Petrography and mineralogy of the crystalline limestone of Fatha Formation from Mishraq area, Iraq

Abstract

The study deals with the secondary crystalline limestone in the Fatha Formation (Middle Miocene) in Mishraq area, south of Mosul City. It revealed that these rocks are very pure and cavernous. The main recognized diagenetic characters include ; crystalline calcite textures (such as blocky, the dominant) in addition to fibrous and micritic textures. The study concluded that the studied rocks were deposited under hypersaline shallow-water conditions which were developed to phreatic environment.