Sedimentological characteristics of the surficial deposits of the Jal Az-Zor area, Kuwait

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to discuss the nature and characteristics of the surface geology of the Jal Az-Zor escarpment and the adjacent area, to better understand the sedimentology of desert landforms, and the main factors controlling depositional and diagenetic processes active in this environment. The oldest outcrops along the face of the escarpment are the sand and sandstone sequences of the Mutla and Jal Az-Zor Formations of the Kuwait Group (Neogene). Gravelly deposits of the upper member of the Kuwait Group, Dibdibba Formation (Pleistocene) are restricted to a few hillocks and ridges in the summit area of the escarpment. The Neogene deposits in most of the study area are overlain by a veneer of unconsolidated Holocene sediments. These were classified, according to their morphological setting and field occurrence, into: coastal deposits (intertidal mud, sabkha deposits, and sand dunes) and inland deposits (sand drifts, slope deposits, wadi fills, residual deposits and playa deposits). Wind-born quartzitic sand is the most common Holocene sediment in the study area indicating the dominance of the aeolian processes. Gypsum and carbonate present as cementing materials or in the form of gypcrete and calcrete, respectively, are characteristic sedimentological features of the pre-Holocene deposits. Gypcrete and gypsum cement are abundant in the upper section of the escarpment and decreases downward, whereas the carbonate (calcrete) shows a reverse pattern, i.e., it becomes more dominant in the lower section of the escarpment. The source of sulphate ions in the groundwater that is responsible for the development of gypcrete is believed to be the evaporites in the lower section of the Neogene sequence. The source of ions for the formation of calcrete and calcite cement is less understood due to the lack of significant primary carbonates in the near-surface deposits. It is believed that the nature and distribution of the chemically precipitated material (gypsum and carbonates) are controlled by the chemistry and hydrodynamics of the groundwater which in turn are controlled mostly by the climatic conditions, during their development, and the lithology of the host sediments. Arid and semi-arid climatic and paleoclimatic conditions are considered the most critical factors affecting the depositional and diagenetic processes impacting surficial deposits of the Jal Az-Zor area.