Abstract
At least nine Quaternary shore-parallel carbonate ridges enclosing sabkha-lagoonal deposits and capped by indurated caliche are developed to the west of Alexandria town. These caliche deposits range in thickness from 0.1m to one meter; and in an easterly direction towards the alluvial plain of the Nile Delta their thickness increases. The fabrics of the caliche include clotted, pisolitic, laminated and fractured crusts. According to their degree of maturity I classify them into super-mature, very mature, mature, and poorly mature. A formula is suggested to estimate the maturity index for a given caliche type taking into consideration the underlying parent rock. Calichification processes resulted in textural changes including micritization, enrichment in calcite concentration, replacement of terrigenous particles by calcite, and development of attapulgite as a by product. It appears that the occurrence of the Nile Delta, to the east of the ridges, juxtaposing the carbonate ridges has a great impact on enhancing the caliche production due to seepage effect of fresh water from the Nile Delta.
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