Calcareous nannofossil biostratigraphy and paleoecology of the Cenomanian – Turonian transition in the Tarfaya Basin, southern Morocco

An abundant and diverse nannoflora occurs across the Cenomanian/Turonian (C/T) boundary at Tazra in the Tarfaya Basin of southern Morocco. The nannoflora of this sequence permits recognition of three biozones (CC10-CC12), three subzones (CC10a, CC10b and CC10c), and thirteen important nannolith bioevents previously reported from this interval elsewhere. The floral record shows erratic species abundance fluctuations that clearly vary with lithology and reflect at least in part preservational bias and diagenetic processes. In general, four dissolution resistant taxa are dominant: Watznaueria barnesae, Eiffellithus turriseiffelii, Eprolithus floralis, and Zeugrhabdotus spp. The late Cenomanian Zone CC10 marks a rapid excursion in ∂¹³C and is characterized by the successive extinction of four taxa, which are widely recognized as reliable biomarkers: Corollithion kennedyi, Axopodorhabdus albianus, Lithraphidites acutus, and Helenea chiastia. This interval is also marked by high species richness and high abundance of the tropical species Watznaueria barnesae, suggesting warm tropical waters. The subsequent ∂¹³C plateau and organic carbon-rich black shale deposition of the oceanic anoxic event (OAE2) is characterized by low species richness, but high nannofossil abundance, and peak abundance of the cool water and high productivity indicator Zeugrhabdotus spp., followed by the first peak abundance of cool water Eprolithus floralis. This interval correlates with the planktic foraminiferal diversity minimum and the Heterohelix shift, which marks the expansion of the oxygen minimum zone (OMZ). The C/T boundary is identified based on the FO of Quadrum gartneri, which is <1 m below the FO of the planktic foraminifer C/T marker Helvetoglobotruncana helvetica. In the early and middle Turonian, the two dominant species, tropical W. barnesae and cool water E. floralis, alternate in abundance and suggest fluctuating climatic conditions.     

Integrated biostratigraphy and palaeoenvironments of an upper Santonian - upper Campanian succession from the southern part of the Eastern Carpathians, Romania

Study of an upper Santonian to upper Campanian hemipelagic succession from the southern part of the Romanian Eastern Carpathians enables us to establish an integrated biostratigraphy based on planktonic foraminifera and calcareous nannofossils and to compare this record with the agglutinated foraminiferal biozonation used for the Carpathians.Benthic foraminiferal assemblages were investigated using several methods, such as agglutinated and calcareous benthic foraminiferal morphogroups, and the benthic foraminiferal oxygen index in order to determine their response to environmental parameters in the basin (correlated with sea-level maxima documented by regional sea-level curves for the Tethys). A pattern of changes in benthic foraminiferal communities associated with increased organic carbon flux and rising sea-levels can be summarized as follows in the studied succession. As sea-level begins to rise there is an increase in the proportion of calcareous benthic foraminifera at the expense of agglutinated foraminifera within the benthic assemblages (earliest Campanian, mid-late Campanian). Once sea-level rises, an increase in the elongate keeled morphotype of agglutinated foraminifera (shallower water forms) can be observed, and if sea-level remains high for an extended period (as in the early Campanian) then an invasion of both agglutinated and benthic calcareous foraminifera characteristic of outer shelf-upper slope environments take place in the basin. The variations in tubular and deep infaunal morphotypes of agglutinated foraminifera are ascribed to varying levels of organic carbon flux.     

Regional record of a global oceanic anoxic event: OAE1a on the Apulia Platform margin, Gargano Promontory, southern Italy

The Gargano Promontory of southern Italy, located on the eastern margin of the Apulia Platform, represents a peculiar Tethyan area where the transition between carbonate platform and adjacent basins is exposed on land. The Aptian stratigraphic record, represented in shallow-water, slope and deep-water deposits, provides a good opportunity to investigate the regional response to the worldwide documented climatic, biotic and palaeoceanographic changes related to Oceanic Anoxic Event 1a (OAE1a). A synthesis of data previously published (Ischitella and Coppitella sections), together with original data (Val Carbonara and Coppa della Guardia sections), from four stratigraphic sections from different depositional settings (proximal to distal) is provided, using an integrated, high-resolution micropalaeontological (planktonic foraminifera and calcareous nannofossils) and, for one section, geochemical (stable carbon and oxygen isotopes) approach. Organic matter preservation is confined to the more distal areas and consists of two thin intervals of black shales in the Aptian portion of the Marne a Fucoidi Formation. Biostratigraphic data assign the older black shale (5 cm thick) to the Selli Level equivalent (OAE1a, Lower Aptian); this carbon-rich interval is immediately followed by another black shale (7–10 cm thick) of early Late Aptian age.OAE1a is generally interpreted as a high-productivity event during a warming interval, followed by a cooling trend. In the Gargano Promontory, although the oxygen isotope curve indicates the above-mentioned climatic evolution, the micropalaeontological data do not support high fertility of the surface water, whereas micropalaeontological and geochemical data for the younger black shale do record high productivity (radiolarian increase in overall abundance, low nannofossil and foraminiferal species richness, increase in abudance of nannofossil fertility indices) associated with a cooling trend. The carbon and oxygen isotope record is in line with evidence from the curves documented elsewhere, whereas, among the biotic events, only the “nannoconid crisis” preceding OAE1a is revealed to be globally correlable.Environmental models for the two episodes of organic matter preservation are proposed, taking into account both global and local controlling factors.     

A new platypterygiine ichthyosaur rostrum from the Lower Cretaceous of the Lessini Mountains (Northern Italy)

An incomplete rostrum of a platypterygiine ichthyosaur (IGVR 94574) has recently been found near Tregnago (Verona, Italy), in the Lessini Mts. This is the first Cretaceous ichthyosaurian fossil found in Italy outside the northern Apennines, where fragmentary remains have been recovered since the 19^th century.IGVR 94574 is a mid-distal rostral fragment infilled by a white, fine-grained limestone matrix. It consists of the premaxilla, nasal, vomer, dentary, and splenial, together with 20 teeth.Even if the exact horizon of provenance is unknown, analysis of the microfossil content of the matrix (planktonic foraminifera and calcareous nannofossils) allowed us to assign it to the lower part of the upper Albian. This is also the first Cretaceous ichthyosaur in Italy with a precise age: all previously reported fossils from the Apennines could not be dated due to the complete absence of microfossils in the surrounding matrix.We assign IGVR 94572 to Platypterygiinae; generic specification is not possible pending the taxonomic revision of the genus Platypterygius.Finally, the Tregnago rostrum is strikingly similar to the specimen IPUM 30139 from Gombola (Modena, Italy), stored in the collections of the Paleontological Museum of Modena and Reggio Emilia University and also attributable to a platypterygiine ichthyosaur. The comparison between these two fossils reveals the teeth are very similar both in shape and size.     

Heavy metals in the benthic foraminifera from the coastal lagoons,Red Sea,Egypt: indicators of anthropogenic impact on environment (case study)

Concentrations of Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, Pb, Ni, and Cd were measured in several species and genera of Recent benthic foraminifera from three coastal lagoons, namely Abu-Shaar, Umm al-Huwaytat, and Marsa Shuni lagoons located along the Egyptian Red Sea coast. Spatially significant differences in the metal concentrations of benthic foraminifera were recorded among different sites. However, some foraminiferal species display deformation in their coiling, general shape of chambers and the apertures. Abu-Shaar and Umm al-Huwaytat lagoons are virtually influenced by anthropogenic activities while Marsa Shuni lagoon is affected by natural inputs. Benthic foraminifer shows high concentrations of Fe and Mn, especially in Umm al-Huwaytat lagoon. Foraminiferal black tests support this result and reflect selectivity for iron absorption. Among the metals analyzed, Cd, Pb, and Cu showed significant high concentrations in benthic foraminifera at the study areas. The anthropogenic activities and natural inputs are responsible for the abnormalities in benthic foraminifera. Therefore, benthic foraminifera can be used as a good indicator of the environmental changes.     

Stratigraphy of the Cenomanian–Turonian Oceanic Anoxic Event OAE2 in shallow shelf sequences of NE Egypt

Two shallow water late Cenomanian to early Turonian sequences of NE Egypt have been investigated to evaluate the response to OAE2. Age control based on calcareous nannoplankton, planktic foraminifera and ammonite biostratigraphies integrated with δ¹³C stratigraphy is relatively good despite low diversity and sporadic occurrences. Planktic and benthic foraminiferal faunas are characterized by dysoxic, brackish and mesotrophic conditions, as indicated by low species diversity, low oxygen and low salinity tolerant planktic and benthic species, along with oyster-rich limestone layers. In these subtidal to inner neritic environments the OAE2 δ¹³C excursion appears comparable and coeval to that of open marine environments. However, in contrast to open marine environments where anoxic conditions begin after the first δ¹³C peak and end at or near the Cenomanian–Turonian boundary, in shallow coastal environments anoxic conditions do not appear until the early Turonian. This delay in anoxia appears to be related to the sea-level transgression that reached its maximum in the early Turonian, as observed in shallow water sections from Egypt to Morocco.     

On the Validity and Evolution of Assilina Species during the Ypresian–Lutetian: Example from Bir Dakhl, Eastern Desert, Egypt

The genus Assilina is a taxon within the Nummulitacea that appeared early in the Ypresian (Early Eocene) and continued until the end of the Lutetian (Middle Eocene). Thus, this taxon could be useful for the chronostratigraphy of this time interval. Lower Eocene rocks in southern Galala, Egypt are exposed at Bir Dakhl. This section includes marl sediments with debris flow shallow-marine facies deposits laid down during early Eocene times and includes fossils of large foraminifera: Assilina placentula Deshayes, 1838 and Nummulites burdigalensis de la Harpe, 1926. These are systematically treated, described and illustrated. Nummulites burdigalensis belongs to the N. burdigalensis group, and Assilina placentula belongs to the group of Assilina exponens. This assumption is based on qualitative morphology and quantitative measurements. Both species, together with Operculina libyca Schwager, 1883, enable the assignment of the Bir Dakhl (D5-40 Section) to the Early Eocene, Ypresian (SBZ10 of Serra- Kiel et al., 1998) supporting an earlier opinion that Assilina placentula belongs to that zone in the calibrated larger foraminiferal biostratigraphic zonation.     

Late Cretaceous calcareous nannofossil and planktonic foraminiferal bioevents of the shallow-marine carbonate platform in the Mitla Pass, west central Sinai, Egypt

The first detailed biostratigraphic analyses of the Coniacian-middle Campanian shallow-marine carbonate successions exposed in the Mitla Pass, west central Sinai, Egypt have revealed the stratigraphic distribution of diverse calcareous nannofossil and planktonic foraminiferal species. Thirty-six calcareous nannofossils and thirty-two planktonic foraminifera are identified, indicating a Coniacian to middle Campanian age and four Tethyan planktonic foraminiferal and five calcareous nannofossil zones. A comparison of these bioevents from different palaeolatitudes shows considerable variation in age.Three sequence boundaries coincident with the Turonian/Coniacian, Coniacian/Santonian and Santonian/Campanian stage boundaries are recognized. A fourth sequence boundary is marked by a major upper Campanian to early Ypresian (early Eocene) unconformity. These sequence boundaries are primarily related to regional tectonism associated with the Syrian Arc Fold System and secondarily to eustatic sea-level fluctuations.     

Genesis and evaluation of heavy minerals in black sands: A case study from the southern Eastern Desert of Egypt

Black sands in the southern Eastern Desert (SED) of Egypt contain substantial reserves of heavy minerals (up to 5 %), and are found mainly in three basins namely: Hodein, Ibib and Diit between Shalateen and Halayeeb cities. The heavy minerals in these black sands include ilmenite-leucoxene (31 %–44 %), magnetite (15–18 %), zircon (11–21 %), garnet and green silicates (11–15 %), rutile (6–12 %) and monazite (2–4 %). Cassiterite, thorite, uranothorite, gold, xenotime and chromian spinel are minor quantities (<1 %). Magnetite (FeO: 75–93.5 wt%) and ilmenite (TiO₂: 42.7–56.9 wt%), hosting high Mn, V, Zr, Zn, Cr, Nb and Co, were probably derived from gabbroic rocks. The detrital chromian spinel composition (Cr#, 0.51–0.61; Mg#, 0.5–0.63; TiO₂ < 1.0 wt%) and its morphology are similar to those of spinels in fore-arc peridotites from the SED of Egypt, suggesting dominance of fore-arc basins for peridotite emplacement. These basins were formed during arc-arc or arc-oceanic crust collision and encolsed ophiolites, gabbroic rocks and I-type granites as sources of the SED black sands. The studied garnets are mostly almandine in composition with few grossularite and spessartine; they might have been derived from I-type granites and gneisses sources. The rutile and monazite show enriched LREE relative to HREE, and display marked defeciency in Eu, suggesting highly fractionated granitic rocks as a main source. Two distinct types of zircon are recorded: radioactive (Hf: 1578–8770, Y: 319–1335, U: 36–114 and Th: 40–64 ppm) and non radioactive (Hf: 427, Y: 44, U: 2 and Th: 2 ppm); they were probably derived from different granitic sources. Compositions and P-T conditions (T: 655–970 °C, P: 1.18–9.53 kbar) of magmatic amphiboles are similar to those derived from I-type granitoids. Bulk analyses of the economic heavy mineral assemblages show significant concentrations of Fe (393 kg/ton)_, Zr (183 kg/ton) and Ti (129 kg/ton) with minor Cr (14 kg/ton), Ba (7 kg/ton), Hf (4.9 kg/ton), Th (up to 3.34 kg/ton) and U (0.29 kg/ton). The elevated contents of Th and U could be related to the occurrence of monazite and zircon with subordinate thorite, uranothorite and xenotime. The total REE contents of these bulk analyses range from 1 to 4 kg/ton, where LREEs form 80–90 % of total REEs. Monazite (ΣREEs: 443604 ppm on average), garnet, zicon (ΣREEs: 421 ppm) and rutile (ΣREEs: 309 ppm) are the main host of REEs in the investigated black sands. Tonnages of raw sands, to a depth of one meter, are estimated per 10 km² in each basin, giving 18 million tons for Ibib basin and 19 million tons for both Diit and Hodein basins. Economic heavy minerals constitute 6–26 % of the total heavy minerals and around 1.0 % of total raw sands. Calculated reserves of these economic minerals, per 10 km² of black sands, range from 0.1 million ton in Ibib and Hodein basins to 0.2 million ton in the Diit basin.     

Notatudiadema and Aegyptiaris: Two new regular echinoids genera with two new species from the Cenomanian of north Sinai,Egypt

Revision of the Cenomanian echinoids deposited in the Cairo Geological Museum resulted in the erection of two new genera with two new species of regular echinoids. The first, Notatudiadema rekeibensis gen. and sp. nov. is established for specimens from the Cenomanian of Gabal El-Rekeib, southeast the Maghara massif, north Sinai to accommodate diadematoid echinoids having hemi-crenulate ambital and sub-ambital interambulacral tubercles with the adapical part of platform non-crenulate and the adoral one of same tubercle coarsely crenulate. The second is Aegyptiaris halalensis gen. and sp. nov., erected for material from the lower Cenomanian of Gabal El-Halal, northeast Sinai as an emiratiid echinoid with throughout polyporus ambulacra and extremely reduced adapical ambulacral tubercles. The functional morphology and paleobiology of these taxa are also discussed. A new family is established: family Monodiadematidae fam. nov.     

Palynology and genetic sequence stratigraphy of the reservoir rocks (Cenomanian,Bahariya Formation) in the Salam Oil Field,north Western Desert,Egypt

Twenty-eight samples from the Bahariya Formation of the Salam-17 Well in the north Western Desert were palynologically investigated. These samples are of Cenomanian age. Fair diversity and fair to moderately preserved palynomorph assemblage has been recovered. Among them, the dinoflagellate cysts showed very poor diversity and abundance. Four miospore zones have been informally identified in the lower Cenomanian. Various palynofacies criteria, adopted from previous publications (e.g. relative particle abundance data, brown to black wood ratio, equi-dimensional to lath-shaped black wood ratio, average size of phytoclasts and spores/pollen ratio) are applied as alternative indicators to monitor the proximal–distal trends instead of the marine palynomorphs-based parameters. The method can be applied in the Egyptian Western Desert to overcome the rarity and absence of dinoflagellate cysts in the recovered organic residues. The palynofacies study of the section demonstrates a predominantly regressive phase, characterized by deltaic, distributary or tidal channels, interrupted by short-lived marine incursions. The palynofacies trends within the studied succession indicate six genetic sequences informally described as Genetic Stratigraphic Sequences A through F.     

Ecological environment response of benthic foraminifera to heavy metals and human engineering: A case study from Jiaozhou Bay,China

The estuary and coastal zone are the key areas for socio-economic development,and they are also the important channels for pollutants transported to the sea.The construction of the Jiaozhou Bay Bridge changed the hydrodynamic condition of the bay,which made the self-purification capacity of the bay weakened and the pollution in the estuary and adjacent coastal zone become more serious.In this study,55 surface sediment samples were collected from the three seriously polluted estuaries and the adjacent coastal zone of Jiaozhou Bay to comprehensively study how the benthic foraminifera response to heavy metal pollution and human engineering,and to assess the ecological risks of the bay.A total of 80 species,belonging to 42 genera,were identified in this study.The results showed that Cu,Pb,Cr,Hg,Zn,and As had low to median ecological risks in the study area which would definitely affect the ecological system.The construction of the Jiaozhou Bay Bridge has resulted in pollutants accumulated at the river mouth of Loushan River,which has adverse effects on the survival and growth of benthic foraminifera.The lowest population density and diversity as well as the highest FAI(Foraminiferal Abnormality Index)and FMI(Foraminiferal Monitoring Index)occurred at Loushan River Estuary which indicated that the ecological environment of the northeastern part of Jiaozhou Bay(Loushan River Estuary)had been seriously damaged.Licun River and Haipo River estuaries and the adjacent coastal zone were slightly polluted and had low ecological risk.As a consequence,it suggested that the supervision of industrial and domestic waste discharge and the protection of the ecological environment in northeast Jiaozhou Bay should be paid more attention.     

A fossiliferous resin from the Cenomanian of the Paris and Aquitanian basins of northwestern France

The discovery of a Cenomanian fossiliferous resin at different localities in the Paris and Aquitanian basins of northwestern France is described. The abiotic peculiarities and methodological difficulties are mentioned and evidence for the following arachnid and insect orders given: Phalangiida, Araneae; Blattariae, Isoptera, Psocoptera (?), Heteroptera, Planipennia, Coleoptera, Hymenoptera, Lepidoptera and Diptera. Biostratonomic and palaeoecological implications are discussed.     

Desert Pavement Disturbance and Artifact Taphonomy: A Case Study from the Eastern Libyan Plateau,Egypt

Accretionary desert pavements on the eastern Libyan Plateau of central Egypt support a rich Middle and Upper Paleolithic artifact assemblage exhibiting intensive blank production and minimal tool production. These assemblages appear to be in primary context with numerous examples of lithic refits showing on‐site lithic production. However, the smallest (length ≤2.5 cm) archaeological fragments are recovered at a much lower rate on this desert pavement surface than expected given comparable data from lithic assemblages in cave and shelter contexts in France. Excavation of archaeological contexts on the Libyan Plateau reveals the loss of small artifact fragments into the subsurface due to aeolian accumulation of silts, whereas geomorphic examination of desert pavement surfaces suggests a potential for relatively isolated bioturbation as a source of lateral and vertical disturbance of desert pavement surfaces over small areas. Archaeologists should be aware of the potential for long‐term assemblage stability as well as small artifact burial in surficial desert pavement contexts.     

Recent contributions to the standard Albian/Cenomanian boundary chronology from Hokkaido,Japan: A review for data reintegration and numerical age recalibration

The numerical age of the Albian/Cenomanian (A/C) boundary (=Early/Late Cretaceous Epoch boundary) has recently been updated using new radiometric dates from Hokkaido, Japan. Yet, an element of uncertainty still remains in the age scaling due to inaccurate chronostratigraphic contexts surrounding the tuff beds that have been geochronologically studied in the Oyubari and Soeushinai areas. To ensure stability in the Cretaceous time scale, this paper rigorously reevaluates the current status of Hokkaido A/C chronology, clarifying the limitations and making refinements via proper reintegration of published chronostratigraphic data. In the case of the Oyubari area, its A/C biostratigraphic scheme is limited by near-absence of ammonites and planktonic foraminifera at the Albian–Cenomanian transition, resulting in a large discrepancy in the proposed boundary levels based on these macro- and microfossil taxa. These problems can be solved by solid data integration aided by event- and δ¹³C-sratigraphy from the adjacent Ashibetsu area, wherein the A/C boundary is well documented by the superior planktonic foraminiferal record. Based on the resultant A/C boundary redefinition for the Oyubari area in conjunction with a simple linear interpolation from two published UPb ages, the A/C boundary age can be independently calibrated to be 100.8 Ma [with ±1.4 Myr uncertainty (=analytical precision)], which is consistent with that currently in use in the Geologic Time Scale 2012 (100.5 ± 0.4 Ma). In the case of the Soeushinai area, its chronostratigraphic framework is limited by rather complex geological structure and vertically/laterally variable lithologies. Moreover, the accuracy of geochronological data from this area is undermined by the fact that the dated tuff levels do not bracket the inferred A/C boundary.     

Paleozoic glaciation in NE Africa: field and remote sensing-based evidence from the South Eastern Desert of Egypt

ABSTRACT

Exhumed Paleozoic glacial deposits and landforms of the North Gondwana are reported here for the first time from the South Eastern Desert (SED) of Egypt. Using field observations and remote sensing datasets (Advanced Land Observing Satellite [ALOS], Phased Array L-band Synthetic Aperture Radar [PALSAR] radar, multispectral Landsat TM datasets, and digital elevation models [DEMs]), we mapped the distribution of Paleozoic glacial features (i.e. deposits and landforms) in the SED. Two main glaciogenic facies were identified in three locations in the SED: (1) massive, poorly sorted, matrix supported, boulder-rich diamictites in Wadi El-Naam and Korbiai, and (2) moderately-sorted, occasionally bedded outwash deposits in Betan area. Inspection of radar, DEMs, and Landsat Operational Land Imager (OLI) images revealed previously unrecognized ENE-WSW trending glacial megalineations (MLs) over the peneplained Neoproterozoic basement rocks in the central sections of the SED, whose trends align along their projected extension with those of glacial features (tunnel valleys and striation trends) reported from Saudi Arabia. The glaciogenic features in the SED are believed to be largely eroded during the uplift associated with the Red Sea opening, except for those preserved as basal units beneath the Nubia Sandstone Formation or as remnant isolated deposits within paleo-depressions within the basement complex. The apparent spatial correlation of the SED glacial features with well-defined Late Ordovician deposits in North Africa and in Saudi Arabia, and the reported thermochronometric analyses and fossil records are consistent with a Late Ordovician age for the SED glaciogenic features and support models that call on the continuation of the Late Ordovician (Hirnantian) ice sheet from the Sahara into Arabia through the SED of Egypt.     

色度学方法的深时研究:以藏南贡扎剖面白垩系赛诺曼/土仑阶为例

色度学方法在揭示未固结或半固结沉积物沉积时的古气候方面有着良好的应用,但成岩或成岩后演化对原岩成分的改造使得其在已成岩岩石中的应用还不多。文中以藏南定日贡扎剖面白垩系晚赛诺曼阶到早土仑阶的98件岩石样品为研究对象,应用色度学方法,并结合镜下观察和主量元素分析,得到以下的主要结论:(1)对样品的CIE1976L*a*b*色度空间分析显示,L*与a*的变化趋势呈镜像对称,通过快速傅里叶变换可识别出半周期分别为9.2m和1.8m的两个主周期;而L*与b*的变化趋势大致相同。(2)色度指标与主量元素的相关性分析表明,L*值与碳酸盐含量正向相关,b*值可能主要与Mn元素含量相关,L*和b*可以对古海洋化学条件做出一些制约;a*受粘土矿物含量制约,反映了古气候的变化。     

From platform to basin: the evolution of a Paleocene carbonate margin (Eastern Desert, Egypt)

In this study, progradation and the subsequent retrogradation of a late Paleocene isolated carbonate platform (Galala Mountains, Eastern Desert, Egypt) is demonstrated by variations of distinct facies associations from the platform margin in the north to the hemipelagic basin in the south. A combination of a sea-level drop and tectonic uplift at around 59 Ma (calcareous nannofossil biozone NP5) favored the initiation of the carbonate platform. From this time onwards, the facies distribution along the platform–basin transect can be subdivided into five facies belts comprising nine different facies associations. Their internal relationships and specific depositional settings are strongly coupled with the Maastrichtian–Paleocene seafloor topography, which resulted from local tectonic movements. Patch reefs and reef debris were deposited at the platform margin and the horizontally bedded limestones on the upper slope. Slumps and debris flows were stored on the lower slope. In the subhorizontal toe-of-slope facies belt, mass-flow deposits pass into calciturbidites. Further southwards in the basin, only hemipelagic marls were deposited. Between 59 and 56.2 Ma (NP5–NP8), the overall carbonate platform system prograded in several pulses. Distinct changes in facies associations from 56.2 to 55.5 Ma (NP9) resulted from rotational block movements. They led to increased subsidence at the platform margin and a coeval uplift in the toe-of-slope areas. This resulted in the retrogradation of the carbonate platform. Furthermore the patch-reef and reef-debris facies associations were substituted by the larger foraminifera shoal association. The retrogradation is also documented by a significant decrease in slump and debris-flow deposits on the slope and calciturbidites at the toe of slope.     

The Neoproterozoic Kolet Um Kharit bimodal metavolcanic rocks, south Eastern Desert, Egypt: a case of enrichment from plume interaction?

Neoproterozoic metavolcanic rocks of Kolet Um Kharit (KUKh) in the southern Eastern Desert of Egypt have been traditionally regarded as a bimodal island-arc sequence. However, geological and geochemical arguments presented here make this interpretation doubtful. Geochemically, these rocks are classified into mafic (tholeiitic basalts) and felsic (high-K rhyodacites to rhyolites) groups. Both the KUKh mafic and felsic metavolcanic rocks show similar geochemical characteristics, implying a genetic link. They have comparable trace element ratios, such as Zr/Nb (27–30 vs. 20–36), Y/Nb (5.44–6.25 vs. 5.05–5.9), K/Rb (577–1164 vs. 573–937), Ba/La (4.29–25–9 vs. 11.4–16.2), Nb/Yb (1.82–2.03 vs. 1.76–1.99). Similarly both groups have parallel LREE-enriched patterns (La/Yb_CN=2.37–2.81 vs. 2.55–3.17); and negative Nb and Ta anomalies (Nb/La_pm=0.51–0.58 vs. 0.45–0.52 and Ta/La_pm=0.51–0.62 vs. 0.49–0.55). The observed negative Nb and Ta anomalies in the KUKh metavolcanic rocks cannot be attributed to crustal contamination or fractional crystallization. These rocks could represent either a remnant of break-up LIP or were derived from an enriched mantle source containing subduction components beneath an intraoceanic back-arc basin. The recognition of the KUKh rocks as derived from an enriched mantle source revives interest in models that involve enrichment from “plume” interaction during the evolution of the Arabian-Nubian Shield.