DOCSLIB.ORG

23. Sedimentary History of the Red Sea1

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
23. Sedimentary History of the Red Sea1 23. SEDIMENTARY HISTORY OF THE RED SEA1 Peter Stoffers, Laboratorium fur Sedimentforschung, Universitát Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany and David A. Ross, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, Massachusetts INTRODUCTION trated is the Miocene evaporites (Frazier, 1970; Lowell and Genik, 1972; Ahmed, 1972) with over 3.8 km penetration Numerous studies have been made of Recent Red Sea in a diapiric area adjacent to the Dahlac Islands (off sediments concerning their paleontology, mineralogy, or Ethiopia) and 3.6 km found overlying basalt off southern geochemistry. In addition, over 50 reports have been Sudan. On the western side of the Red Sea over 1 km of published on the sedimentary environment of the hot brine evaporites was found near the coast of southern Saudi area (21°N) in the central axial valley (see Degens and Ross, Arabia (Gillmann, 1968). Correlations between wells, even 1969, and contained references; Backer and Schoell, 1972). fairly closely spaced ones, generally show marked changes These studies generally indicate considerable climatic in thickness (Carella and Scarpa, 1962), probably due, in fluctuations within the Holocene and Late Pleistocene that part, to salt flowage (Frazier, 1970) or erosional pinch-out are reflected by changes in fauna and sediment along angular unconformities (Ross and Schlee, in press). characteristics. In general, aragonite-cemented lithic layers Most of the wells show unconformities within the Miocene formed during periods of glacially or tectonically lowered section as well as within the post-Miocene sections. stands of sea level when salinity increased in the Red Sea Continuous seismic reflection profiles also show truncations (Milliman et al., 1969). Lowered sea level would restrict of reflectors in the section above reflector S (shown by Leg inflow of Indian Ocean water from the Straits of Bab el 23 drillings to be the top of the Miocene evaporite section), Mandeb. This, combined with the high evaporation rate indicating Pliocene-Pleistocene unconformities. prevailing over the Red Sea, would result in increased The general absence of Oligocene marine sediments in salinity during these periods. Benthonic foraminifera also the Red Sea area has led some to suggest that the basin was reflect higher salinities in that there is an increased presence a topographic high during this time (Gass, 1970; Swartz and of forms tolerant of high salinity during the times of Arden, 1960). Eocene transgressive marine deposits have lowered sea level. Geochemical investigations (Deuser and been mapped in northern Sinai and Egypt (Coleman, this 18 16 Degens, 1969) likewise show increased δ0 /δ0 during volume), but they or older rocks rarely are detected in any 16 these periods, indicating evaporitic loss of lighter O . of the drillings. Prior to DSDP Leg 23, some deep sediment and rock samples had been obtained from drilling in the Red Sea LEG 23B DRILLINGS area, but few results have been reported. The purpose of this paper is to summarize the sedimentary studies made on During Leg 23B, six sites were drilled in the Red Sea. Leg 23 and to compare them with previously collected Details of the individual holes and their specific aspects can material. be found within the other chapters of this Initial Report. We briefly report here a summary of the major sedimentary PREVIOUS DRILLING INFORMATION findings at each site before presenting a description of the At least 20 wells have been drilled in the Red Sea. Well main sediment types. data have been given by Ahmed (1972) for the eastern Red Sea; Gillmann (1968), Mason and Moore (1970), and Site 225 Lowell and Genik (1972) for Ethiopia; and Carella and Scarpa (1962) for part of the Sudanese coast. Summaries of This site was drilled on the seaward edge of the main these well data have been presented by Ross and Schlee (in trough about 10 miles to the east of the Atlantis II Deep. It press) and Coleman (this volume), and much of the material was, drilled and continuously cored to a depth of 230 presented in this section is from these two papers. met&rs (Figure 2). The hole terminated 54 meters into a Late Miocene evaporite sequence. Four distinct sedi- Wells drilled around the edge of the Red Sea basin mentary units were penetrated: (Figure 1) generally reach evaporites of Miocene and 2 Unit I-Gray foram-bearing micarb-rich detrital clay silt younger age. Three wells (Bargan 1, Bargan 2, and Yuba 1) nanno ooze and chalk that ranged in age from Early in the northern corner of the Red Sea did not hit any Pliocene to Late Pleistocene. The total thickness of this evaporites, but bottomed in granite. However, El-Morgan 1 unit is 112 meters. Its sedimentation rate ranged from 100 in the Gulf of Suez penetrated 728 meters of evaporites. m/m.y. at the base of the unit to 70 m/m.y. in the Late Basalt basement was reached in two wells along the Pleistocene. A possible unconformity separates the Pliocene Sudanese coast. Most of the wells ended in Tertiary from the Pleistocene sequence. sedimentary rocks. Generally, the main sequence pene- Woods Hole Contribution No. 3168. The term micarb refers to microcrystalline carbonate particles. 849 P. STOFFERS, D. ROSS Well* Well Name Total depth Thickness drilled (m) of salt (m) rock 1 El-Morgan 1 3146 728 2 Bargan 1 2900 Granite 3 Bargan 2 2786 Granite 4 Yuba 1 2271 Granite 5 Mansiyah 1 3939 1222 6 Zi Faf 1 465 + 346 + 7 Dhunishub 3867 3517+ 8 Secca- Fawn 1 3363 877 9 Adal 2 2475 1747 + 10 Suri 7 2553 1 1 B- 1 3340 2964 12 A- 1 3557 1 3 C- 1 3010 14 Tokar 1 1538 0 15 Ourwara 2 4152 1065 Basalt 25' 16 Dungunab 1 1615 462 Basalt 17 DSDP 227 359 108 + 18 DSDP 228 325 29 + 19 DSDP 229 212 20 Jiddah Cement Co. 500 92 20" v>J YEMEN 15 35° 40° Figure 1. Locations of DSDP and other drilling sites in the Red Sea (from Ross and Schlee, in press). 850 SEDIMENTARY HISTORY OF THE RED SEA SITE 225 SITE 227 SITE 228 SITE 229 J. _ -L _L grαy and green E detrital silty _1 L_ clay, nσnno ooz _L L HOLOCEN and chalk _l_ L 50- J L J L. L . _L L • -J. _L L L... 100- _1 Ju E J. L L Unit 2 calcareous _1_ . _L _ _L . PLEISTOCEN silty clay/- R 150- clayey silt and — , •• UPPE • } — J siltstone , , • — * ,J — _ (. .. DOLOMITIC ' 1 1 BLACK — , — SILTSTONES 200- & •― ; SHALES 1 1 TD 212 250- Nanno ooze Nanno chalk 300- Foram ooze Foram chalk \ Silt | Silty clay 350- " I Clayey silt Halite Pyrite Mixed Montmorillonite Dolomite Hematite-Anhydrite SITE 226 SITE 230 Volcanic tuff Y////A UJ ö _j δ Λ v f ;VM Basalt TD 9 Ift-JL±I TD 14 Figure 2. General stratigraphy of sediments cored during Leg 23B. 851 P. STOFFERS, D. ROSS Unit II—Gray micarb-rich nanno detrital silty claystone Unit IV—A lithified anhydrite and halite with interbeds of Early Pliocene age. Total thickness is 55 meters and the of hard, black shale. A total of 133 meters was drilled into sedimentation rate was about 20 m/m.y. this unit before drilling stopped. Bedding planes within the Unit HI—Dark gray dolomitic slity claystone of Early evaporite sequence tend to be fairly steep, having a general Pliocene or Late Miocene age. Total thickness is 9 meters dip of between 40-60°. This steep dip could be due to and the sedimentation rate was about 20 m/m.y. solution collapse, salt flowage, or perhaps to regional Unit IV—Lithified anhydrite and halite sequence with deformation in the Red Sea. As at Sites 225 and 228, the occasional black shale layers of presumed Late Miocene age. dark muds and shales overlying and within the evaporite Lithologic and paleontologic evidence suggest that unit sequence tend to be occasionally enriched with vanadium, IV was deposited in shallow, restricted evaporite conditions molybdenum, copper, and iron. This enrichment, being so which gradually changed to more open conditions in the close to the hot brine area, suggests more than a casual Pliocene and Pleistocene during the deposition of units III, relationship and is further discussed in the paper by II, and I. The dark muds and shales above the evaporite Manheim (this volume). The general sedimentary sequence, sequence are occasionally enriched with iron, vanadium, as observed at Site 227, is similar to that at Sites 225 and and molybdenum (see Manheim, this volume). Shales 228, and is correlative (Figure 3) on the basis of the within the evaporite sequences are also enriched with microfauna (Fleisher, this volume). The interpretation of vanadium and molybdenum but also contain considerable the sediments is also similar to that of the other two sites, copper. Reducing conditions are indicated during the initiating with a Late Miocene evaporite phase in a deposition of unit IV by the finding of relatively high relatively shallow evaporite basin with some indication of amounts of organic matter, pyrite, and shales within the occasional reducing conditions as indicated by high evaporite sequence. amounts of organic material and pyrite within the black shale layers. The overlying units were deposited in a more Site 226 open ocean situation with occasional reducing conditions as This site was drilled in the central part of the axial indicated by black shale layers containing high organic trough in an area having high bottom water temperature carbon and pyrite content. and salinity, the so-called Atlantis II Deep located within the hot brine area of the Red Sea. Only two sediment cores were obtained and these had sediments similar to those Site 228 obtained previously from the hot brine area (Bischoff, 1969).
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Morrison Formation 37 Cretaceous System 48 Cloverly Formation 48 Sykes Mountain Formation 51 Thermopolis Shale 55 Mowry Shale 56
    THE STRUCTURAL AND STRATIGRAPHIC FRAMEWORK OF THE WARM SPRINGS RANCH AREA, HOT SPRINGS COUNTY, WYOMING By CHRISTOPHER JAY CARSON Bachelor of Science Oklahoma State University 1998 Submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate College of the Oklahoma State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE July, 2000 THE STRUCTURAL AND STRATIGRAPHIC FRAMEWORK OF THE WARM SPRINGS RANCH AREA, HOT SPRINGS COUNTY, WYOMING Thesis Approved: Thesis Advisor ~~L. ... ~. ----'-"'-....D~e~e:.-g-e----- II ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I wish to express appreciation to my advisor Dr. Arthur Cleaves for providing me with the opportunity to compile this thesis, and his help carrying out the fieldwork portion of the thesis. My sincere appreciation is extended to my advisory committee members: Dr. Stan Paxton, Dr. Gary Stewart, and Mr. David Schmude. I wish to thank Mr. Schmude especially for the great deal of personal effort he put forth toward the completion of this thesis. His efforts included financial, and time contributions, along with invaluable injections of enthusiasm, advice, and friendship. I extend my most sincere thank you to Dr. Burkhard Pohl, The Big Hom Basin Foundation, and the Wyoming Dinosaur Center. Without whose input and financial support this thesis would not have been possible. In conjunction I would like to thank the staff of the Wyoming Dinosaur Center for the great deal of help that I received during my stay in Thermopolis. Finally I wish to thank my friends and family. To my friends who have pursued this process before me, and with me; thank you very much.
    [Show full text]
  • L'.3350 Deposmon and DISSOLUTION of the MIDDLE DEVONIAN PRAIRIE FORMATION, Williston BASIN, NORTH DAKOTA and MONTANA By
    l'.3350 DEPOsmON AND DISSOLUTION OF THE MIDDLE DEVONIAN PRAIRIE FORMATION, WilLISTON BASIN, NORTH DAKOTA AND MONTANA by: Chris A. Oglesby T-3350 A thesis submined to the Faculty and the Board of Trustees of the Colorado School of Mines in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science (Geology). Golden, Colorado Date f:" /2 7 /C''i::-- i ; Signed: Approved: Lee C. Gerhard Thesis Advisor Golden, Colorado - 7 Date' .' Samuel S. Adams, Head Department of Geology and Geological Engineering II T-3350 ABSTRACf Within the Williston basin, thickness variations of the Prairie Formation are common and are interpreted to originate by two processes, differential accumulation of salt during deposition, and differential removal of salt by dissolution. Unambiguous evidence for each process is rare because the Prairie/Winnipegosis interval is seldom cored within the U.S. portion of the basin. Therefore indirect methods, utilizing well logs, provide the principal method for identifying characteristics of the two processes. The results of this study indicate that the two processes can be distinguished using correlations within the Prairie Formation. Several regionally correlative upward-brining, and probably shoaling-upward sequences occur within the Prairie Formation .. Near the basin center, the lowermost sequence is transitional with the underlying Winnipegosis Formation. This transition is characterized by thinly laminated carbonates that become increasingly interbedded with anhydrites of the basin-centered Ratner Member, the remainder of the sequence progresses up through halite and culminates in the halite-dominated Esterhazy potash beds. Two overlying sequences also brine upwards, however, these sequences lack the basal anhydrite and instead begin with halite and culminate in the Belle Plaine and Mountrail potash Members, respectively.
    [Show full text]
  • Chapter 2 Paleozoic Stratigraphy of the Grand Canyon
    CHAPTER 2 PALEOZOIC STRATIGRAPHY OF THE GRAND CANYON PAIGE KERCHER INTRODUCTION The Paleozoic Era of the Phanerozoic Eon is defined as the time between 542 and 251 million years before the present (ICS 2010). The Paleozoic Era began with the evolution of most major animal phyla present today, sparked by the novel adaptation of skeletal hard parts. Organisms continued to diversify throughout the Paleozoic into increasingly adaptive and complex life forms, including the first vertebrates, terrestrial plants and animals, forests and seed plants, reptiles, and flying insects. Vast coal swamps covered much of mid- to low-latitude continental environments in the late Paleozoic as the supercontinent Pangaea began to amalgamate. The hardiest taxa survived the multiple global glaciations and mass extinctions that have come to define major time boundaries of this era. Paleozoic North America existed primarily at mid to low latitudes and experienced multiple major orogenies and continental collisions. For much of the Paleozoic, North America’s southwestern margin ran through Nevada and Arizona – California did not yet exist (Appendix B). The flat-lying Paleozoic rocks of the Grand Canyon, though incomplete, form a record of a continental margin repeatedly inundated and vacated by shallow seas (Appendix A). IMPORTANT STRATIGRAPHIC PRINCIPLES AND CONCEPTS • Principle of Original Horizontality – In most cases, depositional processes produce flat-lying sedimentary layers. Notable exceptions include blanketing ash sheets, and cross-stratification developed on sloped surfaces. • Principle of Superposition – In an undisturbed sequence, older strata lie below younger strata; a package of sedimentary layers youngs upward. • Principle of Lateral Continuity – A layer of sediment extends laterally in all directions until it naturally pinches out or abuts the walls of its confining basin.
    [Show full text]
  • The Arabian Gulf
    Chapter 1 The Arabian Gulf Grace O. Vaughan, Noura Al-Mansoori, John A. Burt New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates 1.1 THE REGION Bound by deserts and located between the north-eastern Arabian Peninsula and Iran, the Arabian Gulf (also known as the Persian Gulf, and hereafter known as “the Gulf”) is bordered by eight rapidly developing nations. The Gulf is located in the subtropics between 24°N and 30°N latitude and 48°E and 57°E longitude (Fig. 1.1), and is considered as a biogeographic subprovince of the northwestern Indian Ocean (Spalding et al., 2007). During summers, the Gulf is the hottest sea on the planet, particularly in the shallow southern basin where sea surface temperatures (SSTs) regu- larly exceed 35°C in August. Sea temperatures are also highly variable among seasons, ranging over 20°C between summer and winter. Geologically, the Gulf is relatively young with coastlines that formed only in the past 3000–6000 years when polar ice sheets receded (Riegl & Purkis, 2012a). Today, the Gulf is bordered to the northeast by the Zagros mountains in Iran and the Hajar mountains in the Musandam peninsula and in the southwest by the sedimentary Arabian coast (Purser & Seibold, 1973). Presently, it covers an area of 250,000 km2 (Riegl & Purkis, 2012a). Generally, terrestrial systems sur- rounding the Gulf are arid to hyperarid (Riegl & Purkis, 2012a), limiting the input of freshwater to this semienclosed sea. The main freshwater input enters at the northern Gulf at the Shatt Al Arab waterway through the Tigris, Euphrates, and the Karun rivers (Sheppard, Price, & Roberts, 1992), although recent damming efforts have resulted in substantial reductions in freshwater discharge from these rivers (Sheppard et al., 2010).
    [Show full text]
  • Appendix 1 – Environmental Predictor Data
    APPENDIX 1 – ENVIRONMENTAL PREDICTOR DATA CONTENTS Overview ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 2 Climate ......................................................................................................................................................................................... 2 Hydrology ................................................................................................................................................................................... 3 Land Use and Land Cover ..................................................................................................................................................... 3 Soils and Substrate .................................................................................................................................................................. 5 Topography .............................................................................................................................................................................. 10 References ................................................................................................................................................................................ 12 1 OVERVIEW A set of 94 potential predictor layers compiled to use in distribution modeling for the target taxa. Many of these layers derive from previous modeling work by WYNDD1, 2, but a
    [Show full text]
  • A Preliminary Assessment of Paleontological Resources at Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area, Montana and Wyoming
    A PRELIMINARY ASSESSMENT OF PALEONTOLOGICAL RESOURCES AT BIGHORN CANYON NATIONAL RECREATION AREA, MONTANA AND WYOMING Vincent L. Santucci1, David Hays2, James Staebler2 And Michael Milstein3 1National Park Service, P.O. Box 592, Kemmerer, WY 83101 2Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area, P.O. Box 7458, Fort Smith, MT 59035 3P.O. Box 821, Cody, WY 82414 ____________________ ABSTRACT - Paleontological resources occur throughout the Paleozoic and Mesozoic formations exposed in Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area. Isolated research on specific geologic units within Bighorn Canyon has yielded data on a wide diversity of fossil forms. A comprehensive paleonotological survey has not been previously undertaken at Bighorn Canyon. Preliminary paleontologic resource data is presented in this report as an effort to establish baseline data. ____________________ INTRODUCTION ighorn Canyon National Recreation Area (BICA) consists of approximately 120,000 acres within the Bighorn Mountains of north-central Wyoming and south-central Montana B (Figure 1). The northwestern trending Bighorn Mountains consist of over 9,000 feet of sedimentary rock. The predominantly marine and near shore sedimentary units range from the Cambrian through the Lower Cretaceous. Many of these formations are extremely fossiliferous. The Bighorn Mountains were uplifted during the Laramide Orogeny beginning approximately 70 million years ago. Large volumes of sediments, rich in early Tertiary paleontological resources, were deposited in the adjoining basins. This report provides a preliminary assessment of paleontological resources identified at Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area. STRATIGRAPHY The stratigraphic record at Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area extends from the Cambrian through the Cretaceous (Figure 2). The only time period during this interval that is not represented is the Silurian.
    [Show full text]
  • Origin of Intraformational Folds in the Jurassic Todilto Limestone, Ambrosia Lake Uranium Mining District, Mckinley and Valencia Counties, New Mexico by Morris W
    DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Origin of Intraformational Folds in the Jurassic Todilto Limestone, Ambrosia Lake Uranium Mining District, McKinley and Valencia Counties, New Mexico By Morris W. Green U.S. Geological Survey Open-file Report 82-69 1982 Contents Page Abstract................................................................ 1 Introducti on............................................................ 3 Stratigraphy and Environments of Deposition.............................3 The Formation of Intraformational Folds................................10 Todilto Uranium Deposits...............................................22 Exploration and Favorability...........................................24 References ci ted....................................................... 25 Illustrations Figure 1. Index map showing location of mineral belt, the Todilto study area, and adjacent areas.....................4 2. Index map of the Ambrosia Lake mining area...................5 3. Schematic diagram showing a segment of the Todilto depositional basin.........................................9 4. Remnants of a Summerville (Js) eolian dune overlying the Todilto Limestone (Jt)................................12 5. Schematic diagram showing the plastic and shear phases of Todilto load deformation...............................13 6. Large-scale, low amplitude intraformational fold within the Todilto Limestone.....................................14 7. Large-scale, high amplitude, intraformational fold within the Todilto Limestone..............................14
    [Show full text]
  • Coral Reefs Within a Siliciclastic Setting, 1997
    Proc 8th Int Coral Reef Sym 2:1737-1742.1997 CORAL REEFS AND CARBONATE PLATFORMS WITHIN A SILICICLASTIC SETTING. GENERAL ASPECTS AND EXAMPLES FROM THE LATE JURASSIC OF PORTUGAL. Reinhold Leinfelder Institute of Geology and Paleontology, University of Stuttgart, Herdweg 51, D-70174 Stuttgart, Germany. ABSTRACT in the water (op. cit.). Additionally, terrigeneous influx is mostly accompanied by an unfavourable increase Both in the Modern and Ancient examples coral reefs and in nutrient and sometimes even freshwater influx. carbonate platforms occur frequently very close to or even directly within areas of siliciclastic sediment- ation. Particularly fine grained, often suspended terri- geneous influx is mostly problematic for the reef fauna due to lowering of illumination and oxygenation, in- TableÊ1: Possible negative effects of terrigeneous creasing nutrient values or directly settling on the influx on reefs: organims. The modern examples show that reef growth in such settings is only possible by the existence of sheltering mechanisms such as arid climate, structural REEFS AND SILICS? WHAT'S BAD ABOUT IT? and sedimentary traps or longshore currents. If not completely effective, reefs may still prosper under 1 . Increase of nutrient concentration reduced but noticeable siliciclastic sedimentation, but 2 . Freshwater influx both composition and diversity of the reefs changes drastically. The Ancient examples show that temporal 3 . Reduction of oxygen concentration relations are important as well: Autocyclic switches in 4 . Impoverished illumination depositional systems and especially allocyclic events 5 . Loss of hard substrates such as tectonic activation/deactivation or sea level 6 . Pollution / suffocation of reef organisms change may open and close reef windows through time.
    [Show full text]
  • 38. Red Sea Geochemistry
    38. RED SEA GEOCHEMISTRY Frank T. Manheim1, U. S. Geological Survey, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, Massachusetts ABSTRACT The Red Sea drillings reveal a number of new facets of the hot-brine-metalliferous system and other geochemical aspects of the sea, its sediments, and its past history as follows: 1) Dark shales rich in organic material, and containing enhanced Mo and V concentrations, are characteristic of Plio-Pleistocene strata in the Red Sea. Values as high as 1500 ppm V and 500 ppm Mo were obtained in sediments containing up to 8 percent organic carbon. 2) Metalliferous sediments in the hot brine deep (Site 226) are similar in composition in both solids and interstitial water to previously analyzed sediments. However, one site (228) well south of the known hot-brine deeps shows zinc mineralization reaching 5 percent Zn in late Miocene shale-anhydrite breccias. 3) Pore fluid studies show that near-saturated (NaCl) brines having similar total salt concentration to the hot-brine fluids are associated with Miocene evaporites at Sites 225, 227, and 228. However, their chemical and isotopic composition precludes such fluids being part of the "hot brine plumbing system." Hydrogen and oxygen isotope studies demonstrate that fluids trapped between and among the evaporitic rocks have a strong meteoric water component, presumed to have entered the rocks during or shortly after formation in shallow evaporating pans. The composition of pore fluid at Site 227 suggests the presence of late-stage evaporite minerals of the tachyhydrite CaMg2Clg I2H2O series in the in situ rocks. 4) Diffusivity measurements show that the pre-Miocene strata permit dissolved salt or gas diffusion to the extent of from 1/2 to about 1/10 the rate in free solution.
    [Show full text]
  • Late Pleistocene Raised Coral Reefs in the Eastern Red Sea – Rabigh, Saudi Arabia Ammar Manaa University of Wollongong
    University of Wollongong Research Online University of Wollongong Thesis Collection University of Wollongong Thesis Collections 2011 Late Pleistocene raised coral reefs in the eastern red sea – Rabigh, Saudi Arabia Ammar Manaa University of Wollongong Recommended Citation Manaa, Ammar, Late Pleistocene raised coral reefs in the eastern red sea – Rabigh, Saudi Arabia, Master of Science - Research thesis, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Wollongong, 2011. http://ro.uow.edu.au/theses/3501 Research Online is the open access institutional repository for the University of Wollongong. For further information contact Manager Repository Services: [email protected]. Late Pleistocene raised coral reefs in the eastern Red Sea – Rabigh, Saudi Arabia *A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements of the award of the degree MASTER OF SCIENCE (RESEARCH) From University of Wollongong By Ammar Manaa School of Earth and Environmental Sciences 2011 2 ABSTRACT The Rabigh coast (Saudi Arabia) in the study area stretches for about 12 km between Al Kharrar Lagoon in the north and Sharm Rabigh in the south. Seven prominent Pleistocene coral reef sites were investigated with terrace heights ranging from 1 to 5 m above present sea level. In addition to field descriptions, 86 samples were collected from these seven sites to provide the data for this research. Of these seven sites, 4 of the sites were front reef, and 3 were back reef. In each of the front reef sites, there was a beach rock, upper and lower reef. The elevation of the upper and lower reef in the front reef sites ranges from 0.5 m to 3.20 m above present sea level.
    [Show full text]
  • Triassic-Jurassic 'Red Beds' of the Rocky Mountain Region": a Discussion
    University of Nebraska - Lincoln DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln USGS Staff -- Published Research US Geological Survey 1929 "Triassic-Jurassic 'Red Beds' of the Rocky Mountain Region": A Discussion John B. Reeside Jr. U.S. Geological Survey Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/usgsstaffpub Part of the Earth Sciences Commons Reeside, John B. Jr., ""Triassic-Jurassic 'Red Beds' of the Rocky Mountain Region": A Discussion" (1929). USGS Staff -- Published Research. 498. https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/usgsstaffpub/498 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the US Geological Survey at DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. It has been accepted for inclusion in USGS Staff -- Published Research by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. The Journal of Geology, Vol. 37, No. 1 (Jan. - Feb., 1929), pp. 47-63 "TRIASSIC-JURASSIC 'RED BEDS' OF THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN REGION": A DISCUSSION' JOHN B. REESIDE, JR. U.S. Geological Survey ABSTRACT The conclusion drawn by Professor E. B. Branson in a recent paper on the "Red Beds" of the Rocky Mountain region that parts of these beds are marine is considered likely. The conclusion that there exists no basis for subdivision of the beds is not accepted, and a division of the Mesozoic part into Lower Triassic, Upper Triassic, and Jurassic units is advocated. The conclusion that no eolian deposits are present likewise is not accepted, and the interpretation of important parts of the Jurassic unit as eolian is advocated. Disagreement is expressed with much of Professor Branson's correlation table, and a substitute is offered.
    [Show full text]
  • Applying an Integrated Approach to Coastal Marine Habitat Mapping in the North-Western United Arab Emirates
    Marine Environmental Research 161 (2020) 105095 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Marine Environmental Research journal homepage: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/marenvrev Applying an integrated approach to coastal marine habitat mapping in the north-western United Arab Emirates Daniel Mateos-Molina a,b,*, Marina Antonopoulou a, Rob Baldwin c, Ivonne Bejarano d,e, John A. Burt f, Jose A. García-Charton b, Saif M. Al-Ghais g,h, Jayanthi Walgamage c, Oliver J. S. Taylor c a Emirates Nature - World Wide Fund, PO Box 454891, Dubai, United Arab Emirates b Departamento de Ecología e Hidrología, Universidad de Murcia, Campus de Espinardo, 30100, Murcia, Spain c Five Oceans Environmental Services LLC, P.O. Box 660, 131, Muscat, Oman d Biology, Chemistry and Environmental Sciences Department, American University of Sharjah, PO Box 26666, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates e Emirates Marine Environment Group, P.O. Box 12399, Dubai, United Arab Emirates f Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, New York University Abu Dhabi, PO Box 129188, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates g United Arab Emirates Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, UAE University, P.O. Box 17551, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates h Environment Protection and Development Authority, P.O. Box 11377, Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT Keywords: Habitat mapping is essential for the management and conservation of coastal marine habitats. However, accurate Habitat mapping and up-to-date habitat maps are rarely available for the marine realm. In this study, we mapped the coastal Coastal marine habitats marine habitats of >400 km of coastline in the north-western United Arab Emirates (UAE) using a combination of Data integration data sources including remote sensing, extensive ground-truthing points, local expert knowledge and existing United Arab Emirates information.
    [Show full text]