Sedimentary and mineralogy characteristics of late quaternary sediments, Garmian area, Kurdistan Region, NE Iraq

Abstract

The quaternary sediments have been studied in four sections; Garmian area, Kurdistan Region, North East Iraq, which are multi-features, multi-sources, and variable lithological compositional characteristics. The grain size granulometry was used and identified, gravel, sand and mud. Gravel-sized particles are partially producing a greater amount than sand and mud size in both sections (Sar-Qallah-1 and Salih-Agha). Statistical parameters such as (mean, mode, sorting, skewness and kurtosis), have shown that the sediments are very poorly sorted, very fine skewed and platykurtic. Petrographic studies of sediments under polarized microscope investigated that these sediments are predominately consisting of (chert and carbonate rock fragments), with the existence of few amounts of igneous and metamorphic rock fragments, feldspar and monocrystalline quartz. These fragments types are an indication of multiple source rocks originate from Ophiolites and thrust sheets from the Penjween area (North Iraq). Various types of heavy minerals are identified; opaque (hematite and pyrite), and nonopaque minerals (pyroxene, amphibole, epidote and zircon). X-ray diffraction technique is used to interpret clay mineralogy which indicates that chlorite and palygorskite are the main clay mineral with the presence of non-clay minerals such as quartz and calcite.