Geochemistry and Provenance of Sandstone Unit in Tanjero Formation in Sulimania Area, NE-Iraq.

Abstract

Sandstone rocks occurring in the Tanjero Formation in the Sulimania and Pera-Magron areas, which crops out within the Imbricated and High Folded Zones in Northeastern Iraq, are lithic arenites with high proportions of sedimentary rock fragments. The presence of quartz, chert, carbonates and igneous and metamorphic lithic grains and fossils in the Tanjero sandstone clastic rocks indicates that the southern Neotethys Ocean was a shallow seaway during their deposition. Geochemical classification of the an Upper Cretaceous Tanjero sandstone clastic rocks are lithic arenites to Fe-Sand and indicates that they were mainly derived from Albian-Cenomanian Gimo–Qandil sequence ophiolite-bearing terrane and Hemipelagic sediments (Parautochthonous Qulqula rocks).