دراسة ترسبات العصر الرباعي المتأخر باستخدام التحليل الحجمي و المعادن الثقيلة في منخفض بحر النجف، وسط العراق

Abstract EN

This research concerns with the study of the Late Quaternary sediments in Bahr Al-Najaf Depression central part of Iraq.

To perform the research, grain size analysis and heavy minerals were studied in one section that includes these sediments, and to study the changes in the type of the depositional environment, and distribution of these heavy minerals; when they were transported from the source area to a new environment; in the depositional area.

Grain size analysis of 23 samples collected from the site, showed that these samples consist mainly of clay and silt with subordinate sand.

The heavy minerals study of medium to fine grained size (250 – 63 μm ) sand fraction of 17 samples from the sediments of the same site, showed prevailing of those unstable minerals (represented by amphibole and pyroxene minerals) with a relatively high amount of opaque minerals.

The research showed that the main source of the sediments in Bahr Al-Najaf Depression is the Euphrates River, with a lesser share of sediments transported from the exposed rock units in Tar Al-Najaf and Western Desert, and the changes in depositional environment, which influenced the distribution of heavy minerals due to changes in climatic conditions at that time