GEOLOGICAL MAPPING SCALE 1:25000 OF WEST KARBALA FOURTH STAGE

Abstract

Area about 1000 Km was studied to execute detailed geological mapping with accuracy of 1:25 000. It is located within the northeastern part of the southern desert, within Karbala, Al-Najaf and Al- Anbar governorate, about 46 Km to the south and southwest of Karbala city, 22km to the south of shithatha city and about 70 km to the WNW of Najaf city. Geomorphologically,the project area is located within the Southern Desert. Several types of geomorghological units are developed within the project area, they are of, structural-denudational, fluvial, denudational, aeolian and of evaporation origins. Stratigraphically,the area is built up of four formations of sedimentary rocks ranging in age from Late Eocene to Middle Miocene, they are Dammam, Euphrates, Euphrates-Ghar Interfingering Zone, Nfayil and Zahra formations beside various types The geochemical evolution of the exposed rocks of Eocene (Dammam Formation)and Miocene (Nfayil, Euphrates and transition zone of Ghar – Euphrates The most importanteconomic materials in the studied areais limestone in addition to of Quaternary sediments. Structurally, the area lies within the Outer plate of the Mesopotamian Flood Plain, the exposed strata ofEocene to Pleistocene age haveslightly regional dip towards northeast. thebest deposits accumulation of mixed sand and gravelalong wadies. interfingering formations)depending on 84 rock samples. The samples were analyzed for SiO2, MgO, Fe2O3, Al2O3, CaO,L.O.I, Na2O, K2O, Cl and SO3. Thesamples comprise different lithologies, from carbonates toclastic, belong to different stratigraphicpositions. Hydrogeologically, eight aquifers are distinguished in the project area, Dammam aquifer is the main one. Water qualityis mainly sulphatic and the Ground water is not suitable for drinking and irrigation.