Microfacies and paleoenvironment of sinjar formation (paleocene-early eocene)‎, Sinjar Area, Northern Iraq

Abstract EN

Micofacies analysis and faunal evidence from the stratigraphic sequence of Sinjar Limestone Formation (Paleoccne-Harly Eocene) integrate three units accumulated in different zones on an isolated platform with bank-rainp depositional profile.

These includc: (1) a bank-rim buildup composed of red algae with subordinate coral boundstones.

and interior bank dominated by numinulitic shoal-bar grainstone.

(2) a backbank lagoon-bay of finer-grained carbonates punctuated by miliolids-alveolinids shoal bar and green algae, and (3) forebank rudstoncs-grainstones of red algal-coral and Nummulites.

Paleoecological deduction point to a warm-temperate climate with colder periods during the overgrowth of red-algal bank which had not acted as effective barrier to water circulation.

The genesis of the Sinjar carbonate bank can be expressed by alveolinids.

miliolids and Nummulites as inner-niiddle ramp deposits of euphotic-mesophotic zone comprising foram shoals-lagoon-bay behind the domain of coralgal bank in meso-oligophotic zone.