volcanic ash and carbonates. The likely source of these coarse sediments is volcanic rocks lying on the west of the study area. Tectonic activity and changing climate enabled sediments to move eastwards to the study area were paleolakes were also forming and drying up alternately.