Sedimentology and Evolution of the Fluvial-Deltaic System: A Modern Depositional Model Analog from the Red Sea Coastal Region, Saudi Arabia

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Osman Abdullatif ◽  
Mutasim Osman ◽  
Mazin Bashri ◽  
Ammar Abdlmutalib ◽  
Mohamed Yassin
Keyword(s):  
Red Sea ◽  
Coastal Plain ◽  
Depositional Environments ◽  
Hydrocarbon Reservoirs ◽  
Sediment Supply ◽  
Arabian Shield ◽  
Space And Time ◽  
Groundwater Aquifers ◽  
Coastal Sabkha ◽  
Lithofacies Association

Abstract Siliciclastic sediments represent important lithological unit of the Red Sea coastal plain. Their subsurface equivalents are important targets of groundwater aquifer and hydrocarbon reservoirs in the region. The lithofacies of the modern fluvial deltaic system has several distinct geomorphic units and sub-environments such as alluvial, fluvial, delta plain, aeolian, intertidal, coastal sabkha and eustuarine sediments. This study intends to characterize the lithofacies and the depositional environments and to produce an integrated facies model for this modern fluvial-deltaic system. The study might provide a valuable modern analog to several important subsurface Neogene formations that act as important hydrocarbon reservoirs and groundwater aquifers. The study integrates information and data obtained from landsats, maps and detailed field observation and measurements of facies analysis of the fluvial and deltaic along traveses from the Arabian Shield to the Red Sea coast. The lithofacies sediment analysis revealed four main lithofacies associations namely lithofacies A,B,C ad D. Lithoacies Associations A, which represents the oldest unit is dominated by coarse gravel with minor sands facies. While the lithofacies B is dominated byfine gravel and sand lithofacies, occasionally pebbly, vary from horizontal, planar to massive sands with minor laminated to massive silts and mud facies. The lithofacies in A and B show lateral proximal to distal variation as well as characteristic vertical stacking patterns. The Facies Association A and B indicates a change in fluvial depositional styles from gravelly alluvial fans to gravelly sandy fluvial systems. The lithofacies association C represents the recent fluvial system which consists of minor gravel lag deposits associated maily with various sand lithofacies of planner, horizontal and massive sand associated with massive and limainted sand and mud lithofacies. The lithofacies Association D is dominated with Barchan sand dunes local interfigger with muddy iinterdunes and sand sheets. Lithofacies D occupies rather more distal geomporphic position of the fluvial deltaic system that is adjace to coastal sabkha. The lithofacies associations described here document the evolution and development of the coastal plain sediments through space and time under various autocyclic and allocyclic controls. This included the tectonics and structural development associated with the Red Sea rifting and opening since the Oligocene – Miocene time. Others controls include the evolution of the Arabian shield (provenance) and the coastal plain through space and time as controlled by tectonics, sediment supply, climate and locally by autocyclic environmental This study might be beneficial for understanding the controls and stratigraphic evolution of the Red Sea region and will be of great value for reservoir and aquifer characterization, development and management. This modern analog model can also help in providing geological baseline information that would be beneficial for understanding similar ancient fluvial deltaic sediments. The study might provide guides and leads to understand the subsurface facies, stratigraphic architecture and heterogeneity of any potential groundwater aquifers and hydrocarbon reservoirs.

scholarly journals Sedimentary environments and lithofacies distribution of zeit formation, red sea- Sudan

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 10
Author(s):  
Sadam H.M.A.Eltayib ◽  
El Sheikh. M. Abdelrahman ◽  
Ali. S. M. Ibrahim ◽  
Omar A. O. Al-Imam
Keyword(s):  
Red Sea ◽  
Coastal Plain ◽  
Depositional Environment ◽  
Gamma Ray ◽  
Sedimentary Facies ◽  
Sedimentary Environments ◽  
Depositional Patterns ◽  
Repeated Pattern ◽  
Set Up ◽  
Lithofacies Association

The Sudanese red sea coastal plain is geologically characterized by Cenozoic siliciclastic and shallow marine rift related sedimentary se-quences. Pliocene-Pleistocene is represented by the thick older gravel unit and the emergent linear reef terraces. In this study, wire line logs besides the investigations of cutting samples were used to investigate the un cored facies successions, to detect changes in grain size distribution, lithology and sedimentary facies and hence to interpret depositional environment. Confirmation of the log behavior using the cores and the cutting samples was undertaken. Furthermore, core to gamma-ray and spontaneous potential log correlations were set up. The lithofacies association and the depositional patterns of Zeit Formation were controlled by allocyclic and autocyclic processes, which include tectonic, palaeo climatic as well as depositional mechanisms. The lithofacies Distribution of Lower Zeit Member shows the southwestern part of the area is dominated by terrestrial to marginal marine partly supra tidal domain where some channel feeders can support the sand distribution from south to north. The central part of the area is dominated by shallow marginal marine to partly supra-tidal domains. The Middle Zeit Member was dominated by marginal marine to supratidal domain. The Upper Zeit Member repeated pattern of facies distribution being similar to that of Middle Zeit, however the sandy facies influxes increased towards the S. Suakin, Digna- area, towards Bashayer area and Durwara area from south to north.  

Thermal Imaging of the Lithosphere beneath Arabian Shield and Implications for "Harrats" Volcanic Field

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohamed Sobh ◽  
Khaled Zahran ◽  
Nils Holzrichter ◽  
Christian Gerhards
Keyword(s):  
Red Sea ◽  
Seismic Velocity ◽  
Volcanic Field ◽  
Arabian Plate ◽  
Thickness Variation ◽  
Arabian Shield ◽  
Lithospheric Thickness ◽  
Lithospheric Thinning ◽  
Red Sea Rift ◽  
Seismic Swarms

<p><span>Widespread Cenozoic volcanisms in the Arabian shield including “Harrats” have been referring to lithospheric thinning and/or mantle plume activity as a result of Red Sea rift-related extension.</span></p><p><span>A fundamental key in understanding the deriving mechanism of these volcanic activities and its relationship to 2007-2009 seismic swarms required a reliable model of the present-day lithospheric thermo-chemical structure.</span></p><p><span>In this work, we modeled crustal and lithospheric thickness variation as well as the variations in thermal, composition, seismic velocity, and density of the lithosphere beneath the Arabian shield within a thermodynamically self - consistent framework.</span></p><p><span>The resulting thermal and density structures show large variations, revealing strong asymmetry between the Arabian shield and Arabian platform within the Arabian Plate.</span></p><p><span>We model negative density anomalies associated with the hot mantle beneath Harrats, which coincides with the modelled lithosphere thinned (~ 65 km) as a result of the second stage of lithospheric thinning following the initial Red Sea extension.</span></p>

scholarly journals Quantifying local-scale dust emission from the Arabian Red Sea coastal plain

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anatolii Anisimov ◽  
Weichun Tao ◽  
Georgiy Stenchikov ◽  
Stoitchko Kalenderski ◽  
P. Jish Prakash ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Red Sea ◽  
Coastal Plain ◽  
Dust Emission ◽  
Dust Storms ◽  
Composition Analysis ◽  
Surface Model ◽  
Dust Source ◽  
Community Land Model ◽  
Dust Generation ◽  
Close Proximity

Abstract. Dust plumes emitted from the narrow Arabian Red Sea coastal plain are often observed on satellite images and felt in local population centers. Despite its relatively small area, the coastal plane could be a significant dust source, however, its effect is not well quantified as it is not well approximated in global or even regional models. In addition, because of close proximity to the Red Sea, a significant amount of dust from the coastal areas could be deposited into the Red Sea and serve as a vital component of the nutrient balance of marine ecosystems. In the current study, we apply the off-line fine-resolution version of the Community Land Model version-4 (CLM4) land surface model to better quantify dust emission from the coastal plain. We verify the spatial and temporal variability of model results using independent station reports. We also compare the results with the MERRA Aerosol Reanalysis (MERRAero) reanalysis. We show that the best results are obtained with 1-km spatial resolution and dust source function based on Meteosat Second Generation Spinning Enhanced Visible and InfraRed Imager (SEVIRI) measurements. We present the dust emission spatial pattern, estimates of seasonal and diurnal variability of dust event frequency and intensity, and discuss the emission regime in the major dust generation hot spot areas. We demonstrate the contrasting seasonal dust cycles in the northern and southern parts of the coastal plain and discuss the physical mechanisms responsible for dust generation. The total dust emission from the coastal plain appears to be 7.5 Mt per year, with over 65 % of dust emitted from its northern part. The mineralogical composition analysis suggests that the coastal plain generates around 76 Kt of iron oxides and 6 Kt of phosphorus annually. Given the structure of wind circulation in this area and close proximity of the dust hot spots to the sea, we can expect that a significant amount of emitted dust is deposited to the sea, almost matching the annual deposition from major dust storms.

scholarly journals Three-Dimensional Modeling and Fluid Flow Simulation for the Quantitative Description of Permeability Anisotropy in Tidal Flat Carbonate

Energies ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (21) ◽  
pp. 5557
Author(s):  
Hassan A. Eltom ◽  
Nabil A. Saraih ◽  
Oliver G. Esteva ◽  
Lundi Kusuma ◽  
Saleh Ahmed ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fluid Flow ◽  
Tidal Flat ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Flow Simulation ◽  
3D Models ◽  
Depositional Environments ◽  
High Permeability ◽  
Stratigraphic Framework ◽  
Permeability Anisotropy ◽  
Lithofacies Association

Three-dimensional (3D) facies and petrophysical models were generated from previously published data of carbonate strata in the Dam Formation (eastern Saudi Arabia) to quantitatively investigate, describe, understand, model, and predict the permeability anisotropy in tidal flat carbonate on the basis of a sequence stratigraphic framework. The resulting 3D models were used to conduct fluid flow simulations to demonstrate how permeability anisotropy influences the production of hydrocarbons and ultimately affects decisions concerning future drilling in the exploration and development of carbonate reservoirs with tidal flat strata. The constructed 3D facies model consists of four lithofacies associations, two of which are grain-dominated associations and two of which are mud-dominated associations. These lithofacies associations vary spatially in four reservoir zones (zones 1 to 4), which represent two fourth-order sequences in the uppermost part of the Dam Formation. Zones 1 and 3 consist of transgressive parasequences, and zones 2 and 4 consist of the regressive parasequences of these sequences. The 3D porosity and permeability models have a coherent match with the distribution of the lithofacies and the stratigraphic framework of the Dam Formation. The results suggest that the permeability anisotropy in zones 1 and 3 is controlled by the occurrence of the grain-dominated lithofacies associated with tidal flat channels. This lithofacies association overlies the sequence boundaries of sequences 1 and 3, forms reservoir bodies with relatively high permeability values, and is elongated perpendicular to the shoreline of the depositional environment. In contrast, permeability anisotropy in zones 2 and 4 is thought to be controlled by the occurrence of the grain-dominated lithofacies associated with the oolitic shoal. This lithofacies association overlies the maximum flooding surface of sequences 2 and 4, forms reservoir bodies with relatively high permeability values, and is elongated parallel to the shoreline of the depositional environments. Fluid flow simulation results suggest that the trend in hydrocarbon production from the constructed 3D models depends on permeability anisotropy in each reservoir zone. Thus, recognizing trends in permeability anisotropy, which can be predicted using sequence stratigraphy, could help to identify potential areas for future drilling.

scholarly journals Deciphering tectonic, eustatic and surface controls on the 20 Ma-old Burdigalian transgression recorded in the Upper Marine Molasse in Switzerland

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philippos Garefalakis ◽  
Fritz Schlunegger
Keyword(s):  
Sea Level ◽  
Depositional Environments ◽  
Sediment Supply ◽  
Sediment Flux ◽  
Crustal Material ◽  
Molasse Basin ◽  
Shallow Marine ◽  
Depositional Settings ◽  
Stratigraphic Architecture ◽  
Aar Massif

Abstract. The stratigraphic architecture of the Swiss Molasse basin reveals crucial information about the basin’s geometry, its evolution and the processes leading to the deposition of the clastic material. Nevertheless, the formation of the Upper Marine Molasse (OMM) and the controls on the related Burdigalian transgression are not fully understood yet. During these times, from c. 20 to 17 Ma, the Swiss Molasse basin was partly flooded by a peripheral shallow marine sea, striking SW – NE. We proceeded through detailed sedimentological and stratigraphic examinations of several sites across the entire Swiss Molasse basin in order to deconvolve the stratigraphic signals related surface and tectonic controls. Surface-related signals include stratigraphic responses to changes in eustatic sea level and sediment fluxes, while the focus on crustal-scale processes lies on the uplift of the Aar-massif at c. 20 Ma. Field examinations show, that the evolution of the Burdigalian seaway was characterized by (i) shifts in the depositional settings, (ii) changes in discharge directions, a deepening and widening of the basin, and (iv) phases of erosion and non-deposition. We relate these changes in the stratigraphic records to a combination of surface and tectonic controls at various scales. In particular, roll-back subduction of the European mantle lithosphere, delamination of crustal material and the associated rise of the Aar-massif most likely explain the widening of the basin particular at distal sites. In addition, the uplift of the Aar-massif was likely to have shifted the patterns of surface loads. These mechanisms could have caused a flexural adjustment of the foreland plate underneath the Molasse basin, which we use as mechanism to explain the establishment of distinct depositional environments and particularly the formation of subtidal-shoals where a lateral bulge is expected. In the Alpine hinterland, these processes occurred simultaneously with a period of fast tectonic exhumation accomplished through slip along the Simplon detachment fault, with the consequence that sediment flux to the basin decreased. It is possible that this reduction in sediment supply contributed to the establishment of marine conditions in the Swiss Molasse basin and thus amplified the effect related to the tectonically controlled widening of the basin. Because of the formation of shallow marine conditions, subtle changes in the eustatic sea level contributed to the occurrence several hiatus that chronicle periods of erosion and non-sedimentation. While these mechanisms are capable of explaining the establishment of the Burdigalian seaway and the formation of distinct sedimentological niches in the Swiss Molasse basin, the drainage reversal during OMM-times possibly requires a change in the tectonic processes at the slab scale. We conclude that sedimentological records can be used to decipher surface controls and lithospheric-scale processes in orogens from the stratigraphic record, provided that a detailed sedimentological and chronological database is available.

High resolution linkage of channel-coastal plain and shallow marine facies belts, Desert Member to Lower Castlegate Sandstone stratigraphic interval, Book Cliffs, Utah-Colorado, USA

2019 ◽  
Vol 131 (9-10) ◽  
pp. 1643-1672 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simon A.J. Pattison
Keyword(s):  
Coastal Plain ◽  
Sediment Supply ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Shallow Marine ◽  
Book Cliffs ◽  
Marine Facies ◽  
Sequence Boundaries ◽  
Allogenic Processes ◽  
Stacking Patterns ◽  
Order Sequence

AbstractThe Campanian Desert Member and Lower Castlegate Sandstone in the Book Cliffs of east-central Utah to western Colorado, USA, has served as a foundational data set in the development of sequence stratigraphy. Contrary to previous work, no third-order sequence boundaries are recognized. These were originally thought to partition the neighboring coastal plain and shallow marine facies belts into separate systems tracts, unlinked in time or space. In contrast, adjoining channel-coastal plain and shallow marine facies belts are genetically-, temporally-, and spatially-related. Evidence includes the (i) synchronous, strongly progradational stacking patterns within each facies belt, (ii) gradational and conformable transitions between adjoining facies belts, accentuated by the ubiquity of flat-topped, rooted foreshore sandstones passing upwards into carbonaceous-rich-mudstone-dominated coastal plain, (iii) parasequence-scale interfingering of coastal plain-channel and foreshore-shoreface deposits, with channels, white caps and coals embedded within stacked shoreface parasequences, (iv) regional correlation of coals and flooding surfaces, and (v) near orthogonal paleocurrent relationship between channels and shorelines. Terminal channels incise into proximal foreshore-shoreface sandstones in most Desert-Castlegate parasequences. Incisions are generally confined to the parasequence in which the channels are nested, rarely cutting deeper. These shoreface-incised channels are cut and filled at a parasequence-scale, and are bounded above by the same flooding surface that caps each foreshore-shoreface package. The ubiquity of ascending regressive shoreface trajectories and near absence of descending regressive trajectories that intersect depositional slope argues against any significant sea level fall. Increased rates of sediment supply, driven by autogenic and/or allogenic processes, likely generated the strongly progradational Desert-Castlegate great tongue of sandstone.

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