This research studies the economic importance of lower Cretaceous
clay deposits of South Palmyra folding zone. This study carried out
using appropriate research methods. The Palmyra sand formation,
which includes clays deposits, has divided into t
hree units depending
on its lithological facies. Its chemical and mineral composition and
physical properties had identified, it is mostly of Kaolinite, Illite, Quartz
and other secondary minerals.
The Petrological study of Clay deposits belonging to the lower
Cretaceous in the northern part of South Palmyra Folding Zone.
Showed they were formed as a result of weathering processes of
igneous rocks within Sedimentary continental climate is ho
t and wet
conditions, and formed lateritic iron soil, followed by enrich,
erosion and washing caused by watery agitate and re-replaced for
short distances within valleys or grooves or local karst cavities, and
later filled by crust erosion materials through the Cretaceous Sea
transgression.
Clay mineralogy of the Miocene successions taken from northern Iraq
constitute an important paleoenvironmental indication for the evolution of
these sediments. Palygorskite is a common mineral especially in the lower
Miocene sediments of Euphrates
formation and the upper detrital part of the
Fat'ha Formation belonging to the middle Miocene. Scanning Electron
Microscope (SEM) study indicated that this mineral, was formed authigenically
by neoformation in suitable chemical conditions within the evaporitic
environments. Other minerals (kaoloinite and illite) have been most probable
formed in detrital system and were preserved in those evaporitic conditions.
Common kaolinites in the Injana clastic Formation (Upper Miocene) as well as
its habit in SEM images are indicators for its detrital origin in such continental
sediments.
