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Benthic Foraminifera from the Callovian Middle Jurassic Tuwaiq Formation, Central Saudi Arabia
... The stratigraphy and fossil content have been studied by many authors (e.g. Galal and Kamel, 2004;Hughes, 2004Hughes, , 2006Hughes, , 2008AL-Saad, 2008;El-Sorogy et al., 2014;Youssef and El-Sorogy, 2015;El-Sorogy and Al-Kahtany, 2015). ...
This article deals with the Upper Jurassic carbonates of the Jubaila Formation, exposed throughout the Tuwaiq Mountains, Central Saudi Arabia and discusses the succession of palaeoenvironments resulting from detailed field and lab work. Based on microfacies analysis and sedimentological data, twelve facies are identified within the Upper Jurassic carbonates at Wadi Hanifa, Central Saudi Arabia. These facies are attributed to six main facies belts. Within these facies and facies belts, four distinct biofacies assemblages are recognized. Deposition took place on an extendable ramp, which probably dipped gently eastwards to the sea. A depositional model relates the identified facies and biofacies to a downdip depositional profile of an inner, middle and outer carbonate ramp. The burrowed lime mudstone and bioclastic wackestone-floatstone of facies belt 1 accumulated in a distal middle ramp to outer ramp. The mollusk-coated grains-intraclast rudstone of facies belt 2 were deposited in the distal middle ramp. The branched stromatoporoids Cladocoropsis were deposited in the proximal middle ramp of facies belt 3. The facies of the open lagoon (facies belt 5) and the tidal-flat (facies belt 6) were deposited in the inner ramp behind the ramp crest/shoal facies belt 4. The Early Kimmeridgian Jubaila Formation has been deposited as transgressive and highstand deposits of a third-order depositional sequence, which are mainly controlled by eustatic sea-level changes. During the transgression, an aggradational trend developed , with the construction of a deep subtidal facies of small-scale stacked cycles of mudstones with frequent mottled firm ground and hard ground, storm beds and tempestites. The regressive part has a characteristic progradational trend, with shallow-water carbonate platform deposits arranged into meter-scale coarsening-upward cycles ranged from dolomitic mudstone and wackestone to stromato-poroid packstone and rudstone into bioclastic intraclastic peloidal packstone and grainstone.
... Moreover, abundant foraminifera have also been reported from the Middle Jurassic of Saudi Arabia (Al-Saad, 2008; Galal and Kamel 2004;Hughes, 2004Hughes, , 2002Banner et al., 1991;Powers, 1968;Powers et al., 1966;Redmond, 1965Redmond, , 1964a. However, little has been published on foraminifers from the Jurassic coral reef ecosystems. ...
Thirty three benthic foraminiferal species belong to 23 genera and 16 families have been recorded from the coral reefs of the Callovian Tuwaiq Formation, Khashm Al-Qaddiyah area, Central Saudi Arabia. Three species: Astacolus qaddiyahensis, Nodosaria riyadhensis, Siderolites jurassica are believed to be new. Nearly all identified foraminifera are of Atlantic-Miditeranean affinity. The fo-raminiferal assemblage recorded in the present work is mixed of open marine, moderately deep marine conditions associations and shallow to deep lagoon. The reefal part of upper Twiaq Formation may have been deposited in shallow water of lower to middle shelf depth (20-50 m) as indicated by abundant corals and benthic foraminifera. The coral fauna and bearing benthic foraminifera indicated moderate water energy.
... The stratigraphy and fossil content have been studied by many authors (e.g. Galal and Kamel, 2004;Hughes, 2004Hughes, , 2006Hughes, , 2008AL-Saad, 2008;El-Sorogy et al., 2014;Youssef and El-Sorogy, 2015;El-Sorogy and Al-Kahtany, 2015). ...
The Campanian Hajajah Limestone Member of the Aruma Formation was formed during two regressive episodes. Each of them formed of three depositional facies, from base to top: 1) intra-shelf basin facies, made up of fossiliferous green shale and mudstone with ostracods and badly preserved foraminifers. 2) fore-reef facies, consists of hard, massive, marly coralline limestone. The upper part is rich with low divers, badly to moderate preserved, solitary and colonial corals, and, 3) back reef and near-shore facies, consists of fossiliferous sandy dolomitized, bioturbated limestone with abundant reworked corals, bi-valves, gastropods, and aggregate grains. On the basis of field observations, micro-and macrofossils and microfacies analysis, the Hajajah Limestone Member was deposited in distal marine settings below storm wave base in a low-energy environment changed upward to fore-reef framework in an open marine environment with moderate to high energy conditions and terminated with shallow marine facies with accumulation of skeletal grains by storms during regression.
... Moreover, abundant foraminifera have also been reported from the Middle Jurassic of Saudi Arabia (Al-Saad, 2008; Galal and Kamel 2004;Hughes, 2004Hughes, , 2002Banner et al., 1991;Powers, 1968;Powers et al., 1966;Redmond, 1965Redmond, , 1964a. However, little has been published on foraminifers from the Jurassic coral reef ecosystems. ...
Thirty three benthic foraminiferal species belong to 23 genera and 16 families have been recorded from the coral reefs of the Callovian Tuwaiq Formation, Khashm Al-Qaddiyah area, Central Saudi Arabia. Three species: Astacolus qaddiyahensis, Nodosaria riyadhensis, Siderolites jurassica are believed to be new. Nearly all identified foraminifera are of Atlantic-Miditeranean affinity. The fo-raminiferal assemblage recorded in the present work is mixed of open marine, moderately deep marine conditions associations and shallow to deep lagoon. The reefal part of upper Twiaq Formation may have been deposited in shallow water of lower to middle shelf depth (20-50 m) as indicated by abundant corals and benthic foraminifera. The coral fauna and bearing benthic foraminifera indicated moderate water energy.
... The stratigraphy and fossil content have been studied by many authors (e.g. Galal and Kamel, 2004;Hughes, 2004Hughes, , 2006Hughes, , 2008AL-Saad, 2008;El-Sorogy et al., 2014;Youssef and El-Sorogy, 2015;El-Sorogy and Al-Kahtany, 2015). ...
This article deals with the Upper Jurassic carbonates of the Jubaila Formation, exposed throughout the Tuwaiq Mountains, Central Saudi Arabia and discusses the succession of palaeoenvironments resulting from detailed field and lab work. Based on microfacies analysis and sedimentological data, twelve facies are identified within the Upper Jurassic carbonates at Wadi Hanifa, Central Saudi Arabia. These facies are attributed to six main facies belts. Within these facies and facies belts, four distinct biofacies assemblages are recognized. Deposition took place on an extendable ramp, which probably dipped gently eastwards to the sea. A depositional model relates the identified facies and biofacies to a downdip depositional profile of an inner, middle and outer carbonate ramp. The burrowed lime mudstone and bioclastic wackestone-floatstone of facies belt 1 accumulated in a distal middle ramp to outer ramp. The mollusk-coated grains-intraclast rudstone of facies belt 2 were deposited in the distal middle ramp. The branched stromatoporoids Cladocoropsis were deposited in the proximal middle ramp of facies belt 3. The facies of the open lagoon (facies belt 5) and the tidal-flat (facies belt 6) were deposited in the inner ramp behind the ramp crest/shoal facies belt 4. The Early Kimmeridgian Jubaila Formation has been deposited as transgressive and highstand deposits of a third-order depositional sequence, which are mainly controlled by eustatic sea-level changes. During the transgression, an aggradational trend developed , with the construction of a deep subtidal facies of small-scale stacked cycles of mudstones with frequent mottled firm ground and hard ground, storm beds and tempestites. The regressive part has a characteristic progradational trend, with shallow-water carbonate platform deposits arranged into meter-scale coarsening-upward cycles ranged from dolomitic mudstone and wackestone to stromato-poroid packstone and rudstone into bioclastic intraclastic peloidal packstone and grainstone.
... Because of the presence of the main oil-producing beds within the middle-upper Jurassic strata in eastern provinces of Saudi Arabia (Fig. 1), many studies have dealt with the microfacies characteristics and depositional environments of the strata (e.g., Steineke and Bramkamp 1952;Steineke et al. 1958;Moshrif and Al-Asaad 1984;Okla 1986;Enay et al. 1986;El As'aad 1989;Basyoni and Khalil 2011). Biostratigraphy and micropalaeontology of Jurassic carbonates in Saudi Arabia were studied to determine ages and paleoenvironments (e.g., Hughes 2004aHughes , b, 2009Galal and Kamel 2004;Al-Husseini 2009;El-Sorogy et al. 2014). ...
Three stratigraphic sections of the Callovian Tuwaiq Mountain Formation at Shaib El-Hisyan, Khashm Al-Giddayah and Dirab, near Riyadh City, central Saudi Arabia have been studied to distinguish their microfacies features and the equivalent probable depositional environments. Lithostratigraphically, the Tuwaiq Mountain Formation is subdivided into two lower and upper Tuwaiq members. The part that informally is known as upper Tuwaiq Member is subdivided from base to top into T1, T2, and T3 members, respectively. The microfacies analysis of the Tuwaiq Mountain Formation led to the recognition of 12 microfacies types (FT1–FT12) that are grouped into three associations: (1) open platform facies association (FT1–FT5); (2) high-energy shoals of ooids and patch reefs facies association (FT6–FT9); and (3) restricted carbonate platform facies association (FT10, FT12). The lower part of the Tuwaiq Mountain Formation is characterized by relative abundance of wackestone and wacke/packstone facies that are capped by thin peloidal molluscan floatstone facies. The former indicates a quiet open platform environment with periodic agitation, while the later indicates deposition in a sand shoal environment. The facies of basal unit of the upper Tuwaiq Mountain Formation, T1, are enriched with dense micrite matrix and shell fragments of epifaunal and deep infaunal organisms (e.g., Pholadomya spp.). The microfacies pattern of Baladiyah Member (T1) indicates a quiet open platform with low and sometimes high water circulation. The Maysiah Member (T2) is composed of hard limestone with abundance of coralline microfacies in framestone, grainstone, and packstone textures suggesting a high-energy shallow reefal environment with periods of quiet open platform conditions. This shallow reefal environment becomes more restricted southward, where shales and algal dolomitic grainstones were formed. The Daddiyah Member (T3) that made up of chalky limestone with chert intercalations is predominated by matrix-support lime mudstone, wackestone, and packstone facies. These microfacies reflect open platform with slightly low circulation below fair-weather wave base with period of restricted marine conditions forming rudstone microfacies. Southward, these environments became shallower and subjected to considerable quartz influx in an agitated sand shoal.
... The stratigraphy and fossil content have been studied by many authors (e.g. Galal and Kamel, 2004;Hughes, 2004Hughes, , 2006Hughes, , 2008AL-Saad, 2008;El-Sorogy et al., 2014;Youssef and El-Sorogy, 2015;El-Sorogy and Al-Kahtany, 2015). ...
This article deals with the Upper Jurassic carbonates of the Jubaila Formation, exposed throughout the Tuwiaq Mountains, Central Saudi Arabia and discusses the succession of palaeoenvironments resulting from detailed field and lab work. Based on microfacies analysis and sedimentological data, twelve facies are identified within the Upper Jurassic carbonates at Wadi Hanifa, central Saudi Arabia. These facies are attributed to six main facies belts. Within these facies and facies belts, four distinct biofacies assemblages are recognized. Deposition took place on an extendable ramp, which probably dipped gently eastwards to the sea. A depositional model relates the identified facies and biofacies to a downdip depositional profile of an inner, middle and outer carbonate ramp. The burrowed lime mudstone and bioclastic wackestone-floatstone of facies belt 1 accumulated in a distal middle ramp to outer ramp. The mollusk-coated grains-intraclast rudstone of facies belt 2 were deposited in the distal middle ramp. The branched stromatoporoids Cladocoropsis were deposited in the proximal middle ramp of facies belt 3. The facies of the open lagoon (facies belt 5) and the tidal-flat (facies belt 6) were deposited in the inner ramp behind the ramp crest/shoal facies belt 4. The Early Kimmeridgian Jubaila Formation has been deposited as transgressive and highstand deposits of a third-order depositional sequence, which are mainly controlled by eustatic sea-level changes. During the transgression, an aggradational trend developed, with the construction of a deep subtidal facies of small-scale stacked cycles of mudstones with frequent mottled firm ground and hard ground, storm beds and tempestites. The regressive part has a characteristic progradational trend, with shallow-water carbonate platform deposits arranged into metre-scale coarsening-upward cycles ranged from dolomitic mudstone and wackestone to stromatoporoid packstone and rudstone into bioclastic intraclastic peloidal packstone and grainstone.
... This formation therefore has long been described and has been constrained as Callovian in age by macrofossils (Hughes, 2006Hughes, , 2004 Sharland et al., 2001; Al-Husseini, 1997; Vaslet et al., 1991; Le Nindre et al., 1990; Powers, 1968; Powers et al., 1966; Steineke et al., 1958; Arkell, 1952). Moreover, abundant foraminifera have also been reported from the Middle Jurassic of Saudi Arabia (Al-Saad, 2008; Galal and Kamel 2004; Hughes, 2004 Hughes, , 2002 Banner et al., 1991; Powers, 1968; Powers et al., 1966; Redmond, 1965 Redmond, , 1964a paper aims to document abundant foraminifers from the Callovian reefs recorded in the Tuwaiq Mountain Formation in the Khashm Al-Qaddiyah area, central Saudi Arabia (Fig. 1) and to discuss their paleoecology in a broad context. ...
... Moreover, abundant foraminifera have also been reported from the Middle Jurassic of Saudi Arabia (Al-Saad, 2008; Galal and Kamel 2004;Hughes, 2004Hughes, , 2002Banner et al., 1991;Powers, 1968;Powers et al., 1966;Redmond, 1965Redmond, , 1964a. However, little has been published on foraminifers from the Jurassic coral reef ecosystems. ...
... This formation therefore has long been described and has been constrained as Callovian in age by macrofossils (Hughes, 2006Hughes, , 2004 Sharland et al., 2001; Al-Husseini, 1997; Vaslet et al., 1991; Le Nindre et al., 1990; Powers, 1968; Powers et al., 1966; Steineke et al., 1958; Arkell, 1952). Moreover, abundant foraminifera have also been reported from the Middle Jurassic of Saudi Arabia (Al-Saad, 2008; Galal and Kamel 2004; Hughes, 2004 Hughes, , 2002 Banner et al., 1991; Powers, 1968; Powers et al., 1966; Redmond, 1965 Redmond, , 1964a paper aims to document abundant foraminifers from the Callovian reefs recorded in the Tuwaiq Mountain Formation in the Khashm Al-Qaddiyah area, central Saudi Arabia (Fig. 1) and to discuss their paleoecology in a broad context. ...
Thirty three benthic foraminiferal species belong to 23 genera and 16 families have been
recorded from the coral reefs of the Callovian Tuwaiq Formation, Khashm Al-Qaddiyah area, Central
Saudi Arabia. Three species: Astacolus qaddiyahensis, Nodosaria riyadhensis, Siderolites jurassica are
believed to be new. Nearly all identified foraminifera are of Atlantic-Miditeranean affinity. The foraminiferal
assemblage recorded in the present work is mixed of open marine, moderately deep marine
conditions associations and shallow to deep lagoon. The reefal part of upper Twiaq Formation
may have been deposited in shallow water of lower to middle shelf depth (20–50 m) as indicated by
abundant corals and benthic foraminifera. The coral fauna and bearing benthic foraminifera indicated
moderate water energy.
The Hanifa Formation in Saudi Arabia consists of mostly carbonate units of Late Jurassic age and is well exposed along the Tuwaiq Mountain escarpment. Micropaleontological analyses of samples from three outcrops have revealed the presence of benthic foraminifera and ostracods. The study of fossil faunas from the Hawtah Member, has led to the identification of six foraminiferal species: Alveosepta (Redmondellina) powersi, Oolina globosa, Nautiloculina oolithica, Kurnubia palastiniensis, Pseudomarssonella cf. maxima, Lenticulina sp. and two ostracod species: Hutsonia asiatica and Cytherella cf. umbilica. The survey of species covered in this research suggests that they indicate a predominantly euryhaline to polyhaline marine setting, possibly with a slightly brackish influence and deposited in a supratidal environment, suggesting a progressively shallowing environment on the inner shelf with intermittent shoal complexes.
Satellite remote sensing is a popular method utilized in mineral and natural resource exploration, particularly to reduce reconnaissance and exploration costs. Its use is widely popular for geological mapping of arid regions. The primary objective of this paper is to illustrate how remote sensing satellite data could be used for mapping and assessing potential limestone raw material for the cement industry in Saudi Arabia. Limestone rocks are identified and mapped using Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) indices, band combinations, band ratio combination, and relative absorption-band depth (RBD). Band combination of ASTER-thermal infrared (TIR) data 14:12:10, 8:6:1, and QI:CI:MI in R:G:B is also used for mapping limestone rocks with high efficiency as well as differentiating between sandstone and limestone rocks in the study area. Two band ratios 6/8 and 9/8 and RBD of (band 7+band 9)/band 8 are used for detecting limestone rocks as bright pixels. The carbonate index of ASTER-TIR data are subsequently used for mapping limestone areas and categorize them into classes for the purpose of using them as a raw material in the cement industry. Study findings show that high and very high classes of CI are concentrated in the southern and central parts of the study area such as Khashm Mazalij, Jabal Hit, and Jabal Hafafah and correlate with cement limestone and high-Ca limestone sites in the study area. Other very high limestone classes are found distributed in the northwestern part of Banban. Sulaiy Formation, in Khashm Mazalij area, also constitutes the best promising potential for high-purity limestone. It is hoped that the findings of the study provide ample evidence for the usefulness of the reconnaissance tool in assessing the limestone as raw materials, which is a vital process for the cement industry decision-makers in planning and managing natural resources in Saudi Arabia.
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