Diagenetic Alterations of the Upper Jurassic Scleractinian Corals, Hanifa Formation, Jabal Al-Abakkayn, Central Saudi Arabia

Abstract

During diagenetic stages, the aragonitic skeletons and the inter/intra-corallite cement of the upper Jurassic corals of Hanifa Formation either dissolved or subjected to diagenetic alterations including cementation, micritization, recrystallization, silicification, dolomitization and dedolomitization. The proposed sequence of diagenetic stages is as follows: early marine diagenesis, early meteoric and mixing zone diagenesis, late meteoric diagenesis, and shallow burial diagenesis. Each stage is characterized by certain diagenetic processes. The source of sulfate solutions for dedolomitization in the studied corals is the dissolved anhydrite deposits of the Arab-Hith Formations, sometime before their erosion. A possible source of silica, needed for the formation of chert and chalcedony, is the sponge spicules dispersed in many carbonates of the Hanifa Formation.

Contamination and Environmental Risk Assessment of Potentially Toxic Elements in Soils of Palm Farms in Northwest Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

“…Geologically, the study area primarily comprises a combination of marine carbonates and siliciclastics from the upper Jurassic Hanifa Formation, Jubaila Formation, and Quaternary sediments (Figure 2). The Hanifa Formation lies atop the Tuwaiq Mountain Formation in a disconformable manner and its base comprises muddy carbonates with lagoonal carbonates overlying them [23,24]. The Jubaila Formation lies atop the Hanifa Formation in a disconformable manner and its base comprises marine carbonates at a moderate depth with the upper layers consisting of shallow marine stromatoporoid-associated assemblages [25].…”

Health Risk Assessment of Nitrate and Fluoride in the Groundwater of Central Saudi Arabia

“…The exposed sedimentary succession in central Saudi Arabia is represented mainly by Triassic-Cretaceous rocks and is subdivided into the following formations from older to younger: Minjur, Marrat, Dhruma, Tuwaiq Mountain Limestone, Hanifa, Jubaila, Arab, Hith, Wasia, and Aruma formations. The Jurassic and Cretaceous rocks in central Saudi Arabia have been described from many points of view, such as stratigraphy, paleontology, sedimentology, and depositional history, e.g., [25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36][37][38][39].…”