GEOLOGICAL MAPPING OF SOUTH AL-NASIRIYA AREA CSALE (1:25000) (SECOND STAGE)

Abstract

Geological mapping for anarea about 2000 Kmwas carried out with accuracy of 1:25 000. It is located within the eastern part of the southern desert, within Al-Nasiriya and Al- Muthana governorates, 35 km to the south and southwest of Al-Nasiriya city. Geomorphologically; the project area is located within the Southern Desert of Iraq. Several types of geomorghological units were developed in the project area, they are of;denudational, fluvial, Aeolian,evaporation origins and man-made origins Stratigraphically, the area is built up of foursedimentary rocksformations ranging in age from Upper Eocene to Pliocene-Pleistocene; they are Dammam, Ghar , Nfayil and Dibdibba formations,further more various types of Quaternary sediments. Structurally, the area lies within the Inner plate of the Mesopotamian Flood Plain, The exposed strata of Eocene to Pleistocene have slightly regional dip towards northeast. The geochemical study of the exposed rocks of Eocene (Dammam Formation), Miocene (Nfayil and Ghar formations), Pliocene-Pleistocene (Dibdibbaformation) depending on 68 rock samples. The samples were analyzed for SiO2, MgO, Fe2O3, Al2O3, CaO, L.O.I, Na2O, K2O, Cl and SO3. The samples comprise different lithologies, from carbonates to clastic; belong to different stratigraphic positions .Beside 2 samples for XRD to determine clay minerals in addition to 119 samples for paleontology and petrology. The most economic materials in the studied area is the Industrial materials,such as carbonate materials.