Distribution of Albian clastic deposits in the Benguela basin (Angola): evidence of a Benguela palaeocurrent?

Abstract The Albian clastic Tuenza Formation of the Benguela basin (south Angola) is described and its geographic distribution analysed in detail. From these observations, the existence of an Albian “PalaeoBenguela current” is proposed. This would imply that a marine longshore current reworked the sand transported by palaeorivers and settled it northward along the coast of the young Atlantic Ocean (during the Albian). A parallel between Albian clastic deposits and the modern sediments deposited by the Benguela current is drawn, focusing on the striking resemblance between the two currents, i.e. the actual Benguela current and the Albian marine current, and the associated sedimentary bodies.