Title: Cretaceous (Albian–?early Santonian) palynology and stratigraphy of the Abu Tunis 1x borehole, northern Western Desert, Egypt
Abstract: AbstractA palynological analysis has been conducted on the Cretaceous sediments of the Abu Tunis 1x borehole, in the northern Western Desert, Egypt. The palynomorphs recovered have been analysed both qualitatively and quantitatively, and permit a refinement of the original stratigraphy with the identification of four time-rock units. These have been divided into four informal sporomorph units and one dinoflagellate cyst palynozone. These biozones are, from oldest to youngest: the Afropollis jardinus-Tricolporopollenites-Elaterosporites klaszii Assemblage Zone (early–mid Albian), the Elaterosporites verrucatus-Sofrepites legouxae-Cretacaeiporites Assemblage Zone (late Albian–early Cenomanian), the Sofrepites legouxae Partial Range Zone (early–?mid Cenomanian), the Proteacidites cf. africaensis Total Range Zone (mid–late Cenomanian) and the Canningia senonica Total Range Zone (early? Santonian). A barren interzone has been identified immediately below the youngest palynozone, and this may be related to the unfavourable lithology (i.e., limestone and dolostone). The absolute abundances of spores and pollen represent the first quantitative description of an Egyptian Albian–Cenomanian palynofloral, a flora that is characteristic of the Albian–Cenomanian Elaterate Phytogeographical Province. The early Santonian palynoflora is exclusively marine phytoplankton; terrestrial palynomorphs representative of the Senonian Palmae Province are completely absent. The quantitative and semi-quantitative distributions of Afropollis jardinus are compared with similar semi-quantitative distributions of this species from other wells in the northern Western Desert of Egypt, and this permitted the identification of a mid Albian–early Cenomanian Afropollis jardinus 'acme' as an important local biostratigraphical event in the mid Cretaceous.Keywords: Cretaceouszonationbiostratigraphynorthern Western DesertEgypt AcknowledgementsA.S. Deaf thanks the Egyptian Government for generously funding him a PhD scholarship at University of Southampton, UK. The authors wish to thank the Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation for providing well logs and samples of the Abu Tunis 1x borehole. Thanks are also due to Mr. Shir Akbari at National Oceanography Centre, Southampton (NOCS), University of Southampton, for his help in the laboratory.Additional informationNotes on contributorsAmr S. DeafAMR S. DEAF was appointed as a lecturer in palynology, stratigraphy and palaeoecology in the Department of Geology at Assiut University, Egypt in 2010. He received a BSc in geology in 1997, and an MSc in palynology during 2003, from the same institution. Amr obtained his PhD for research on the palynostratigraphy, palaeoclimate, palaeoecology and hydrocarbon potential of the Cretaceous of northern Egypt, from the National Oceanography Centre, University of Southampton, U.K. in 2010. His research interests are palynology, palaeoceanography and petroleum geology, specifically on the Mesozoic of the Middle East.Ian C. HardingIAN C. HARDING is a reader in palaeoceanography, micropalaeontology and palynology at the National Oceanography Centre, University of Southampton, U.K. He received his BSc in geology from Nottingham University in 1982, and his PhD in micropalaeontology from Cambridge University in 1986. His research interests are focused on palaeoclimatic change and palaeoenvironmental reconstruction using micropalaeontological (palynological) proxies, especially in the Paleogene. Ian is especially interested in the development and integration of dinoflagellate cysts, palynofacies analysis and geochemical indices as palaeoceanographic proxies particularly during hyperthermal events and greenhouse-icehouse transitions. He also researches the sedimentology and micropalaeontology of taphonomic processes involved in exceptional fossil preservation, especially high-resolution analysis of laminated and finely-bedded sediments. Ian was the Chair of the Palynology Group of The Micropalaeontological Society (TMS) from 2005 to 2010, and was the TMS representative on the board of the International Federation of Palynological Societies from 2008 to 2010. He was Director-at-Large of AASP - The Palynological Society from 2009 to 2011, and is currently the President of this organisation.John E. A. MarshallJOHN E.A. MARSHALL is a Professor of Earth Science at the National Oceanography Centre, University of Southampton, U.K. John obtained a BA in Natural Sciences from University of Cambridge in 1976, and a PhD from the Department of Botany, University of Bristol in 1981. He subsequently worked at the University of Newcastle and Gearhart Geodata in Aberdeen. His research interests range widely and include Mid Palaeozoic mass extinctions, Devonian terrestrial palaeoclimates and the Earth System, the spread of Devonian forests, Devonian oil and gas reservoirs, early seed plants, the age and environment of early tetrapods, organic matter-waste water interactions in waste tips and thermal maturity determination (including vitrinite and chitinozoan reflectivity and quantitative spore colour). He has worked in South America, Greenland, Scotland, Spitsbergen and China. John was the President of the Commission Internationale de la Microflore du Paléozoïque (CIMP) from 2006 to 2010, and a visiting Professor at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, China from 2010 to 2011. He is currently Chair of the Sub-Commission on Devonian Stratigraphy, and the palynology Editor for the Journal of Micropalaeontology.
Publication Year: 2014
Publication Date: 2014-01-02
Language: en
Type: article
Indexed In: ['crossref']
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Cited By Count: 40
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