BH250-126b

BH250-126b

Slate (Slate – Matheos Formation, Tigray, Northern Ethiopia)

BH250-126 is a slate sample collected from the Matheos Formation in the Tigray region of northern Ethiopia. It originates from the same stratigraphic section as BH250-125, and its coloration is nearly identical—making the two samples easy to confuse.

The Matheos Formation is part of the Neoproterozoic Tambien Group, a 2–3 km thick sequence of siliciclastic and carbonate rocks deposited in an intra-oceanic arc setting within the southern Arabian-Nubian Shield. Within the Negash Synclinorium.

Slate and phyllite occur throughout the region, particularly around Mai Kenetal, Negash, Tekeze, and Samre. The development of slate in the Matheos Formation is associated with glaciogenic intervals, likely tied to the Sturtian Snowball Earth glaciation.

Location: Tigary, Ethiopia

Bereket Haileab

From the rock collection of Bereket Haileab. Sample BH250-126b. Housed at Carleton College in Minnesota.

Hand sample