The 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 environment.
The Pila Spi sequences are grouped into four facies associations confirming
developed marine depositional systems, these are (from bottom to top) channeledslumped
fine and mega carbonate breccias, calciturbidites, faulted and slump
carbonate mega-breccias, slump/slide carbonate mega-breccias facies associations
respectively.
Petrographic analysis of carbonate units of the Pila Spi rocks in Koi Sanjaq area
indicated that they are composed of skeletal grains with subordinate non-skeletal
grains of tuffaceous fragments, chert, chalcedony, volcanic ash, metamorphic and
detrital iron oxides grains, with noticeable grains of glauconite. Varieties of marine
fossils are identified includes planktonic bivalves and benthic forams of cool water,
which support the deeper marine environment.
Microfacies analysis reveals (15) types, these are; green algal boundstone, algal
wackestone dolomudstone, algal dolostone/mudstone, framestone-mudstone, small
benthic foraminiferal wackestone, algal packstone-mudstone, foraminiferal
packstone-mudstone, algal dolostone, fossiliferous grainstone, foraminiferal
packstone, stromatolite framestone, algal boundstone, calci-microbial grainstonepackstone,
and large benthic Foraminiferal bioclasts floatstone. These microfacies
types are grouped in four facies associations representing the depositional
environments of the formation, these are; outer shelf, reef, forereef, reef, backreef.
Sedimentologic and facies evidences reveal a marine environment for the Gercus Formation. Facies analysis and associated sedimentary structures including graded beddings decide turbidity origin of the rocks. Marine environment is supported by the identifying glauconite and fossils types reported for the first time.
The formation composed of seven lithotypes; shale/claystone, mudstone, sandstone, carbonate, conglomerate, breccias and debris flow, which are arranged in repeated cycles of mixed siliciclastic-carbonate turbidites in a range of gravity-flow regime. The Gercus successions are grouped into four facies associations confirming marine depositional systems, these are (from bottom to top); slump siliciclastic-calciturbidites (dol
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 MoreHydrogeological investigation and water budget calculation of Koi Sanjaq basin is carried out. This investigation includes the determination of the aquifer types extending through the study area and flow direction as well as aquifer hydraulic properties values. Three main unconfined aquifer types were distinguished , they are (Pilaspi), , (Bihassan-Muqdadiya and Fatha –Injana) Formations , where the flow map of the unconfined aquifers shows that the flow direction is from northern and northeastern parts towards the south and southeastern parts i.e. .Lesser Zab River. Analysis of pumping test data of 9 selected wells from unconfined aquifers show that T values range from 1.51m2/day to 64.4 m2/day revealing the great variations in the aq
... Show MoreThe Pila Spi Formation (middle – late Eocene) was studied in terms of field character, Petrography and geochemistry from two outcrops (Bakhar and Bani bawy) sections, Northern Iraq. The field studies showing massive, lithified limestone to marly limestone high effected by dolomitization. The petrography studies shows that most of the skeletal grains was destroyed due to digenetic processes specifically the dolomitization, and the vast majority of carbonate rocks are mudstone and few beds of wackestone. The geochemical study reveals low CaO% and high MgO% content due to the intense effect of dolomitization, and the carbonate rocks was classified as impure limestone generally of slightly calcareous dolomite. Ca/Mg and Sr/Ca ratios have b
... Show MoreThirty water sample of wells, and three samples of springs from the upper most aquifer, as well as four samples from Lesser Zab River in Koi Sanjaq Basin, Erbil governorate of northern Iraq was collected and physically and chemically were analyzed. Physical analysis includes temperature, hydrogen ion concentration (pH), Electrical Conductivity (EC), Total Dissolved Solid (TDS), and Turbidity, whereas the geochemical analysis included concentration determines of the major, minor and trace elements. Chemical classification of the present samples using of chadha diagram explain that ( 95% ) of them located within field 5 and 6 whereas the rest (5%) are located in the field 8. According to Iraqi [9] and WHO [10] standers, most of the samples
... Show MoreThe present study is focused upon the sedimentology and basin development of the Jeribe and Fatha Formations by using the field observations and microfacies analysis. The area of study situated in the Zurbatiyah area to the south of the Shur sharin valley about 21 km northeast of Badrah city to the southeast of Baghdad. This area lies within the Zagros foreland basin, and located between the Zagros mountains at the northeastern and the Arabian shield at the southeastern.
The studied succession which including the Jeribe and Fatha Formations were deposited within four associated facies for the Jeribe Formation and three for the Fatha Formation, as shown below: -
Jeribe Formation
... Show MoreThe lithostratigraphic and biostratigraphic studies of the Shiranish Formation in the Diana area, Erbil, Northern Iraq, were conducted to distinguish the main lithostratigraphic units, depositional environment and the formation age. The Shiranish Formation in the study area can be divided into three rock units. The lower and upper units consist of marly limestone, marl and limestone deposited in the outer shelf environment, while the middle unit is dominated by laminated calcareous shale and marl deposited in the upper bathyal environment. Calcareous nannofossils showed the presence of about 20 species/genera in the studied Shiranish Formation. Three biozones are identified; Misceomarginatus pleniporus biozone;
... Show MoreThis study involves microfacies analysis of the Kometan Formation from northeastern Iraq supported by detailed petrographic investigation for the main components and diagenetic processes using a petrographic microscope, scanning electron microscope (SEM), and X-Ray diffraction (XRD). The techniques have revealed that the formation includes two microfacies; lime wackestone and lime packstone microfacies which in turn are subdivided into seven sub-microfacies, that were deposited in the quiet and deep marine environment. Planktonic foraminifera (keeled and globular chamber types) are dominant, along with oligostegina in addition to subordinate benthonic foraminifera and fine-grained bioclasts. Calcite forms the main mineralogical compositi
... Show MoreThis study deals with establishing the depositional environment of the Fatha Formation through facies analysis. It also deals with dividing the formation into units based on the rhythmic nature. Data from selected shallow wells near Hit area and deep wells at East Baghdad Oil field are used. Five major lithofacies are recognized in this study, namely, greenish grey marl, limestone, gypsum (and/or anhydrite), halite and reddish brown mudstone (with occasional sandstone).The limestone lithofacies is divided into three microfacies: Gastropods bioclastic wackestone microfacies, Gastropods peloidal bioclastic packstone, and Foraminiferal packstone microfacies.The lithofacies of the Fatha are nested in a rhythmic pattern or what is known as sh
... Show MoreVolcaniclastic rocks of Al Muqdadiya Formation (Pliocene) in Injana area, southern Hemrin anticline, NE of Iraq, were studied ( petrographically, physically, mineralogically and geochemically , as well as the engineering properties) to assess the suitability of volcaniclastic rocks to use them in industry as refractories. The results show that the physical and engineering properties change with the temperature change. The bulk density and the specific gravity increase by increasing temperature while the apparent porosity, water sorption and the linear shrinkage decrease. On the other hand the compressive strength increase by increasing temperature. The volcaniclastics have very low thermal conductivi
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