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...

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Main Authors: Rafee Al-Hamidi, Shareef Al-Hamed, Zaid Malak, Abdulsattar Al-Sanjary
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Union of Iraqi Geologists (UIG) 2023-03-01
Series:Iraqi Geological Journal
Online Access:https://igj-iraq.org/igj/index.php/igj/article/view/1108
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author Rafee Al-Hamidi
Shareef Al-Hamed
Zaid Malak
Abdulsattar Al-Sanjary
author_facet Rafee Al-Hamidi
Shareef Al-Hamed
Zaid Malak
Abdulsattar Al-Sanjary
author_sort Rafee Al-Hamidi
collection DOAJ
description 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.
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spelling doaj.art-4617e35559324d23ac92c6b6a667836c2023-04-03T00:02:33ZengUnion of Iraqi Geologists (UIG)Iraqi Geological Journal2414-60642663-87542023-03-01561C253910.46717/igj.56.1C.3ms-2023-3-14Mineralogy and Geochemistry of Sandstones from the Tanjero Formation, Bekhme Gorge Northeastern Iraq: Implications for Paleoweathering and ProvenanceRafee Al-HamidiShareef Al-HamedZaid MalakAbdulsattar Al-Sanjary 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.https://igj-iraq.org/igj/index.php/igj/article/view/1108
spellingShingle Rafee Al-Hamidi
Shareef Al-Hamed
Zaid Malak
Abdulsattar Al-Sanjary
Mineralogy and Geochemistry of Sandstones from the Tanjero Formation, Bekhme Gorge Northeastern Iraq: Implications for Paleoweathering and Provenance
Iraqi Geological Journal
title Mineralogy and Geochemistry of Sandstones from the Tanjero Formation, Bekhme Gorge Northeastern Iraq: Implications for Paleoweathering and Provenance
title_full Mineralogy and Geochemistry of Sandstones from the Tanjero Formation, Bekhme Gorge Northeastern Iraq: Implications for Paleoweathering and Provenance
title_fullStr Mineralogy and Geochemistry of Sandstones from the Tanjero Formation, Bekhme Gorge Northeastern Iraq: Implications for Paleoweathering and Provenance
title_full_unstemmed Mineralogy and Geochemistry of Sandstones from the Tanjero Formation, Bekhme Gorge Northeastern Iraq: Implications for Paleoweathering and Provenance
title_short Mineralogy and Geochemistry of Sandstones from the Tanjero Formation, Bekhme Gorge Northeastern Iraq: Implications for Paleoweathering and Provenance
title_sort mineralogy and geochemistry of sandstones from the tanjero formation bekhme gorge northeastern iraq implications for paleoweathering and provenance
url https://igj-iraq.org/igj/index.php/igj/article/view/1108
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AT shareefalhamed mineralogyandgeochemistryofsandstonesfromthetanjeroformationbekhmegorgenortheasterniraqimplicationsforpaleoweatheringandprovenance
AT zaidmalak mineralogyandgeochemistryofsandstonesfromthetanjeroformationbekhmegorgenortheasterniraqimplicationsforpaleoweatheringandprovenance
AT abdulsattaralsanjary mineralogyandgeochemistryofsandstonesfromthetanjeroformationbekhmegorgenortheasterniraqimplicationsforpaleoweatheringandprovenance