Nature of
Sediments and Mineralogy of late Paleocene-early Eocene rocks, East Central Sinai, Egypt:
Fikry M. Abu EI-Enain
Department of Geology, Faculty of Sciences, Zagazig University, Egypt. |
The Late Paleocene - Early Eocene (Esna Shale and Thebes Formation) of east central Sinai
is well exposed at Gebel El-Aheigba. The samples of two stratigraphic sections are studied
for their microfacies, mineral and chemical composition.
Petrographically, the sedimentary rocks are micritic to biomicritic limestone (pelagic
mudstone-wackestone). Smectite is the main constituent of clay minerals with subordinate
amounts of kaolinite, illite and mixed layer (illite/smectite). Chemically, the succession
is divided into three geochemical units. The rock types, minerals and chemical composition
indicate that they were deposited in deep shelf margin within low water energy conditions.
|
|