Abstract
The studied section is located in the core of the Gara Anticline, about 12 km southeast of Amedi Town. The Baluti Formation is generally composed of grey and green shale, calcareous, dolostone with intercalations of thinly bedded dolostones, dolomitic limestones, and silicified limestones which are occasionally brecciated. The petrographic study shows five main microfacies in the Baluti Formation namely; finely laminated dolomudstone, fossil-barren and lime mudstone, fenestral mudstone/packstone, peloids and ooids wackestone, and lithoclasts (intraclasts) grainstones. The mudstones facies with no fauna and radial-fibrous ooids can point to a protected and low energy environment. Moreover, fenestral structures are reliable criteria for identifying a tidal flat environment. The presence of the lithoclasts (intraclasts) with radial ooids and a few terrestrial fragments may represent a quiet environment, albeit one affected by infrequent storm deposits. As a supplementary to microfacies, the biomarker characterizations were used to deduce the depositional environment of the Baluti Formation. Biomarker parameters show that the Baluti Formation could be deposited in anoxic to suboxic environment, and organic matter input is more likely characterized by land plant organic matter. This study showed that the most likely paleoenvironments for the Baluti Formation were supratidal, intertidal, subtidal, and sand shoals setting. However, the lack and/or very low diversity of skeletal fauna, and the lack of subaerial exposure may indicate that some parts of the formation seem to be deposited in low energy and restricted environment (Lagoon).
Highlights
The studied section (Near Sarki Village, 36°59′35.39′′N, 43°32′22.13′′E) is located in the core of the Gara Anticline, about 12 km southeast of Amedi Town (Fig. 1)
This study aims to determine the depositional environment of the Baluti Formation using microfacies analysis and biomarker characteristics in the Sarki section from Gara Anticline
The lowermost part of the formation is characterized by grey, olive-green to buff and hard marl sediments that are followed by a few medium-thickly bedded marly limestones, dolomites and limestones (Fig. 4)
Summary
The studied section (Near Sarki Village, 36°59′35.39′′N, 43°32′22.13′′E) is located in the core of the Gara Anticline, about 12 km southeast of Amedi Town (Fig. 1). Within the Gara Anticline, outcrops can be found representing the Late Triassic, Jurassic, Cretaceous formations of the Kurdistan Region. The Late Triassic (Upper Kurra Chine and Baluti formations) is found in several places along the core of the Gara anticline to the east, while it disappears towards the west of the anticline. The Baluti Formation is cropping out at different locations surrounding the area, but the section is not seen in its entirety, and even in the studied area drift and cover often hide many sub crops
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