Miocene platform-margin reefs, Gulf of Suez, Egypt

Conference · Fri Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1988

OSTI ID:6591694

Noel, J P; Rosen, B; Coniglio, M

Jebel Abu Shaar is a completely dolomitized carbonate platform atop a crystalline basement horst on the western side of the Gulf of Suez. Margins of the platform, where not removed by synsedimentary faulting, are formed by well-developed coral reefs. The massive reef carbonates consistently illustrate two stages of growth: a basal paucispecific unit of branching coral bafflestone, mostly Stylophora and a thicker upper unit of diverse coral framestone, dominated by faviids. In the upper unit, the reef crest is massive columnar Porites and less common Caulastrea framestone. The back-reef is a framestone of diverse faviids, mainly Montastrea Favites, and Tarbellastrea, and interbedded reef-flat rhodolite rudstones. The back-reef and reef-flat facies grade onshelf into Stylophora bafflestone biostromers and faviid bioherms. The reef front is a shallow to intermediate depth zone of numerous and diverse faviids, dominated by Montastrea and Acanthastrea framestones, bioclastic sands, and hardgrounds. Deeper zones are mostly small Acanthastrea mounds or rhodolite/bivalve rudstones with scattered faviids and Acanthastrea. Synsedimentary lithification, internal sedimentationm, and bioerosion prevail throughout. A deep-water, slope-parallel biostrome of ahermatypic corals, dominated by Dendrophyllia and containing numerous Balanophyllia and Madracis, is present 10 km north of Abu Shaar. Corals are well cemented by numerous rinds of marine cement which is overlain by geopetal internal sediment containing planktonic foraminifers and pteropods.

• OSTI ID: 6591694
• Report Number(s): CONF-880301-
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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AFRICA
AQUATIC ORGANISMS
BIOGEOCHEMISTRY
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBONATES
CENOZOIC ERA
CHEMISTRY
CNIDARIA
CONTINENTAL MARGIN
CORALS
DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
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GEOCHEMISTRY
GEOLOGIC AGES
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
GEOLOGIC FAULTS
GEOLOGIC FRACTURES
GEOLOGIC HISTORY
GEOLOGIC STRUCTURES
GEOLOGY
GULF OF SUEZ
MINERAL RESOURCES
MIOCENE EPOCH
NATURAL GAS DEPOSITS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PETROLEUM DEPOSITS
PETROLEUM GEOLOGY
PLANKTON
RED SEA
REEFS
RESOURCES
SEAS
SEDIMENTATION
SURFACE WATERS
TERTIARY PERIOD