38
E. A. Zaghloul
According to Awad and Ghobrial (1965), Baris Oyster Mudstone Member is
composed of shale, limestone, sandstone, and siltstone rich in fossils mainly with
Exogyra overwegi which dates to the Middle Maastrichtian age.
The Kharga Shale Member contains shale, siltstone, sandstone, and limestone. It
lies along the scarp face stretched from west of Gebal Edmonstone to Qur al-Malik
area, where the member wedges out and is replaced by Qur al-Malik Sandstone
Member (Figs. 5 and 6). The Kharga Shale Member appears again toward west of
Qur al-Malik area (El-Deftar et al. 1970).
The term Qur al-Malik Sandstone Member was applied by Mansour et al. (1982)
to describe the succession of calcareous band of sandstone and siltstone intercalated
with grey clay band exposed along the scarp face at Qur al-Malik area which located
about 90 km. The thickness ranges from 1 to 30 m. and crops out between the Tarawan
Formation at the top and the Dakhla Formation at the base (Fig. 6).
Generally, the Dakhla Formation is rich in fossils such as: Exogyra overwegi,
Inoceramus regularis, Nostoceras cf. helicinum, Libycoceras spp. Globotruncana
gansseri which assign the age of the lower members to the Late Campanian while the
upper member contains Globigerina pseudobulloides, Globigerina triloculinoides
which point to the Lower Paleocene.
3.3 Paleocene—Lower Eocene Rock Units
Two main facies types form the stratigraphic successions in the study area overlying
the Dakhla Formation: (1) Nile Valley Facies represented by the Tarawan Formation
at the top of the scarp face, and (2) Garra al-Arbain Facies (Issawi 1972) composed
of the Kurkur and Garra Formations (Issawi 1968). It is found only in Teneida section
near Abu-Tartur plateau and west Dakhla at Qur Al-Malik section as illustrated in
(Fig. 5).
These facies correspond Upper Cretaceous—Lower Eocene rock units. The distribution, as well as the lithological characteristics of each of these formations in the
study area, is described below.
3.3.1 Nile Valley Facies
Tarawan Formation
The Tarawan Formation is the upper part of the scarp face of the plateaus bounded
the Dakhla Depression from the north (Fig. 7). It conformably overlies the Dakhla
Formation. It is composed mainly of 10–55 m. of snow white to yellowish white hard,
thickly bedded chalk and chalky limestone with few marl and shale intercalations
and forming a wall. The formation is well developed and extended between Teneida
in the East and Abu Minqar in the West. The sediments indicate a deep facies display
gradual lateral and vertical changes in lithology. According to Hermina (1990), the
E. A. Zaghloul
According to Awad and Ghobrial (1965), Baris Oyster Mudstone Member is
composed of shale, limestone, sandstone, and siltstone rich in fossils mainly with
Exogyra overwegi which dates to the Middle Maastrichtian age.
The Kharga Shale Member contains shale, siltstone, sandstone, and limestone. It
lies along the scarp face stretched from west of Gebal Edmonstone to Qur al-Malik
area, where the member wedges out and is replaced by Qur al-Malik Sandstone
Member (Figs. 5 and 6). The Kharga Shale Member appears again toward west of
Qur al-Malik area (El-Deftar et al. 1970).
The term Qur al-Malik Sandstone Member was applied by Mansour et al. (1982)
to describe the succession of calcareous band of sandstone and siltstone intercalated
with grey clay band exposed along the scarp face at Qur al-Malik area which located
about 90 km. The thickness ranges from 1 to 30 m. and crops out between the Tarawan
Formation at the top and the Dakhla Formation at the base (Fig. 6).
Generally, the Dakhla Formation is rich in fossils such as: Exogyra overwegi,
Inoceramus regularis, Nostoceras cf. helicinum, Libycoceras spp. Globotruncana
gansseri which assign the age of the lower members to the Late Campanian while the
upper member contains Globigerina pseudobulloides, Globigerina triloculinoides
which point to the Lower Paleocene.
3.3 Paleocene—Lower Eocene Rock Units
Two main facies types form the stratigraphic successions in the study area overlying
the Dakhla Formation: (1) Nile Valley Facies represented by the Tarawan Formation
at the top of the scarp face, and (2) Garra al-Arbain Facies (Issawi 1972) composed
of the Kurkur and Garra Formations (Issawi 1968). It is found only in Teneida section
near Abu-Tartur plateau and west Dakhla at Qur Al-Malik section as illustrated in
(Fig. 5).
These facies correspond Upper Cretaceous—Lower Eocene rock units. The distribution, as well as the lithological characteristics of each of these formations in the
study area, is described below.
3.3.1 Nile Valley Facies
Tarawan Formation
The Tarawan Formation is the upper part of the scarp face of the plateaus bounded
the Dakhla Depression from the north (Fig. 7). It conformably overlies the Dakhla
Formation. It is composed mainly of 10–55 m. of snow white to yellowish white hard,
thickly bedded chalk and chalky limestone with few marl and shale intercalations
and forming a wall. The formation is well developed and extended between Teneida
in the East and Abu Minqar in the West. The sediments indicate a deep facies display
gradual lateral and vertical changes in lithology. According to Hermina (1990), the