jzs-10745

Microfaunal Assemblages and microfacies of Nummulitic Limestone of Naopurdan Group from Chwarta Area, Sulaimaniya Governorate, Northern Iraq

Hyam Saleh Daoud1

1 Irrigation Department, College of Engineering, University of Sulaimani, Kurdistan Region, Iraq

Original: 2 February 2019, Revised: 16 March 2019, Accepted: 21 May 2019, Published online: 20 June 2019  

DOI Link: https://doi.org/10.17656/jzs.10745

Abstract

Thirty-one samples were collected from nummulitic limestone of the Naopurdan Shaly Group of Paleocene-Early Eocene at the northern part of Chwarta town. Thirty-three thin sections were prepared and analyzed under a binocular microscope. Four main depositional microfacies Packstone, Floatstone, Boundstone, and Wackestone have been recognized. Thirty-two species of benthic foraminifers and algae were recorded; most of them were identified for the first time. The new species of microfossil assemblages identified comprises Nummulites sp., N. kdjokdjokartae, N. globulus, N. mammilatus, N. subirregularis, Alveolina violae, A. stercusmuris, A. frumentiformis, A. fornasinii, A. cf. sakaryaensis, Assilina laminose, A. granulosa, Discocyclina ranikotensis, D. dispansa, Lepidocyclina sumatrensis, L. parva, Cuvillierina sireli, Thalmanitta madrugaensis, Nephrolepidina sp., Idalina sinjarica, Cymopolia ellongata, Quinqueloculina, Biloculina, Pseudohatigerina sp., Asterocyclina ferrandezi n. sp. and Eulepidina dilatata. Besides these species, nine levels of distribution of microfauna were established and based on the microfossil assemblages and microfacies, the new paleoenvironments of deposition from the subtidal to outer ramp have been determined. In addition, the age Late Paleocene (Selandian) to Early Eocene (Lower Lutetian) was confirmed. 

Key Words: Large foraminifera. microfacies. Paleocene-Eocene. Paleoenvironment

    References

[1] Jassim, S.Z. and Goff, J.C. "Geology of Iraq. Brno, Dolin", Prague and Moravian Museum. (2006).

[2] Al-Qayim, B. Omer, A. and Koyi, H. "Tectonostratigraphic overview of the Zagros Suture Zone, Kurdistan Region, Northeast Iraq", GeoArabia. Vol. 17, No. 4, pp. 109-156, Gulf PetroLink, Bahrain. (2012).

[3] Buday, T. "The Regional Geology of Iraq. Vol. I: Stratigraphy and palaeogeography", GEOSURV, Baghdad, 445p. (1980).

[4] Bolton, C.M.G. "The geology of the Ranya area. Manuscript report No. 271", GEOSURV, Baghdad. (1958d).

[5] Mirza, T.A., Mohialdeen, I.M.J., Al-Hakarri, S.H. and Fatah, Ch.M. "Geochemical assessment of Naopurdan limestone for cement making - Chwarta area, Kurdistan Region, NE Iraq", Journal of zankoy Sulaimani, Special Issue, GeoKurdistan II. pp. 257-267. (2016).

[6] Kharajiany, S.O.A. "Calcareous Nannofossils from the Eocene Sequence of the Naopurdan Group, Betwat Locality, Sulaimaniyah, Kurdistan Region, Iraq", Iraqi Bulletin of Geology and Mining. Vol. 14, No. 2, pp. 17-30. (2018).

[7] Sissakian, V.K. "Geological map of Iraq. Sheet No.1, Scale 1:1000000, 3rd edit", GEOSURV, Baghdad, Iraq. (2000).

[8] Dunham, R.J. "Classification of carbonate rocks according to depositional texture", Mem. Amer. Ass. Petrol. Geol.l, pp. 108-121, Tulsa. (1962).

[9] Embry, A.F. and Klovan, E.J. "Absolute water depths limits of Late Devonian paleoecological zones", Geologische Rundschau, Vol. 61, No. 2, pp. 672-686. (1972).

[10] Hottinger, L. “Shallow benthic foraminiferal assemblages as signals for depth of their deposition and their limitations", Bulletin de la Société Géologique de France, Vol. 168, No. 4, pp. 491-505. (1997).

[11] Jorry, S.J, Hasler, Claude-Alain, Davaud, E. "Hydrodynamic behaviour of Nummulites: implications for depositional models", Facies. Vpl. 52, No. 2, pp. 221-235. (2006).

[12] Scheibner, C., Speijer, R.P. and Marzouk, A. "Larger foraminiferal turnover during the Paleocene-Eocene thermal maximum and paleoclimatic control on the evolution of platform ecosystems", Geology. Vol. 33. No. 6, pp. 493-496. (2005).

[13] Jorry, S.J. "The Eocene Nummulites carbonates (Central Tunisia and NE Libya): Sedimentology, depositional environments, and application to oil reservoirs", PhD Thesis, Université de Genève, Terre & Environ. Vol. 48, 226 pp. (2004).

[14] Baig, S.M. and Munir-ul-Hassan, M.  "Foraminiferal biostratigraphy of Yadgar area, Muzaffarabad Azad Kashmir, Pakistan", Journal of Himalayan Earth Sciences. Vol. 40, pp. 33-43. (2007).

[15] Rafi, S., Khursheed, S.H. and Mohsin, S.I. "Microfaunal Assemblage of the Sui Main Limestone from Sui Gas Field, Pakistan", Journal of Basic & Applied Sciences. Vol. 8, pp. 85-90. (2012).

[16] Weiss, W. "Age assignments of larger foraminiferal assemblages of Maastrichtian to Eocene age in northern Pakistan", Zitteliana. Vol. 20, pp. 223-252. (1993).

[17] Akhtar, M. and But, A.A. "Significance of Miscellanea miscella (D‟ Archiac & Haime) in the Early Palaeogene stratigraphy of Pakistan", Revue de Paléobiologie, Genéve. Vol. 19, pp. 123-135. (2000).

[18] Serra-Kiel, J., Hottinger, L., Caus, E., Drobne, K., Ferrandez, C., Jauhri, A.K., Less, G., Pavlovec, R., Pignatti, J., Samso, J.M., Schaub, H., Sirel, E., Strougo, A., Tambareau, Y., Tosquella, J. and  Zakrevskaya, E. “Larger foraminiferal biostratigraphy of the Tethyan Paleocene and Eocene", Bulletin de la Société Géologique de France. Vol. 169, No. 2, pp. 281-299. (1998).

[19] İnan, N. and İnan, S. "Selandian (Upper Paleocene) benthic foraminiferal assemblages and their stratigraphic ranges in the northeastern part of Turkey", Yerbilimleri, Vol. 29, No. 3, pp. 147-158. Turkey. (2008).

[20] Khosrotehrani, Kh., Afghah, M. and Ahmadi, V. "Microbiostratigraphy and microfacies study of Jahrum formation in North and South east Shiraz", Journal of Applied Geology, Islamic-Azad University of Zahedan, IAUZAH. Vol. 1, No. 1, pp. 1-12. (2005).

 [21] Avşar, N., Özsert, E., Dinçe,r F., Aksoy, E. and İç, Z. "Benthic Foraminifera of Tertiary (Lutetian) Sequence of Aydincik (Yozgat) Region", Ç.Ü.J.FAC. ENG. ARCH. Vol. 25, No. 1-2, p. 17-32. (2010).

[22] Özgen-Erdem, N. "Akçataş-Cebeci Yöresinin (Kb Tosya-Gd Kastamonu) Tanesiyen-Ilerdiyen Bentik Foraminifer Biyostratigrafisi", MTA Dergisi. Vol. 137, p. 67-77. (2008).

[23] Mirza, K., Sameeni, S.J., Akram, S. and Yasin, A. "Nummulites from the Kohat Formation, Northern Kohat Basin, Himalayan Fold and Thrust Belt, Northern Pakistan", Sci.Int. (Lahore). Vol. 26, No. 5, pp. 3039-3043. (2014).  

[24] Mirza, K. "Biostratigrapiiy of the Eocene Succession (Kohat Formation) Kohat Basin, Northern Pakistan", Thesis, PP. 330. University of the Punjab, Institute of Geology, Lahore, Pakistan. (2007)

[25] Mathur, N.S., Juyal, K.P. and Kumar, K. "Larger foraminiferal biostratigraphy of lower Paleogene successions of Zanskar Tethyan and Indus–Tsangpo Suture Zones, Ladakh, India in the light of additional data", Himalayan Geology. Vol. 30, No. 1, pp. 45-68. (2009).

[26] Nicora, A., Silva, I.P. and Vanneau, A.A.  "Paleogene Larger Foraminifer Biostratigraphy From Limalok Guyot, Site 871", Haggerty, J.A., Premoli Silva, I., Rack, R, and McNutt, M.K. (Eds.), Proceedings of the Ocean Drilling Program, Scientific Results. Vol. 144. (1995).

[27] Osman, Y.A., Özcan, E., Boukhalfa, K., Soussi, M. and Okay, A.I. "Eocene Shallow Marine Records in Tunisia: A Larger Foraminifera (Mainly Orthophragminids) Perspective", 20th EGU General Assembly, EGU2018, Proceedings Conference held 4-13 April, 2018 in Vienna, Austria, p.413. (2018).  

[28] Daoud, S.H. "Larger Benthic Foraminiferal Assemblages from Sinjar Formation, SW Sulaimaniya City Kurdistan Region, Iraq", Iraqi Bulletin of Geology and Mining. Vol.8, No.1, pp. 1− 17. (2012).

[29] Surdashy M.A. "Depositional Environment and Post Depositional Deformation of Naopurdan Limestone Unit from Chwarta-Mawat Area, Northeast of Iraq", Iraqi geological Journal. Vol. 30, No. 2, pp. 118-127. (1997).

[30] Surdashy M.A. "Paleoenvironmental Reconstruction by Calcareous Algae at Paleocene-Early Eocene in North-East Iraq", Journal of Zankoy Sulaimani (JZS), Part A. Vol. 4, No. 1, pp. 101-116. (2001).

 [31] Swati, M.A.F., Haneef, M., Ahmad, S., Naveed, Y., Waseem, Z., Akhtar, N. and Owais, M. "Biostratigraphy and depositional environments of the Early Eocene Margalla Hill Limestone, Kohala-Bala area, Haripur, Hazara Fold-Thrust Belt, Pakistan", Journal of Himalayan Earth Sciences. Vol. 46, No. 2, pp. 65-77. (2013).

[32] Zachos. J., Pagani, M., Sloan, L., Thomas, E. and Billups, K. "Trends, Rhythms, and Aberrations in Global Climate 65 Ma to Present", American Association for the Advancement of Science. Vol. 292, pp. 686-693. (2001).

[33] Romero O., Boeckel B., Donner, B., Lavik, G., Fischer, G., and Wefer, G. "Seasonal productivity dynamics in the pelagic central Benguela System inferred from the flux of carbonate and silicate organisms", Journal of Marine Systems, Vol. 37, No. 4, pp. 259-278. (2002). 

Full Text

            Copyright (c) 2019  : Hyam Saleh Daoud

    This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.