THE FORESET SEDIMENTS OF THE CENOMANIAN
EL GINDI DELTA AT ABU ROASH VILLAGE, EGYPT; IMPLICATIONS FOR PETROLEUM EXPLORATION.
M. M.
ELGAMAL1, MONA A. EL BOSRATY1 and A. ZIKO2
1Geology Department, Faculty of Science of Damietta, New Damietta, Egypt.
2 Geology Department, Faculty of Science, Zagazig University, Zagazig, Egypt. |
The Cenomanian sediments exposed in the vicinity of Cairo, at Abu Roash Village, represent a delta front of what is termed Gindi Delta. This delta had been formed under balanced conditions, with a rapid deposition of the bed load, and equal density in flow and basin energy, i.e. homopycnal type. It is comparable to the modern Niger Delta, the Eocene Gilbert type Delta, and the Cretaceous Delta (?) of Mc Nairy Formation in the upper Mississippi Embayment.
The Cenomanian El Ginidi Delta was a part of delta complex in the north Western Desert, comparable to that of Devonian Catskil of the Appalachian. Both delta complexes had been formed under compression regime. Inspite of some similarities with the Eocene Wilcox delta complex of Texas. The later was formed under extensional regimes.
The vertical stratigraphic profile of the delta front sediments show a possible facies division upward from delta front, to marsh, back again to a delta front and at last to offshore prodelta. The vertical profile reflects also divisions corresponding to two 3rd order sedimentary cycles. These cycles were results of tectonic subsidence rather than sea level changes.
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