Description of The Karst Phenomena Spreading Along Stratified Sequence in The Western Desert of Iraq

Abstract

The study focused on two important sites containing many caves sites located in the west of Al Anbar Governorate. The first site is Um El-Githoaa cavity in Hit region, a cave or trunks was chosen to show the aesthetic of this cave in terms of its shape and dimensions. The maximum diameter is 22.1m, while the perpendicular diameter is 18.5m. It is a dome shape and the height of its roof reaches about 2m located in the stratigraphic sequence falls within the massive gypsum, Fatha Formation (Middle Miocene). Geoelectrical exploration was chosen on the southern side of the cave to check whether the sinkholes scattered in the area are connected to subsurface caves or not. Using a Dipole-dipole array was chosen along a traverse, shown there are three sub-surface caves. This indicates that these phenomena are widespread in the region. The second location is Haditha, Barwana Village which was chosen to study where the cave is located in unconformity breccia zone between Anah Formation (Upper Oligocene- Lower Miocene) and Euphrates Formation (Lower Miocene- Middle Miocene). Barwana cave extends to the north 30 m and then tends to the west extend about 1 km within fragile breccia layer with incoherent components and ends with a small opening at the Euphrates River. This phenomenon was not present in the hard gypsum rocks in the Hit region, it was observed to have a large oval shape

Microfacies Analysis and Paleoenvironment of Baba Formation, Anah Area Westren Iraq

“…The area was about 130 Km Northwestern of Al-Ramadi town within Anbar Governorate. This area is characterized by the presence of various forms of karst that are distinguished by their picturesque appearance, making them tourist areas visited by many communities [1]. Wadi Al-Khazka is considered one of the most important seasonal valleys in this region, and its waters flow into the Euphrates River [2].…”

Characteristics of Carbonate Rocks and Environmental Conditions of Some Caves, Northern Iraq

“…The common karst types include underground river caves, blind valleys, natural bridges, pits, and sinkholes. The caves are not found in mountainous areas but also in most of Iraq, including the Western Desert (Al-Hetty et al, 2021) because they represent geological and environmental conditions. The structural units of the folds of northern Iraq represent steep slopes that accelerate the passage of surface water and groundwater.…”