Abstract
Miocene siliciclastic-carbonate deposits are widely exposed in Cairo-Suez District, Egypt. These deposits are underlain and overlain by continental sediments of Oligocene and post Miocene, respectively. Three stratigraphic sections were investigated at Gabals Geneife, Homeira and Gharra. Lithostrtigraphically, the Miocene sequence could be differentiated into two main rock units representing shallow deposits with relatively intermittent deep marine incursions. These are from base to top, Gharra Formation and Genefe Formation. Detailed macrofossils investigations led to the recognition of four macrofossil zones, namely Alectryonella plicatula-Crassostrea frondosa Range Zone, Echinolampas amplus-Scutella ammonis Range Zone, Chlamys (Macrochlamys) sardoa-Chlamys (Argopecten) submalvinae Range Zone, and Chlamys gentoni-Pecten (Oppenheimopecten) benedictus-Pecten (P.) ziziniae Assemblage Zone. Microfacies analysis and identified taxa indicated that the Miocene sequence was deposited in transgressive-regressive cycles ranged from near shore, warm shallow inner to middle shelf marine environments with storm influence during the accumulation of the oyster banks.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References Cited
Abdallah, M. A., Abd El-Hady, F. M., 1966. Geology of Sadat Area, Gulf of Suez. Journal of Geology, United Arab Republic, 10: 1–24
Abdelghany, O., 2002. Lower Miocene Stratigraphy of the Gebel Shabrawet Area, North Eastern of Desert Egypt. Journal of African Earth Scinces, 34: 203–212
Abd-Elmoniem, M., 1992. Stratigraphy of the Miocene Rocks in the Area between Gabal Ataqa and Northern Galala, Gulf of Suez, Egypt: [Dissertation]. Faculty of Science, Zagazig University, Zagazig. 252
Abu El-Enain, F., El-Sorogy, A. S., 1994. Microfacies, Depositional Environments and Geochemistry of the Miocene Carbonate Succession of Gabal El-Safra, Southern Sinai, Egypt. Middle East Research Center, Ain Shams University, Earth Science Series, 8: 167–177
Abou Khadrah, A. M., Wali, A., Müller, A. M. A., et al., 1993. Facies Development and Sedimentary Structures of Synrift Sediments, Cairo-Suez District, Egypt. Bulletin of Faculty of Science, Zagazig University, 15: 355–373
Ali, M. S. M., 1975. A Study on Some Tertairy Echinoids of Egypt: [Dissertation]. Faculty of Science, Ain Shams University, Cairo. 371
Blanckenhorn, M., 1901. Neues Zur Geologie und Palaeontologie d’Egyptens. III-Das Miocan. Zeitschrift der Deutschen Geologischen Gesellschaft, 53: 52–132
Bruce, H., Hotzl, H., 1988. The Sedimentary Evolution of the Red Sea Rift: A Comparison of the Northwest (Egyptian) and Northeast (Saudi Arabia) Margins. Tectonophysics, 153: 193–208
Cherif, O. H., 1966. The Geology of the Sadat Area, Southwest of Suez, Egypt: [Dissertation]. Faculty of Science, Ain Shams University, Cairo. 242
Cherif, O. H., 1980. Remarques sur l’Utilisation des Miogypsines et des Operculines pour la chronostratigraphie du Miocene du Nord du Desert Arabique Egypte. 6th African Micropalontology Colloquium, Tunis. 325–335
El-Hedeny, M. M., 2005. Taphonomy and Paleoecology of the Middle Miocene Oysters from Wadi Sudr, Gulf of Suez, Egypt. Revue de Paléobiologie, Genève, 24: 719–733
El-Safory, Y., El-Sorogy, A. S., 1998. Early Miocene Bryozoa of Gebel Gharra, Northwest Gulf of Suez, Egypt. Egyptian Journal of Geology, 44: 19–35
El-Shazly, S. H., Saber, S. G., 1999. Facies and Macropaleontological Studies of the Marine Miocene Sediments of Gabal Homeira, Cairo-Suez District, Egypt. Egyptian Journal of Geology, 43: 317–341
El-Sorogy, A. S., 2002. Miocene Bryozoan Buildups from Egypt: Morphology and Paleoecology. In: Youssef, E. A. A., ed., 6th Internat. Conf. Geol. Arab World, Cairo University, Cairo. 605–616
El-Sorogy, A. S., 2015. Bryozoan Nodules as a Frame-Builder of Bryzoan Microreef, Middle Miocene Sediments, Egypt. Journal of Earth Science, 26(2): 251–258
El-Sorogy, A. S., Abd-Elshafy, E., Abdel-Moneim, M., et al., 2005. Stratigraphy, Paleontology and Depositional Environments of some Exposed Miocene Sediments in Cairo-Suez District, Egypt. Egyptian Journal of Geology, 5: 223–251
El-Sorogy, A. S., Ziko, A., 1999. Facies Development and Environments of Miocene Reefal Limestone, Wadi Hagul, Cairo-Suez District, Egypt. Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie, 4: 213–226
El-Sorogy, A. S., 2001. Miocene Coral Reefs of the Northern Red Sea Coast, Egypt: Facies Development and Diagenesis. Middle East Research Center, Ain Shams University, Earth Science Series, 15: 184–199
Fuchs, T., 1883. Beitrage zur Kenntnis der Miocanfauna l’egyptens und der LybischenWüste. Paleontographica, 30: 21–66
Ghorab, M. A., Marzouk, I., 1965. A Summary Report on the Rock-Stratigraphic Classification of the Miocene in the Cairo-Sukhna Area. General Petroleum Company, Cairo
Hardenbol, J., Thierry, J., Farley, M. B., et al., 1998. Mesozoic and Cenozoic Sequence Chronostratigraphic Framework of European Basins. SEPM (Society for Sedimentary Geology), Special Publication, 60: 3–13
Haq, B. U., Hardenbol, J., Vail, P. R., 1987. The Chronology of Fluctuating Sea Level since the Triassic. Science, 235: 1156–1167
Ismail, A. A., Abdelghany, O., 1999. Lower Miocene Foraminifera from some Exposures in the Cairo-Suez District, Eastern Desert, Egypt. Journal of African Earth Scinces, 26: 507–526
Mandic, O. Piller, W. E., 2001. Pectinid Coquinas and Their Paleoenvironmental Implications—Examples from the Early Miocene of Northeastern Egypt. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 172: 171–191
Roger, J., 1939. Le Genre Chlamys Dans les Formations Neogene de L’Europe. Mémoires de la Société Géologique de France, 40: 1–249
Said, R., 1962. The Geology of Egypt. Elsevier Publishing Company, Amesterdam, New York. 377
Said, R., 1990. Cenozoic. In: Said, R., ed., The Geology of Egypt. A.A. Balkema, Rotterdam. 451–486
Said, R., Metwalli, H., 1964. Foraminifera of some Miocene Sediments of the Cairo-Suez District. Egyptian Journal of Geology, 7: 29–65
Said, R., Yellouze, M., 1955. Miocene Fauna from Gebel Oweibed, Egypt. Bulletin of Faculty of Science, Cairo University, 33: 61–81
Shukri, N. M., Akmal, G., 1953. The Geology of Gebel El Nasuri and Gebel Anqabiya District. Bulletin of Egyptian Society of Geography, 26: 243–276
Souaya, F. J., 1963. On the Foraminifera of Gebel Gharra Cairo-Suez Road and some Other Miocene Samples. Journal of Paleontology, 37(2): 433–457
Tawfik, M., El-Sorogy, A. S., Mowafi, A., et al., 2015. Facies and Sequence Stratigraphy of Some Miocene Sediments in the Cairo-Suez District, Egypt. Journal of African Earth Sciences, 101: 84–95
Acknowledgments
The authors would like to extend their sincere appreciation to the Deanship of Scientific Research at King Saud University for its funding this research group (No. RG-1436-036). The authors are deeply grateful to late Prof. Ezzat Abd-Elshafy, Zagazig University for assistance in megafossils identification. The final publication is available at Springer via http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s12583-016-0906-2.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Abdelbaset El-Sorogy: http://orcid-org/0000-0003-0283-1433
Electronic supplementary material
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
El-Sorogy, A., Abd-Elmoneim, M., Mowafi, A. et al. Facies analysis and biostratigraphy of the Miocene sequence, Cairo-Suez District, Egypt. J. Earth Sci. 28, 1–8 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12583-016-0906-2
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12583-016-0906-2