Overview of the Triassic System in Syria: Lithostratigraphic and biostratigraphic correlations with neighboring areas

Abstract

ABSTRACT Biostratigraphic data provide evidence of the presence of Triassic sedimentary successions in the main mountain belts in Syria. The study of the sedimentary successions in these chains and in the main deep wells lead to a new subdivision of the Triassic in Syria into four lithological units/formations: (1) The lower Habari Formation is clastic and Scythian to Early Anisian in age. (2) The overlying Abu Fayad Formation is generally carbonaceous, Late Anisian to Ladinian in age, and subdivided into three members. (3) The Hayan Formation is mainly evaporitic and Carnian – Norian in age. (4) The upper Safa Formation is generally carbonaceous, with some marl intercalations and thin evaporite beds. and Norian to ?Rhaetian in age. These lithological formations extend over the entire northern Arabian platform with very characteristic and distinguishable facies, rendering their correlation within Syria and to their equivalents in neighboring countries straightforward. Moreover, lateral facies changes in these formations enabled establishing a geological and paleogeographical evolution of Syria and the surrounding areas during the Triassic Period. This evolution revealed the presence of two NE-elongated Triassic paleostructures: Hamad Uplift in the south and Aleppo-Mardine High in the north, which separate the Palmyride Basin from the Rutbah Basin in the south, and the Palmyride Basin from the Ifrine Basin in the north, respectively.