Foraminiferal assemblage-based biostratigraphy and correlation of the Triassic of northern Israel

Platform to shelf edge transect, Triassic of northern Israel, North Arabian Plate

“…Foraminiferal ranges and biostratigraphic subdivision of the Triassic succession in the Meged-2 boreholes. FA -Foraminiferan assemblages following Korngreen and Benjamini (2007). For lithofacies of subunits see Fig.…”

“…The borehole penetrated Late to Middle Triassic carbonates and shales in the interval from 4583-5505 m. Ga'ash-2 has a significantly reduced thickness for this part of the Triassic, 922 m, in comparison with 1731 m in Meged-2, 2576 m in Devora-2a, and even compared with the Negev (Druckman, 1974). Bio-and chronostratigraphy was reported by Korngreen and Benjamini (2007). Gvirtzman (1981) assigned parts of the section of Ga'ash-2 to formations from the Negev; , following named the Late Triassic "Sharon" and "Shefayim" formations as new, but there is no published description or type section for these formations.…”

“…As the Gevanim Formation of the Negev is Pelsonian in age, interfingering distally with the upper part of the underlying carbonate-rich Raaf Formation, and the Gevanim clastics tend to diminish to the northwest, assignment to this formation is unlikely and in any case contradicted by the younger palynomorphs. The "Ga'ash" shales in fact accumulated during the lengthy gap in sedimentation from Late Anisian to Early Carnian (FA An1 to Ca1; Korngreen and Benjamini, 2007), during the time that the 600 m thick Erez Conglomerate (breccia) accumulated on a downfaulted block at the Heletz Deep 1A borehole (Druckman, 1985;Weinberger, 1992). This gap suggests an important role for block differentiation and sedimentary mass-transport in the Early Carnian.…”

“…Small forms related to P. densa are present in the Raaf Formation in the Areif outcrop (Benjamini, 1988) and in the Ramalla-1 and Devora-2a subcrops (Korngreen and Benjamini, 2007). Most of the Anisian above the Raaf Formation in the Negev is continental.…”

“…Significantly, the Heletz Deep 1A deep borehole to the southwest Druckman, 1985;Weinberger, 1992), also part of the shelf edge belt, is marked by a 600 m thick conglomerate (breccia) that contains clasts dated to the time of the Anisian-Early Carnian hiatus of Ga'ash-2 (Cousminer, 1981;Korngreen and Benjamini, 2007).…”