Miocene sandstone provenance relations in the Gulf of Suez: Insights into synrift unroofing and uplift history

Journal Article · Sat Sep 01 00:00:00 EDT 1990 · AAPG Bulletin (American Association of Petroleum Geologists); (USA)

OSTI ID:5968324

Evans, A L ^[1]

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1. Stanford Univ., CA (USA)

Time-compositional relations inferred from point counts of 46 upper Oligocene to middle Miocene syn-rift sandstones from Gulf of Suez outcrops are used to further constrain the uplift and unroofing history of this Neogene continental rift. Although earliest rifting began by approximately 24 Ma, as evidenced by minor basaltic volcanism, the main phase of crustal extension, tectonic subsidence of the axial trough, and rift-margin uplift began approximately 19 Ma. Oligocene and basal Miocene (Nukhul Formation) sandstones are dominated by monocrystalline quartz and clasts derived from only the youngest prerift strata (Eocene), indicating that relief was probably less than 200 m until 20 Ma. The lower Miocene Rudeis Formation records both major subsidence in the axial trough and peak unroofing of the prerift sedimentary sequence from 19-16 Ma. Middle Miocene sandstones derived from the Kareem and Belayim formations are increasingly dominated by crystalline basement-derived detritus, recording rapid increase in rift-margin relief after approximately 14 Ma. Diachronism in the first appearance of unroofed basement detritus across the rift indicates uplift of the western margin may have preceded that of the eastern margin by as much as 2 m.y. Once rapid uplift began, between about 20-17 Ma, unroofing of a maximum of 1000 m of the prerift strata occurred in less than 2 m.y. 9 figs., 2 tabs.

• OSTI ID: 5968324
• Journal Information: AAPG Bulletin (American Association of Petroleum Geologists); (USA), Vol. 74:9; ISSN 0149-1423
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
58 GEOSCIENCES
EGYPTIAN ARAB REPUBLIC
PETROLEUM DEPOSITS
GULF OF SUEZ
RESERVOIR ROCK
GEOLOGIC HISTORY
TECTONICS
SANDSTONES
TERTIARY PERIOD
AFRICA
CENOZOIC ERA
DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
GEOLOGIC AGES
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
MINERAL RESOURCES
RED SEA
RESOURCES
ROCKS
SEAS
SEDIMENTARY ROCKS
SURFACE WATERS
020200* - Petroleum- Reserves
Geology
& Exploration
580000 - Geosciences