Sequence and Biostratigraphy of Lower Cenozoic Succession in the Kopet-Dagh Basin, NE of Iran

Batool Rivandi, Mohammad Vahidinia, Mehdi Nadjafi, Assadolah Mahboubi, Abbas Sadeghi

.
Department of Geology, Faculty of Science, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran.

DOI: 10.4236/ojg.2013.33028                

Abstract

The main purpose of this paper is the sequence stratigraphy and biostratigraphy of lower Tertiary sediments on the base of larger benthic foraminifera in northeast of Iran (Chehel-Kaman Formation). This formation mainly consists of Limestone, dolomite and interbeds of sand, shale and evaporate sediments. Petrographical studies indicate that these sediments may have been deposited on a shallow carbonate platform ramp and consist of 4 carbonate lithofacies (15 subfacies). These lithofacies may have been deposited in open marine, shoal, lagoon and tidal flat environmental conditions. Sequence stratigraphy analysis led to identification of 4 third-order depositional sequences, bounded by type 2 (within the top of the underlying Pestehleigh Formation) and type 1 sequence boundaries (paleosol). Interpreted sea level curve in this basin can be relatively correlated with global curves during Paleocene time and a with a sea-level fall occurred in the latest Paleocene, followed by a rise in the earliest Eocene. Biostratigraphy study led to the identification of 32 larger benthic Foraminifera genera. The Paleocene/Eocene boundary has been probably recorded as a thin red paleosol horizon (~10 - 15 cm).

Keywords

Kopeh-Dagh Basin; Paleogene; Larger Benthic Foraminifer; Sequence Stratigraphy

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

References

[1]	P. Hallock, “Interoceanic Differences in Foraminifera with Symbiotic Algae: A Result of Nutrient Supplies?” Proceedings Sixth International Coral Reef Symposium Townsville, 8-12 August 1988, pp. 251-255.
[2]	C. Scheibner, R. P. Speijer and A. M. Marzouk, “Turnover of Larger Foraminiferal during the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum and Paleoclimatic Control on the Evolution of Platform Ecosystems,” Geology, Vol. 33, No. 6, 2005, pp. 493-496. doi:10.1130/G21237.1
[3]	C. Scheibner and R. P. Speijer, “Decline of Coral Reefs during Late Paleocene to Early Eocene Global Warming,” eEarth, Vol. 3, 2008, pp. 19-26.
[4]	B. Allen, S. T. Vincent, G. I. Alsop, A. Ismail-Zadeh and R. Fleckerd, “Late Cenozoic Deformation in the South Caspian Region: Effects of a Rigid Basement Block within a Collision Zone,” Tectonophysics, Vol. 366, No. 3-4, 2003, pp. 223-239. doi:10.1016/S0040-1951(03)00098-2
[5]	A. Afshar-Harb, “The Stratigraphy, Tectonics and Petroleum Geology of the Kopet Dagh Region, Northern Iran,” Unpublished Ph.D. Thesis, Imperial College of Science and Technology, London, 1979.
[6]	L. A. Buryakovsky, G. V. Chilinger and F. Aminzadeh, “Petroleum Geology of the South Caspian Basin,” Gulf Professional Publishing, Burlington, 2001.
[7]	M. Alavi, H. Vaziri, K. Seyed-Emami and Y. Lasemi, “The Triassic and Associated Rocks of the Aghdarband Areas in Central and Northeastern Iran as Remnant of the Southern Turanian Active Continental Margin,” Geological Society of America Bulletin, Vol. 109, No. 12, 1997, 1563-1575. doi:10.1130/0016-7606(1997)109<1563:TTAARO>2.3.CO;2
[8]	E. Garzanti and M Gaetani, “Unroofing History of Late Paleozoic Magmatic Arcs within the Turan Plate (Tuarkyr, Turkmenistan),” Sedimentary Geology, Vol. 151, No. 1-2, 2002, pp. 67-87. doi:10.1016/S0037-0738(01)00231-7
[9]	A. Afshar-Harb, “A Brief History of Geological Exploration and Geology of the Sarakhas Area and the Khangiran Gas Field,” Bulletin of the Iranian Petroleum Institute, Vol. 37, 1969, p. 86.
[10]	A. Kalantari, “Biofacies Map of Kopet-Dagh Region,” NIOC Exploration and Production, 1 sheet, 1986.
[11]	R. Mousavi-Harami and R. L. Brenner, “Lower Cretaceous (Neocomian) Fluvial Deposits in Eastern Kopet-Dagh Basin, Northeastern Iran,” Cretaceous Research, Vol. 11, No. 2, 1990, pp. 163-174. doi:10.1016/S0195-6671(05)80031-X
[12]	R. Aharipour, “Microfacies and Depositional Environment of Tirgan, Sarcheshmeh, Pesteligh and ChehelKaman Formations in Northeast Gonbad Kavoos (west Kopet-Dagh basin),” MSc. Thesis, Tarbiat-Moallem University, Tehran, Iran, 1996.
[13]	R. J. Dunham, “Classification of Carbonate Rocks According to Depositional Texture,” In: W. E. Ham, Ed., Classification of Carbonate Rocks, A Symposium: AAPG Memoir, Tulsa, 1962, pp. 108-171.
[14]	A. F. Embry and J. E. Kloven, “A Late Devonian reef tract on northeastern Banks Island, Northwest Territories,” Bulletin of Canadian Petroleum Geology, Vol. 19, 1971, pp. 730-781.
[15]	A. D. Dickson, “A Modified Staining Technique for Carbonate in thin Section,” Nature, Vol. 205, No. 4971, 1966, p. 587.
[16]	M. K. BouDagher-Fadel, “The Cenozoic Larger Foraminifera: The Palaeogene,” In: M. K. BouDagher-Fadel Ed., Evolution and Geological Significance of Larger Benthic Foraminifera (Developments in Palaeontology and Stratigraphy, 21), Elsevier, Amsterdam, 2008, pp. 297-418.
[17]	O. R. Green, M. P. Searle, R. I. Corfield and R. M. Corfield, “Cretaceous-Tertiary Carbonate Platform Evolution and the Age of the India-Asia Collision along the Ladakh Himalaya (North-west India),” The Journal of Geology Vol. 116, No. 4, 2008, pp. 331-353. doi:10.1086/588831
[18]	J. Afzal, M. Williams and R. J. Aldridge, “Revised Stratigraphy of the Lower Cenozoic Succession of the Greater Indus Basin in Pakistan,” Journal of Micropalaeontolog, Vol. 28, 2009, pp. 7-23. doi:10.1144/jm.28.1.7
[19]	N. S. Mathur, K. P. Juyal and K. Kumar, “Larger Foraminiferal Biostratigraphy of Lower Palaeogene Successions of Zanskar Tethyan and Indus-Tsangpo Suture Zones, Ladakh, India in the Light of Additional Data,” Himalayan Geology, Vol. 30, No. 1, pp. 45-68.
[20]	V. C. Tewari, K. Kumar, K. Lokho and N. S. Siddaiah, “Lakadong Limestone: Paleocene-Eocene Boundary Carbonates Sedimentation in Meghalaya, Northeastern India,” Current Science, Vol. 98, No. 1, 2010, pp. 88-95.
[21]	P. Marie, “Sur Laffitteina Bibensis et Laffitteina Monodi, Nouveau Genre et Nouvelles Especes de Foraminiferes du Montien,” Bulletin de la Societe Geologique de France, Vol. 15, 1946, pp. 419-434.
[22]	J. Serra-Kiel, L. Hottinger, E. Caus, K. Drobne, C. Fernandez, A. K. Jauhri, G. Less, R. Pavlovec, J. Pignatti, J. M. Samso, H. Schaub, E. Sirel, A. Strougo, Y. Tambareau, Y. Tosquella and E. Zakrevskaya, “Larger Foraminiferal Biostratigraphy of the Tethyan Paleocene and Eocene,” Bulletin de la Societe Geologi que de France, Vol. 169, 1998, pp. 281-299.
[23]	G. Bignot and M. Neumann, “Les ‘grands’ Foraminiferes du Cretace Terminal et du Palaeogene du Nord-Ouest Europeen: Recensement et Extensions Chronologiques,” Bulletin de la Information Geologique de Bass, Vol. 28, 1991, pp. 13-29.
[24]	N. Inan, K. Tasli and S. Inan, “Laffitteina from the Maastrichtian-Paleocene Shallow Marine Carbonate Successions of the Eastern Pontides (NE Turkey): Biozonation and Microfacies,” Journal of Asian Earth Sciences, Vol. 25, No. 2, 2005, pp. 367-378.
[25]	M. Kaever, “Die Alttertiaren Grossforaminiferen Sudost-Afghanistans Unter Besonderer Berucksichtigung der Nummulitiden-Morphologie, Taxonomie und Biostratigraphie,” Munsterische Forschungen zur Geologie und Palaontologie, Vol. 16-17, 1970, pp. 1-400.
[26]	E. Sirel, “The Species of Miscellanea Pfender, 1935 (Foraminiferida) in the Thanetian-Ilerdian Sediments of Turkey,” Revue de Paleobiologie, Vol. 16, No. 1, 1997, pp. 77-99.
[27]	A. Rahaghi, “Stratigraphy and Faunal Assemblage of Paleocene Lower Eocene in Iran: Natioal Iranian Oil Company,” Geology Laboratories Publication, Vol. 10, 1983, p. 123.
[28]	A. K. Jauhri, P. K. Misra, S. Kishore and S. K. Singh, “Larger Foraminiferal and Calcareous Algal Facies in the Lakadong Formation of the South Shillong Plateau, NE India,” Journal of the Palaeontological Society of India, Vol. 51, No. 2, 2006, pp. 51-61.
[29]	A. Mahboubi, R. Moussavi-Harami, Y. Lasemi and R. L. Brenner, “Sequence Stratigraphy and Sea Level History of the Upper Paleocene Strata in the Kopet-Dagh Basin, Northeastern Iran,” American Association of Petrolum Geologist Bulletin, Vol. 85, 2001, pp. 839-895.
[30]	R. Mousavi-Harami and L. Brenner, “Diagensis of Non marine Petroleum Reservoir, the Neocomian (Lower Cretaceous) Shurijeh Formation, Kopet-Dagh basin, NE Iran,” Journal of Petroleum Geology, Vol. 16, No. 1, 1993, pp. 55-72.
[31]	B. U. Haq, L. Hardenbol and P. R. Vail, “Mesozoic and Cretaceous and Cenozoic chronostratigraphy and eustatic cycles,” In: P. D. Crevello, J. L. Wilson, J. F. Sarg and J.F. Read, Eds., Controls on Carbonate Platform and Basin Development, SEPM Special Publication, Tulsa, 1988, pp. 71-108.