Abstract
The study involves the Euphrates Formation in the area between Fuhaimi and Al-Qaim valleys in the western desert of Iraq. The Formation was divided into six informal units depending on various lithological properties. Facies analysis reveals the presence of the following microfacies, from bottom to top respectively; pelletal lime packstone, pellitoidal lime grainstone, oolitic lime grainstone, benthonic lime packstone and dolomitized lime mudstone microfacies. These microfacies, in addition to some geochemical properties were used to interpret the depositional environments, which are ranging from shelf, low water energy restricted and lagoonal environment to relatively high water energy open marine.
Highlights
The study area extends from Fuhaimi Valley East of Anah town to Al-Qaim valley (Fig. 1)
Many valleys with various sizes dissected the area in NE-SW direction, oriented towards the Euphrates River
The main objective of this work is to interpret the depositional environment of the Euphrates Formation in the studied area
Summary
The study area extends from Fuhaimi Valley East of Anah town to Al-Qaim valley (Fig. 1). The later subdivided the formation into six informal units: conglomeritic, shelly (lower and upper), lower chalky, upper chalky, brecciated and undulated units In addition to their description, the present work adds other physical descriptive features in Fuhaimi valley like lateral facies change and all the sedimentary structures which have been documented in the present work, (Fig. 2). The lower chalky unit (16-22 m), white to pale grey, finely cross laminated, medium tough, thick bedded, fossiliferous dolostone, boring and burrowing are well known, some beds are coquina and comprised by echinoids, pelecypods and gastropods. Exposures of the Euphrates Formation in Al-Qaim valley (Fig. 3) reflects alternation of various arenaceous lithologic associations; arenaceous limestone, arenaceous marly limestone, arenaceous marl ...etc They have various colours ranging from grey, pale grey to yellowish grey. This microfacies matched exactely the standard microfacies (SMF-16) which was proposed by Wilson (1975), Flugel (1982), Pomar et al (1996) and Antoshkina (1998), it is located within Wilson facies zone (FZ-7) representing a shallow warm water with moderate water circulation within the shallow shelf lagoon
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