An integrated lithofacies and mineralogical assemblage was used to describe a depositional model and sequence stratigraphic framework of the Maastrichtian–Danian succession in the Western Desert of Iraq and eastern Jordan. Fifteen lithofacies types were grouped into three associations recognized in a distally steepened ramp characterized by an apparent, distinct increase in a gradient paleobathymetric deepening westward. The clay and nonclay minerals are dominated by smectite and palygorskite, with trace amounts of kaolinite, sepiolite, illite and chlorite. Meanwhile, quartz, calcite, dolomite, opal CT (Cristobalite - Tridymite), and apatite are the main nonclay minerals. The widely dominated smectite in the Western Phosphatic Basin of Iraq (WPB) refers to warm, subhumid climates and low topographic relief in the source area, which increased significantly with transgressive cycles. In contrast, the palygorskite was generated under seasonal semiarid/arid climates associated dominantly with regressive cycles. Five sequence boundaries are documented in the present study according to hiatus, erosional surfaces, Thalassinioides burrows, reworked fauna, and extensively bored hardground. These sequence boundaries separate the studied sequences into four third-order depositional sequences correlated to their regional and global counterparts. The combined effects of the local tectonic activity of the Rutbah High and sea- level drops are amalgamated inside the Western Desert of Iraq and eastern Jordan because of a long-time gap, particularly across the Cretaceous/Paleogene (K/Pg) and Danian/Selandian (Da/Se) transitions
Sedimentary structures of Gercus Formation in NE Iraq was little studied in the last decades. In this study the identified sedimentary structures display alternative graded and fining upward cycles, load and flute casts, submarine channels, sand and clay balls and pillow structures, convolute and slump beddings, of marine turbidity origin. The foreland part of Tethys basin characterized by deep marine Tanjero and Kolosh Formations followed by the Gercus formation with conformable relationships. The Eocene aged Flysch comprises predominantly litharenitic sandstones and interbedded mudstones, both of turbiditic affinities and most likely derived from a NE Arabian Plate source. The sediments provide excellent examples of distal fan sands as
... Show MoreThe present study is concerned with Biostratigraphy of the Early-Middle Miocene outcrops of Jeribe Formation in the Zurbatiyah area, Wasit Governorate, Eastern Iraq. Forty-two Samples collected from Shur Sharin and AL-Hashima outcrop sections. The fossil content is rich in large and small benthic foraminifera; Twenty-one species and genus are identified in this study, in addition to coral, gastropoda, pelecypoda, ostracoda, alge, echinoid and shell fragments. According to the presence of benthic foraminifera, two Biozone have been identified in the Jeribe: Austrotrillina asmariensis-Dendritina rangi Concurrent Zone and Borelis melo curdica range zone.The age of the Formation determined as Early-Middle Miocene depending on these Bioz
... Show MoreThe Pila Spi formation composed of seven lithotypes; carbonates (dolomite and
dolomitic limestone), marl, shale/claystone, red argillaceous mudstone, sandstone,
carbonate breccias and debris flow, which are arranged in repeated cycles of mixed
siliciclastic-calciturbidites in a range of gravity-flow regime in the Koi Sanjaq area.
Sedimentologic and facies evidences suggest developed marine environment for the
Pila Spi Formation. Facies analysis and associated sedimentary structures including
graded beddings decide turbidity and gravity flow regime origin of the rocks.
Marine environment is supported by the identifying glauconite and fossils types,
which is reported here for the first time rather than lagoon enviro
Yamama Formation is an important sequence in southern Iraq. Petrographic analysis was used to determine and analyze the microfacies and pore types. The diagenetic processes and the impacts on the petrophysical properties of the rocks were also identified. The petrographic identification was based on data of 250 thin sections of cutting and core samples from four wells that were supplied by the Iraqi Oil Exploration Company (O.E.C). The present study focuses on the depositional environment and the microfacies analysis of Yamama Formation. The results revealed several types of microfacies, including peloidal wackestone-packstone, algal wackestone-packstone, bioclastic wackestone-packstone, fo
... Show MoreBuilding a 3D geological model from field and subsurface data is a typical task in
geological studies involving natural resource evaluation and hazard assessment. In
this paper a 3D geological model for Asmari Reservoir in Fauqi oil field has been
built using petrel software. Asmari Reservoir belongs to (Oligocene- Lower
Miocene), it represents the second reservoir products after Mishrif Reservoir in Fauqi
field. Five wells namely FQ6, FQ7, FQ15, FQ20, FQ21 have been selected lying in
Missan governorate in order to build Structural and petrophysical (porosity and water
saturation) models represented by a 3D static geological model in three directions
.Structural model shows that Fauqi oil field represents un cylin
The meteorite with a single total mass of 630 gm as a visible meteorite has fallen on 22 March 2021, at 10:00 a.m. in Al-Sherqat subdistrict within Salah Al-Din, northern Iraq; and therefore, was named Al-Sherqat meteorite by the authors. It is characterized by a uniform structure of coherent and medium degree of malleability. It is of a well-crystalline structure and not homogeneous in composition. The Al-Sherqat meteorite is composed of metallic phases of 7.6 gm/cm3 density exhibiting an oriented intergrowth of kamacite (α-FeNi) with taenite showing a Widmanstätten pattern on an etched polished section with the finest octahedrite kamacite bandwidth of less than 0.2 mm. It is composed of Fe (86.9 wt%), Ni (9.63 wt%), P (1.31 wt%)
... Show MoreFive subsurface sections and a large number of thin sections of the Hartha Formation (age Late Campanian – Early Maastrichtian) were studied to unravel the depositional facies and environments. The Hartha Formation is important as an oil reservoir in Iraq.
Petrographic and microfacies analysis of selected wells from Balad and East Baghdad oil fields in Central Iraq, enable the recognition of three main Sedimentary paleoenvironments. These are restricted marine, the shallow open marine environment within the inner ramp, deep outer ramp.
The studied Formation represents by two asymmetrical cycles bounded below by sequence boundary (SB1) the contact between Hartha and Saadi Formations. The deep outer ramp facies of
... Show MoreWater balance as a technique is considered one of the means that is relied upon in solving significant hydrological problems. The soil and water assessment tool (SWAT) model was used in this study to assess the water balance in the Wadi Al-Mohammadi basin located at the eastern edge of the Western Desert. Digital elevation model, soil data, Land use - Land cover, and climate data represent the most important requirements for the SWAT model's input as a database. The Wadi Al-Mohammadi basin delineation results show the overall drainage area was 2286.8 km2 with seven sub-basins. The trend line of climate data indicates a clear increase in the total rainfall, relative humidity, temperature, and solar radiation from 1990-
... Show MoreGroundwater quality investigation has been carried out in the western part of Iraq (west longitude '40°40). The physicochemical analyses of 64 groundwater samples collected from seven aquifers were used in the determination of groundwater characterization and assessment. The concept of spatial hydrochemical bi-model was prepared for quantitative and qualitative interpretation. Hydrogeochemical data referred that the groundwater is of meteoric origin and has processes responsible for observed brackishness. The geochemical facies of the groundwater reveal that none of the anions and cations pairs exceed 50% and there are practically mixtures of multi-water types (such as Ca–Mg–Cl–HCO3 and Na+K–SO4–Cl water type) as do
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