Depositional facies of the Cambrian Araba Formation in the Taba region, east Sinai, Egypt

Abstract

A thick succession of Cambrian sediments is exposed in the Taba region, east Sinai, and subdivided into the Araba Formation and the overlying Naqus Formation. The vertical and lateral distribution of the Araba Formation in the Taba region provides an outstanding example of an overall retrograding sequence. Three distinctive units (I, II and III) are distinguished within this succession on the basis of depositional geometries, stratified patterns, sedimentary features and petrographic examinations. They record different depositional environments and each unit is distinguished by a particular facies association, which records processes characteristic of these environments. The lower unit (I) is dominated by five depositional facies (la-le) which belong to low sinuosity braided channels associated with floodplain fines and alluvial fans. Channel deposits are represented by tabular cross-bedded and horizontally stratified pebbly coarse-grained sandstones. The middle unit (II) reveals a relative sea level rise and is composed of fine- to coarse-grained sandstone, shale and mudstone with carbonate intercalcations. From four depositional facies (Ila-Ild), recognised facies (Ila, Ilc and Ild) are comparable to upper-lower shoreface and tidal channel environments. The fourth facies (Ilb) is carbonate-dominated with trilobite tracks, and reflects deposition in the upper-middle intertidal flat. The latter facies (llb) is subjected to intea-Cambrian karstification, which is deduced from the presence of macro- and microscopic fresh water calcite fillings, botryoidal Fe and Mn oxides and terra rossa. The uppermost unit (III) is shale-dominated from the inner shelf and is represented by two facies (Illa and Illb). Despite the general rise in sea-level in the Araba Formation, the uppermost facies (Illb) points to a progradational-upward tendency in unit (III), and this is coeval with an increase in the percentage of interbedded fine-grained sandstones.