Stratigraphic Setting, Facies Types, and Mineral Paragenesis of the Carbonate-Bearing Tertiary Sedimentary Succession of Usfan Area, West-Central Saudi Arabia
Received: 14 July 2025 | Revised: 29 August 2025 | Accepted: 9 September 2025 | Online: 9 October 2025
Corresponding author: Ali A. Mesaed
Abstract
The present study provides insights into the stratigraphy, facies, and mineral paragenesis of the sedimentary succession of the Usfan area, based on detailed stratigraphic measurements and microscopic descriptions of the different rock units. The study described five distinct rock units: Unit I-Ferruginous sandstone, sandy ironstone; Unit II-Green clays-Phosphatic glauconitic sandstone; Unit III: Fossiliferous Limestone-Dolostone; Unit IV-Green Clay-Glauconitic Ironstone; and Unit V-Tuffaceous Mudstone-Basalt. The depositional environments start with the thinly bedded clastic facies of a lagoonal setting. This is followed by a vertical transition from lagoonal to shallow marine transgression and starved conditions of low clastic input during which the phosphatic green clays were deposited. Subsequently, a period of thick-bedded white fossiliferous limestone succession takes place. After the deposition of the carbonate unit, the area is dominated by a second new marine transgression and deposition of interbedded green clays and glauconitic sandstone. The study also revealed that the area was subjected to progressive regression and subaerial volcanic activities, dominated by the deposition of tuffaceous mudstones under the fluctuation of water depth and the formation of red/green tuffaceous mudstones, overlain by bedded grey tuffaceous basalt, ultimately terminated by black vesicular basalt.
Keywords:
Usfan area, tertiary sedimentary succession, green claysDownloads
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