Northeastern Iraq Research Articles

Depositional environment of the Sarmord Formation (Valanginian-Aptian) in selected areas, northeastern Iraq

The current study deals with microfacies and the depositional environment of the Lower Cretaceous Sarmord Formation at selected sections in Sulaimani and Erbil Governorates, northern Iraq. The Sarmord Formation alternates rhythmically between yellowish grey marly limestones and grey black marls. These lithologies are observed in all studied sections of Sarmord Formation in northern Iraq. Petrographic investigation of this study based on 240 thin sections demonstrated that the carbonate constituents are mainly composed of skeletal and non-skeletal grains. The skeletal grains include a variety of foraminiferas (planktonic and benthonic), bioclasts, calcispheres, ostracods, radiolaria, echinoderms, sponge spicules, ammonoids and belemnites. The non-skeletal grains consist of rare intraclasts. Based on field observations, two major lithofacies are recognized in the studied sections, namely marly limestone and marl lithofacies. Depending on the detailed microfacies analysis, two main microfacies, which in turn are divided into four sub-microfacies, were identified. These facies were subdivided upon their environmental interpretation into two types of facies associations: deep shelf and basinal. From the results of petrographic, facies, and textural analyses, it is concluded that Sarmord Formation in the studied sections was deposited at a rimmed carbonate platform. With a gradual shallowing of the basin from basinal sediments at the lower part overlying by deep shelf sediments in the uppermost part of the formation in the studied sections.

Benthic Foraminifera as A Tool for Indication of Microfacies, Biostratigraphy, and Depositional Environment of the Baba Formation [Late Oligocene], Kirkuk Oil Field, Northeastern Iraq

A moderately diverse larger foraminiferal is described from the NE Iraq, Baba Formation with important stratigraphy, paleontology, microfacies, and palaeoenvironment implications. The fauna is dominated by hyaline perforated and porcellaneous forms including Nummulites, Austrotrillina, Amphistegina, Archaias, Lepidocyclina, Spiroclypeus, Operculina, and Neorotalia. The presence of those fossils allows the age of the formation to be determined as Late Rupelian [Shallow Benthic Zone SBZ 22A] - Early Chattian [Shallow Benthic Zone SBZ 22B], based on the two recognized biozones from older to younger: - Nummulites fichteli -Nummulites intermedius biozone and Lepidocyclina [Eulephidina] dilatata- Nummulites intermedius- Nummulites fichteli biozone. The identified benthic foraminifera were used to recognize three microfacies types: Nummulitic wackestone facies of inner-shelf environment, Nummulitic wackestone-packstone facies of middle-shelf environment, and Epicyclical packstone facies of outer-shelf environment. The palaeoenvironmental setting of the Baba Formation is interpreted as a shallow ramp lagoon environment rich in nutrients, slightly hyper-saline with the shallowest part of the photic zone characterized by the genera Archaias and Austrotrillina, the deeper part of the inner ramp with Nummulites, to the shallow part of the middle ramp with Spiroclypeus and Operculina, to deeper middle ramp setting dominated by coralline rhodoliths along with Lepidocylinids. Microfossils from Baranan and Kurdamir sections have been used for the regional correlations from Eocene-Early Miocene.

Evaluation of the Relationship Between Snow Cover Index and Land Surface Temperature for Sulaymaniyah City, Iraq

Changes in land surface reflectance measured by remote sensing data can be useful in climate change studies. This study attempts to Evaluation of the relationship between Snow cover index and Land surface temperature for by used Normalized snow index (S3), Land Surface Temperature (LST), in Sulaymaniyah city, northeastern Iraq. Data from Landsat5 TM and Landsat8 OLI images were used to detect the change in snow cover and land surface temperature during the study period years 1987, 1999, 2009, and 2022. ArcGIS 10.8 is used to determine the variations and calculate S3, NDVI, and LST index indices. All S3 maps have shown a decrease trend from 1987 to 2022 which depicted decreases of snow cover area. Also, LST has increased from 13°C in 1987 to 19 °C in 2022. also the results showed S3 and LST correlation has a strong reverse relationship existed in each year. The reverse relationship found between S3 and LST indicates that areas in which increase land surface temperature it leads to inducing much changes in snow cover.

Assessment the Impact of Climate Changes on Snow Cover Area Using Landsat Data in Sulaymaniyah City, Iraq

Snow due to its unique reflective nature and wide surface exposure is an important component of the Earth’s radiation balance. Data from Landsat5 TM and Landsat8 OLI images were used to detect the change in snow cover, values of water bodies, and land surface temperature during the study period years 1987, 1999, 2009, and 2022. ArcGIS 10.8 is used to determine the variations and calculate NDSI, NDSInw, NDWI, and LST index indices. This study aimed to monitor the snow cover area in Sulaymaniyah city, northeastern Iraq, and evaluate the impact of climate changes on snow cover. The results showed significant changes in the snow cover, and the area and percentage of snow cover decreased continuously during the study periods. Some regions have preserved the snow cover and these regions are concentrated in the northeastern part of the province. The finding also revealed that NDSI overestimated the amount of snow and ice cover, because it employs the near-infrared and visible bands, and NDSInw can extract ice cover in areas with water cover more effectively due to its usage of the NIR band.

Paleoenvironmental Conditions of the Chia Gara Formation from Rania Section Northeastern Iraq Using Geochemical Constraints

Paleoenvironmental Conditions of the Chia Gara Formation from Rania Section Northeastern Iraq Using Geochemical Constraints

First Morphological and Molecular (28S rDNA) Characterization of Eudiplozoon nipponicum (Monogenea, Diplozoidae) parasitizing Cyprinus carpio, Kurdistan Region, Iraq

The present study is the first morphological and molecular characterization of a monogenean Eudiplozoon nipponicum (Goto, 1891) parasitizing gill filaments of common carps (Cyprinus carpio) obtained from the Lesser Zab River in northeastern Iraq in the subdistrict of Altun-Kopru from July to October 2022 and transported to the Laboratory of Zoology Research, Salahaddin University-Erbil, Iraq. Most previous studies regarding the considered parasite have targeted morphological data analysis. However, DNA sequence outline is typically supportive in systematics, since it contains aspects that are absent from morphological research. The main goal was to molecularly identify E. nipponicum utilizing the nuclear 28S rDNA region by PCR and nucleotide sequencing approach. The sequences were obtained and compared to the accessible GenBank sequences. The results justify the validation of E. nipponicum in Iraq using traditional (morphology-based) and modern (molecular-based) parasitological techniques. The latter one showed 99.11% (identity percentage) of E. nipponicum in comparison to the registered sequences of NCBI. Additionally, this was considered the first wide-ranging morphological and molecular study in the studied region. The phylogenetic relationship was concluded using Maximum Likelihood (ML) method. It was concluded that besides of the morphological characterization of E. nipponicum, PCR sequencing was considered a suitable molecular method for recognizing monogenean diplozoid species on the fishes.

Biostratigraphy and Chronostratigraphy of Late Jurassic – Early Cretaceous in Selected Areas in Kurdistan Region, Northern Iraq

The biostratigraphy and chronostratigraphy of Late Jurassic–Early Cretaceous (Tithonian–Aptian) successions at three outcrops in the Kurdistan Region, northern and northeastern Iraq (Amadia, Gara, and Barsarin sections) are studied depending on ammonite, planktic, and benthic foraminiferal contents. The studied formations: Chia Gara, Sarmord, and Qamchuqa, are recorded in all studied localities, while Garagu and Balambo formations are exposed at some studied localities. Age determination of the Chia Gara Formation relied on the ammonite fauna. The ammonites investigated are the major assemblage fauna of the Durangites Zone, which corresponds to the Late Tithonian. The detailed planktic foraminiferal investigation in Balambo Formation permits the recognition of five well-defined zones, these are Favusella hoterivica Interval Zone, Hedbergella sigali Interval Zone, Globigerinelloides ferreolensis Interval Zone, Globigerinelloides blowi Interval Zone, and Globigerinelloides algeriana Taxon Range Zone (part), which reveal a Late Valanginian to Late Aptian age. The stratigraphic distribution of the benthic foraminifera shows three zones, these are Everticyclammina kelleri Assemblage Zone, Pseudocyclammina lituus Assemblage Zone, and Palorbitolina lenticularis Taxon Range Zone, the 1st and 2nd zones were recognized in the Sarmord Formation at Amadia section, which extends in age from late Valanginian to Hauterivian. While the 3rd zone is recorded from Qamchuqa Formation at the Gara section representing the Early Aptian age.

Petrography, Mineralogy and Diagenetic history of the Sarmord Formation (Valanginian-Aptian) in selected areas, Northeastern Iraq

This research studies the petrography, mineralogy and diagenetic history of the Sarmord Formation at Sulaimani and Erbil Governorates in Northeastern Iraq. The Sarmord Formation consists mainly of alternated yellowish to bluish gray bedded marly limestone with yellowish gray soft marl beds. Petrographic investigations of the marly limestones were based on 270 thin sections and show that the skeletal grains include bioclasts, foraminiferas, radiolarians, calcispheres, echinoderms, ostracods and cephalopods. The groundmass is composed of micrite with light brown to gray colors, rich in organic materials and iron oxides. The X-ray diffraction analysis of the marls revealed that the abundant clay minerals in the Sarmord Formation are kaolinite and smectite -illite mixed layers, in addition to chlorite traces, which may indicate an increasing influx of detrital minerals from the continental weathering because of the humid Early Cretaceous climate. Non-clay minerals include calcite and quartz with subordinate feldspars. The main diagenetic processes affecting the Sarmord Formation carbonates are micritization, dissolution, cementation, compaction, dolomitization, dedolomitization and authigenic minerals (pyrite and silica). These belong to three diagenetic stages; early (shallow burial), middle and late (deep burial).

Integrated petrographical and geochemical study of the Valanginian–Barremian carbonates: an appraisal of tectonic setting and depositional environment in Northeastern Iraq

Integrated petrographical and geochemical study of the Valanginian–Barremian carbonates: an appraisal of tectonic setting and depositional environment in Northeastern Iraq

Planktonic Foraminiferal Biostratigraphy of the Kometan Formation from Kurdistan Region, NE Iraq

The Kometan Formation is widely spread in northeastern Iraq and is mostly composed of deep marine carbonates, with a predominance of planktonic foraminiferal assemblages throughout its sequences. Two outcrop sections, Smaquli and Tabin, were chosen to study the biostratigraphy of the Kometan Formation. The study identified 32 planktonic foraminiferal species belonging to 12 genera. According to stratigraphic distribution and the relative distribution of planktonic foraminifera assemblages, the study demonstrated the possibility of subdividing the sequence of the Kometan Formation into five foraminiferal biozones, including: Marginotruncana schneegansi Partial Range Zone, Dicarinella primitiva Interval Zone, Dicarinella concavata Interval Zone, Dicarinella asymetrica Total Range Zone, Globotruncanita elevata Partial Range Zone. The Planktonic zones were correlated with other zonal schemes inside and outside Iraq. They are considered to be extending from Late Turonian to Early Campanian.

A cross sectional study on the point prevalence and risk factor for Fasciola spp. in slaughtered ruminant at Kirkuk, North Eastern Iraq Abattoir

A cross sectional study on the point prevalence and risk factor for Fasciola spp. in slaughtered ruminant at Kirkuk, North Eastern Iraq Abattoir

Mineralogy and Geochemistry of Sandstones from the Tanjero Formation, Bekhme Gorge Northeastern Iraq: Implications for Paleoweathering and Provenance

The Tanjero Formation is exposed on the Northern flank of the Perat anticline near the Northern entrance to the Bakhme gorge through which the waters of the Upper Zab flow. As for tectonics, it is located within the High Folded Zone of the Unstable Shelf. The Tanjero Formation is about 80 m. thick, it is bounded from the bottom by the Shiranish Formation. The formation consists of gray sandstone that contains gravel at the bottom followed by beds of marl, hard sandstone, and black claystone containing cushioning structures and small-scale cross-bedding are present. According to the Williams classification, theTanjero sandstones drop at the lithic wacke field. The provenance of these sandstones was investigated based on their minerals and geochemical composition. The geochemical analyses showed low silica, a negative correlation of silica with the most major oxides due to recycling sedimentary sources or weathering of silicates. The index of compositional variability indicates that the sandstones of the Tanjero Formation are immature clastic sediments and the high index of compositional variability values confirm that the clastic sediments occurred in the tectonically-active-settings area. Moderate chemical weathering has dominated in the studied area, which was inferred from the chemical index of alteration, the chemical index of weathering and the plagioclase index of alteration. Based on the tectonic discrimination diagrams, the Tanjero sandstones are quartzose sedimentary provenance, felsic igneous rocks source, transitional arc–lithic recycled setting, and located in the collision zone between the passive Arab margin and the effective Iranian-Turkish margin that formed the orogeny belt along the collision zone.

Sedimentological Study of Exposed Successions of the Sargelu Formation, Middle Jurassic, Northeastern, Iraq

The Middle Jurassic Sargelu Formation spreads out widely in North-Eastern Iraq, particularly within the High Folds Unstable Shelf Zone. The Sargelu Formation was studied in two exposed sections, Hanjira and Gorin, in the Northeastern part of Iraq. The Lower contact of the formation with the Sehkaniyan Formation and the Upper contact with the Naokelekan Formation in the two sections appears conformable. The thickness of the Formation in the Hanjira section is 40m. and in the Gorin section is 70 m. The sampling was done by taking samples from two sections and thin sections were made for all samples and were studied under a polarizing microscope. Three main microfacies donated as M, W, P, and eight submicrofacies were diagnosed which reflects the deposition of the formation within the FZ-1 zone known as the Deep Sea Basin and the FZ-2 known as the Deep Shelf.

Sedimentary Environments and Age Determination of the Chia Gara Formation, Northern Iraq

The rock successions of the Chia Gara Formation were studied at two surface sections (Barsarin and Rania) from North-Eastern Iraq. The detailed sedimentological study reveals that the formation consists basically of thin-bedded black limestone, dolomitic limestone, marly limestone, bituminous shales, and Ammonitic limestone. The petrography results showed that the formation consists of various petrographic components as Ammonites, calcispheres, radiolarian, and silicate sponges in addition to the groundmass of micrite. Ammonite taxa are examined in the upper part of the Chia Gara Formation to find Ammonite species, of which seven species have been identified. One biozone is postulated based on the above assemblages, in order of age: Berriasella Jacobi, from a regional perspective, this biozone was connected with other Ammonite assemblages, leading to the conclusion that the Formation age is Early Cretaceous in age. The facies analysis demonstrates that the rock succession consists mainly of three microfacies. The main microfacies include lime mudstone, wackestone, and packstone. At the same time, the lithofacies comprise limestones and shales. The overall characteristics of these facies show that the Chia Gara Formation was deposited in three different environments; (1) the Lower part of the Upper bathyal (2) the Middle part of the bathyal, and (3) the Upper part of the outer shelf environment.

Assessment of rock Slope Stability on Shaqlawa – qoysinjaq Road, North Eastern Iraq by using kinematic analysis

This study aims to assess the stability of the rock slopes on both sides of the road linking (Shaqlawa- qoysinjaq) to some of the exposed geological formations within the northeastern limb of the Safin anticline (Qamchuqa, Bakhma, Shiranish), where (6) stations were selected and a classification was made. An engineering description of the rock layers through a comprehensive survey of the study area, the results of the kinematic analysis by the kinematic analysis software (DIPS) showed that the possible percentage failures were represented by rock toppling (83.33%), planar sliding by (58.33%) and then wedge sliding by percentage (83.34%), By studying the factors affecting the stability of slopes in the region, it was found that the main factor causing the failures is the result of cutting the fold for the purpose of road construction, in addition to the structural and lithological factors.

K-Ar dating, petrography, and geochemistry of diabase dikes from Sidakan area, northeastern Iraq: Implications for petrogenesis and Neotethyan tectonics

This study presents petrography, geochemistry, mineral chemistry and geochronology of diabase dikes from Sidakan area, northeastern Iraq. The area consists of basalts and diabase dikes alternating with sedimentary rocks, hosted by Walash Metavolcanic Group (WMG) as part of the Zagros Fold-Thrust Zone (ZFTZ). These rocks are dark grey to pale brown in color, fine to medium in grain size, and have ophitic and porphyritic textures. They consist of plagioclase and clinopyroxene as essential minerals and minor olivine as well as their alteration and low-grade metamorphism products including amphibole, albite, epidote, chlorite, serpentine, calcite and sericite, with ilmenite as an accessory mineral. The diabase dikes consist (as average wt.%) of 51.41 SiO2, 15.82 Al2O3, 9.95 FeOt, 6.58 MgO, 9.63 CaO, 3.42 Na2O, 0.87 TiO2, 0.17 MnO, 0.35 K2O, 0.09 P2O5, and 1.92 LOI. The Harker diagrams indicate that the diabases were formed from fractional crystallization of tholeiitic parent magma. The classification diagram Nb/Y vs. Zr/TiO2 indicated that the studied diabases have affinities of subalkaline basalts, while the SiO2 vs. K2O diagram showed that they are divided between the low-K basalt and basaltic andesite. The tectonic discriminant diagrams show that the diabases are oceanic island-arc tholeiites with N-MORB geochemical affinities. The K − Ar age of the diabases is Late Eocene (Bartonian-Priabonian) ranging between 34.6 ± 0.84 to 39.2 ± 1.81 Ma representing their intrusion/crystallization age and possibly the age of the formation of Oceanic Island Arc and/or the initial collision stage between the Arabian-Iranian microplates.

Lithofacies and depositional regimes of the Kolosh Formation Successions in the Tigran region, North-eastern Iraq

The current study depends on lithofacies analysis of Kolosh Formation at Tigran region in north-eastern Iraq. Depending on the physical criteria as grain size, color, texture, and etc., the formation is divided to five lithofacies: pebbly sandstone, coarse sandstone, graded sandstone, mudstone and shale lithofacies. Several sedimentary cycles and depositional regimes were fixed in the studied section represent by high energy regime as pebbly sandstone and medium to low regime as mudstone and shale lithofacies. Based on the data of lithofacies which compared with hypothetical model of the common turbidity deposits, the formation was deposited in submarine fans environments. The secondary depositional environments of the study section are divided into channel and inner fan environments. The Kolosh Formation in northern Iraq was deposited in an active margin basin when the northeast Arabian Plate collided with the Eurasian plate at the final stages of Neo-Tethys closing, which has resulted in large uplifts and subsidence episodes due to eustatic rises and falls.

Serpentinite Rocks of Mawat Ophiolite Complex, Northeastern Iraq, Beetwat Village: 1-Petrography and Diffractometry

The Mawat ophiolite complex is of Cretaceous period as a residue of oceanic crust covers about 200 km2, Northeastern Iraq.. The serpentinite rocks are exposed as a diapir in the northeastern suture Zagros zone of Iraq near Beetwat village, The field study and petrography reveal two types of serpentinite, the shear and massive, with three serpentine varieties. The serpentinite rocks are affected by secondary processes such as diagenesis, metamorphism and hydrothermal alteration in different degrees. Some common Textures in these rocks are pseudomorphic such as mesh or sieve textures, glass hour and bastite texture. Nonpsedomorphic textures appear also in these rocks such as interpenetrating fibrous, interlocking textures. Mineralogically, the massive serpentine minerals are lizardite and chrysotile that affected by recrystalization and replacement of lizardite. The (XRD) analysis explain that the serpentine is composed of lizardite, chrysotile, antigorite, in addition to amphibole minerals (anthophyllite and tremolite), chlorite talc, and opaque minerals as chromite.

Geometry of Khalakan Anticline, Northeastern Iraq

This research deals with the geometry of Khalakan Anticline by using field data. The anticline is located in NE Iraq, within the High Folded Zone of the Iraqi Western Zagros Fold – Thrust Belt where the southwestern limb of it represents the boundary between the Low and High folded zones. The age of the exposed rocks in the study area ranges from Cretaceous to Late Pliocene. Qamchuqa and Kometan formations expose in the two limbs as oldest rocks, while the youngest rocks in the northeastern limb are covered by Dokan Conglomerate. Consequently the fold geometry was determined by the measured field data of Qamchuqa and Kometan formations only. Khalakan anticline was described as asymmetrical and overturned fold, with northeastern vergency, where the mean attitude of the NE limb is 220 ᴏ/89 ᴏ and the mean attitude of the SW limb is 219 ᴏ/55° in terms of dip direction and dip amount. The attitude the fold axis in terms of trend and plunge is 130°/1°, the attitude of the axial plane is 220°/72° in terms of dip direction and dip amount, the interlimb angle is 34°, consequently the fold was classified as Close Fold.

Significance of the lithic volcanic detritus and crystalloclasts in development of paleogeography of the Zagros collisional belt: evidence from the Kurdistan Region, Northeastern Iraq

Significance of the lithic volcanic detritus and crystalloclasts in development of paleogeography of the Zagros collisional belt: evidence from the Kurdistan Region, Northeastern Iraq