Paleoecology and Depositional Environment of the Govanda Formation in the Kurdistan region, northeast of Iraq
Article Sidebar
Main Article Content
Abstract
The Govanda Formation was deposited during the Early-Middle Miocene Epoch in the intermountain areas between Zagros Suture and Imbricate zones. The Paleoecology and depositional environment of the Govanda Formation has been studied in detail in Mergasor and Penjwen districts for the first time. The formation in these two sections from bottom to top is comprised of thick bedded, oyster and chert bearing conglomerate, pebbly sandstone, red-brown shale and siltstone, fossiliferous limestone and detrital limestone. The formation in Mergasor, Beshkariya Village is 85 m thick and in Penjwen, Gole Village is 60 m thick. The study is based on the detailed microscopic analysis on the benthic and planktonic foraminifera with miscellaneous fossils that exists in the carbonate rocks of the Govanda Formation. Larger and smaller benthic foraminifera include the following genera: Operculina sp., Borelis melo sp., Austrotrilina sp., Peneroplis sp., Meanderopsina sp., Miogypsinoids and Miogypsina sp., Archaias sp., Amphistegina sp., Textularia sp., Lepidocyclina sp., Miliolids, Quenquiloculina sp., Pyrgo sp., Spiroloculina sp., Triloculina sp., Ammonia sp., Elphidium sp., Dendritina sp. and Rotalia venoti dominated the limestones of the Govanda Formation. Planktonic foraminifers are mostly includes the following genera: Globigerinoids sp., Globigerina sp., Globorotalia sp. and Orbulina sp. Moreover, miscellaneous fossils include corals, coralline red algae, echinoderms, bivalves, ostracods, bryozoans, brachiopods and serpulid worms (Ditrupa sp.). The paleoecological condition of the formation was interpreted as follow; the temperature of the Govanda basin ranges between 15-30 °C, nutrient level is between eutrophic to mesotrophic, salinity ranged between normal saline to hypersaline water, light intensity ranging from euphotic to mesophotic and less oligophotic zones, the water depths ranged between 0-120 m, the clastic influx was high in the basin, differences in size and shape within foraminifers of the Govanda Formation indicate various depositional environments and ecological conditions, the water energy was moderate. The environment of deposition is interpreted as being ramp environment. Depending on the different microfauna that exist in the formation, four main zones are distinguished in the ramp model of the Govanda Formation as follows; proximal inner ramp setting which includes open lagoon, distal inner ramp setting which includes back-reef environment, proximal middle ramp setting which includes reef and fore-reef environments, distal middle ramp/ proximal outer ramp setting, which includes open marine environment.
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Tikrit Journal of Pure Science is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which allows users to copy, create extracts, abstracts, and new works from the article, alter and revise the article, and make commercial use of the article (including reuse and/or resale of the article by commercial entities), provided the user gives appropriate credit (with a link to the formal publication through the relevant DOI), provides a link to the license, indicates if changes were made, and the licensor is not represented as endorsing the use made of the work. The authors hold the copyright for their published work on the Tikrit J. Pure Sci. website, while Tikrit J. Pure Sci. is responsible for appreciate citation of their work, which is released under CC-BY-4.0, enabling the unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction of an article in any medium, provided that the original work is properly cited.
References
[1] Al-Sakini, J.A., 1993. New Look on the History of Old Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, in the Light of Geological Evidences. Recent Archaeological Discoveries and Historical Sources. Oil Exploration Co., Baghdad, Iraq, 93 pp.[in Arabic] [2] Bellen, R.C., Van, Dunnington, H.V., Wetzel, R., Morton, D., 1959. Lexique Stratigraphique International Asia, Iraq. Intern. Geol. Congr. Comm,Stratigr., 3, Fasc. 10a, 333p. [3] Buday, T., 1980. The Regional Geology of Iraq. Vol. 1: Stratigraphy and Palaeogeography. Publications of GEOSURV., Baghdad, 445p. [4] Jassim, S. Z., & Goff, J. C., 2006. Geology of Iraq. Brno, Czech Republic: Dolin, Prague and Moravian Museum 341p.
[5] Montaggione, L. F., & Braithwaite, C. J. R. (2009). Quaternary coral reef systems:History, development processes and controlling factors. Amsterdam: Elsevier. [6] Sharland, P., Casey, D. M., Davies, R. B., Simmons, M. D. & Sutcliffe, O. 2004. Arabian plate sequence stratigraphy – revisions to SP2. GeoArabia, 9, 199-214. [7] Smail, A.A., 2015. Sedimentology and stratigraphy of Govanda Formation, Unpublished MSc. Thesis: University of Salahadin, Erbil, Iraq, 156pp.
[8] Sissakina, V. K, Al-Ansari, N, Adamo, N., (2021). Geomorphology, Stratigraphy and Tectonics of the Mesopotamian Plain, Iraq: A Critical Review. Geotectonics, Vol 55, No. 1, pp. 135–160. [9] Ziegler, M.A. (2001) Late Permian to Holocene Paleofacies Evolution of the Arabian Plate and Its Hydrocarbon Occurrences. GeoArabia, 6, 445504.
[10] Stocklin, J., 1968. Structural history and tectonics of Iran: a review. American Association Petroleum Geological Bulletin 52, 1229–1258
[11] Alavi, M., 2004. Regional stratigraphy of the Zagros fold-thrust belt of Iran and its proforeland evolution. American Journal of Science 304, 1–20.
[12] James, G.A., Wynd, J.G., 1965. Stratigraphic nomenclature of Iranian oil consortium agreement area. American Association of Petroleum Geologists Bulletin 49(2), 94-156.
[13] Heydari E (2008) Tectonics versus eustatic control on supersequences of the Zagros Mountains of Iran. Tectonophysics 451(1–4):56–70
[14] Geel, T., 2000, Recognition of stratigraphic sequences in carbonate platform and slope deposits: empirical models based on microfacies analysis of Palaeogene deposits in southeastern Spain: Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 155(3–4), 211–238.
[15] Hottinger, L., 1983. Processes determining the distribution of larger foraminifera in space and time. Utrecht Micropaleontological Bulletins 30, 239– 253.
[16] Hottinger, L., 1997. Shallow benthic foraminiferal assemblages as signals for depth of their deposition and their limitations. Bulletin de la Société Géologique de France 168, 491– 505.
[17] Murray, J.W., 1991. Ecology and Paleontology of Benthic Foraminifera. Longman Group, UK.
[18] Pomar, L., Brandano, M., Westphal, H., 2004. Environmental factors influencing skeletal grain sediment associations: a critical review of Miocene examples from the western Mediterranean. Sedimentology 51, 627–651
[19] Adams AE, Mackenzie WS (1998) A color atlas of carbonate sediments and rocks under the microscope. Manson, London, p 180
[20] Murray JW (2006) Ecology and applications of Benthic Foraminifera. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge
[21] Langer, M., Hottinger, L., 2000. Biogeography of selected “larger” foraminifera. Micropaleontology 46, 57–86.
[22] Schlager W (2005) Carbonate sedimentology and sequence stratigraphy.SEPM, USA
[23] James NP, Collins LB, Bone Y, Hallock P (1999) Subtropical carbonates in a temperate realm, modern sediment on the southwest Australian shelf. J Sediment Res 69:1297–1321
[24] Barattolo, F., Bassi, D., Romero, R., 2007. Upper Eocene larger foraminiferal-coralline algal facies from the Klokova Mountain (south continental Greece). Facies 53:361–375
[25] Mossadegh, Z.K., Haig, D.W., Allan, T., Adabi, M.H., Sadeghi, A., 2009, Salinity changes during Late Oligocene to Early Miocene Asmari Formation deposition, Zagros Mountains, Iran: Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 272, 17–36.
[26] Beavington-Penney, S.J., Racey, A., 2004, Ecology of extant nummulitids and other larger benthic foraminifera: applications in palaeoenvironmental analysis: Earth-Science Reviews, 67(3–4), 219–265.
[27] Brandano M, Corda L (2002) Nutrients, sea level and tectonics: constrains for the facies architecture of a Miocene carbonate ramp in central Italy. Terra Nova 14:257–262
[28] Corda, L., Brandano, M., 2003, Aphotic zone carbonate production on a Miocene ramp, Central Apennines, Italy: Sedimentary Geology, 161(1–2), 55–70.
[29] Wilson, J.L., 1975, Carbonate Facies in Geologic History: Springer-Verlag, New York, 471 pp.
[30] Bosence, D., 1983, Coralline algae from the Miocene of Malta: Palaeontology, 26, 147–173.
[31] Rasser MW, Scheibner C, Mutti M (2005) A paleoenvironmental standard section for Lower Ilerdian tropical carbonate factories (Pyrenees, Spain; Corbieres, France). Facies 51:217–232
[32] Brandano, M., Frezza, V., Tomassetti, L., Cuffaro, M., 2009. Heterozoan carbonates in oligotrophic tropical waters: The Attard member of the lower coralline limestone formation (Upper Oligocene, Malta). Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 274, 54–63.
[33] Hallock P (1988). The role of nutrient availability in bioerosion, consequence to carbonate buildup. Palaeogeography Palaeoclimatology Palaeoecology 63:275–291
[34] Hallock, P., Glenn, E.C., 1986. Larger foraminifera: A tool for paleoenvironmental analysis of Cenozoic carbonate depositional facies. Palaios 1, 55–64.
[35] Hohenegger, J., Yordanova, E., Nakano, Y., Tatzreiter, F., 1999. Habitats of larger foraminifera on the upper reef slope of Sesoko Island, Okinawa, Japan. Marine Micropaleontology 36, 109–168.
[36] Fournier, F., Montaggioni, L., Borgomano, J., 2004. Paleoenvironments and highfrequency cyclicity from Cenozoic South-East Asian shallow-water carbonates: a case study from the Oligo-Miocene buildups of Malampaya, Offshore Palawan, Philippines. Marine Petroleum Geology 21, 1–21.
[37] Leutenegger, S., 1984. Symbiosis in benthic foraminifera: specificity and host adaptations. Journal Foraminiferal Research 14, 16–35
[38] Halfar, J., Mutti, M., 2005. Global dominance of coralline red-algal facies: a response to Miocene oceanographic events. Geology 33, 481–484.
[39] Burchette TP, Wright VP (1992) Carbonate ramp depositional systems. Sediment Geol 79:3–57)
[40] BouDagher-Fadel MK (2000) Benthic foraminifera of the Jurassic– Early Cretaceous of Tethys. International Workshop on North African Micropaleontology for Petroleum Exploration 1: 27–28
[41] BouDagher-Fadel MK, Wilson M (2000) A revision of some larger foraminifera of the Miocene of Southeast Kalimantan. Micropaleontol 46:153–165
[42] Kumar A, Saraswati PK (1997) Response of larger foraminifera to mixed carbonate siliciclastic environments: an example from the Oligocene-Miocene sequence of Kutch, India. Palaeogeography Palaeoclimatology Palaeoecology 136:53–65
[43] Aqrawi, A. A., M. Mahdi, T.A., Sherwani, G.H., Horbury, A.D., 2010. Characterization of the mid Cretaceous Mishrif reservoir of the southern Mesopotamian Basin, Iraq. American Association of Petroleum Geologists Conference and Exhibition, 7–10.
[44] Vaziri-Moghaddam H, Kimiagari M, Taheri A (2006) Depositional environment and sequence stratigraphy of the Oligo-Miocene Asmari Formation in SW Iran. Facies 52:41–51
[45] Drooger CW (1993) Radial foraminifera: morphometrics and evolution. Verhandelingen der Koninklijke Nederlandse Akademie van Wetenschappen, Afd. Natuurkunde, Erste Reeks, Amsterdam, deel 41
[46] Tucker ME, Wright VP, Dickson J (1990) Carbonate sedimentology. Wiley-Blackwell, Hoboken.
[47] Flugel E (2004) Microfacies of carboante rocks: analysis, interpretation and application. Springer Verlag, Berlin 984 p
[48] Scholle, P.A.,2003.A color guide to the petrology of carbonate rocks:Grains, texture, porosity and diagenesis, AAPG Memoir 77, P.459 .
[49] Parker, J.H. and Gischler, E., 2015. Modern and relict foraminiferal biofacies from a carbonate ramp, offshore Kuwait, northwest Persian Gulf. Facies 61 (3), 1-22.
[50] WRAY,J . L., 1977. Calcareous A lgae. Amsterdam: E lsevier, 1-185.
[51] Goldner, A., Herold, N., & Huber, M. (2014a). The challenge of simulating the warmth of the mid-Miocene climatic optimum in CESM1. Climate of the Past, 10(2), 523–536. [52] Uthicke, S., Thompson, A. & Schaffelke, B. Effectiveness of benthic foraminiferal and coral assemblages as water quality indicators on inshore reefs of the Great Barrier Reef, Australia. Coral Reefs 29, 209–225 (2010).
[53] Bosellini, F. R. 2006. Biotic changes and their control on Oligo-Miocene reefs: a case study from the Apulia Platform mar-gin (southern Italy). Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 241, 393409
[54] Nebelsick JH, Rasswer M, Bassi D (2005) Facies dynamic in Eocene to Oligocene Circumalpine carbonates. Facies 51:197–216
[55] Abdula, R.A., Chicho, J., Surdashy, A., Nourmohammadi, M.S., Hamad, E., Muhammad, M.M., Smail, A.A., and Ashoor, A., 2018, Sedimentology of the Govanda Formation at Gali Baza locality, Kurdistan region, Iraq: Iraqi Bulletin of Geology and Mining, v. 14, no. 1, p. 1–12.
[56] Buxton, M. W. N. and Pedley H. M., 1989. A standardized model for Thethyan Tertiary carbonate ramps. Journal Geology Society London, vol. 146, pp. 746–748.
[57] Cosovic, V., Drobne, K. and Moro, A., 2004.Paleoenvironmental model for Eocene foraminiferallimestones of the Adriatic carbonate platform.Facies, vol. 50, pp. 61-75
[58] Renema, W. and Troelstra, S.R., 2001. Larger foraminifera distribution on a mesotrophic carbonate shelf in SW Sulawesi (Indonesia), Palaeogeography. Palaeoclimatology. Palaeoecology, vol. 175, pp. 125-146.
[59] Brasier, M. D., 1975a., Ecology of Recent sediment- dwelling and phytal foraminifera from the lagoons of Barbuda, West Indies. Journal of Foraminifera Research, vol. 5, pp. 42-46.
[60] Rahmani, Z., Vaziri-Moghaddam, H. and Taheri, A., 2010.Faciesdiestribution and paleoecology of the Guri member of the Mishan Formation, in Lar area, Fars province, SW Iran.Iranian Journal of Science and Technology, vol. 34, no. A3, pp. 257-266.
[61] Sajadi, S. H., Baghbani, D. &Daneshian, J., 2014.Facies Distribution, Paleoecology and Sedimentary Environment of the Oligocene-Miocene (Asmari Formation) deposits, in Qeshm Island, SE Persian Gulf.Advances in Environmental Biology, vol. 8, no. 7, pp. 2407-2418.
[62] Pedley 1aarbonates: Depositional systems and paleoenvironmental controls. Geological Society, London, Special Publications. 2006;255:1-9
[63] Heidari, A., Mahboubi, A., Moussavi-Harami, S.R., Gonzales,L. and Moalemi, S.A. 2013. Biostratigraphy, sequence stratigraphy and paleoecology of the Lower–Middle Miocene of northern Bandar Abbas, southeast Zagros basin in Southof Iran. Arabian Journal of Geosciences, 7, 1829–1855.
[64] Karim, K.H., 2018. Stratigraphy and Facies Analysis of the Govanda Formation from Western Zagros, Kurdistan Region, Northeastern Iraq. Iraqi National Journal of Earth Sciences, 18(2), pp.69-98.
[65] Smail, A.A., 2015. Sedimentology and stratigraphy of Govanda Formation, Unpublished MSc. Thesis: University of Salahadin, Erbil, Iraq, 156pp.