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Stratigraphic studies on Quaternary floodplain deposits of the Eastern Gefara Plain. S.P.L.A.J.

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 March 2015

J. M. Anketell  and
S. M. Ghellali
J. M. Anketell
Affiliation:
Department of Geology, University of Manchester
S. M. Ghellali
Affiliation:
Department of Geology, Al Fateh University, Tripoli
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Abstract

The Quaternary deposits of the Gefara Plain are comprised of three major facies – alluvial fan facies of sands and gravels which blankets the base of the Jebel Nafusa escarpment; floodplain facies of fluvial sands and silts with aeolian dunes which underlies most of the Gefara Plain and, aeolian coastal dune facies, predominantly calcarenitic, which is confined to a narrow coastal zone. Well exposed sections in the eastern part of the plain allow sub-division of the floodplain deposits into a number of mappable units defined and bounded by surfaces of stratigraphic discontinuity. The lithologies of these units are described and compared from selected type sections. The relationships between the units, their geometry, and the nature of the surfaces of stratigraphic discontinuity are discussed. It is proposed that, the lithostratigraphic sequence displayed by the Quaternary floodplain deposits of the eastern Gefara region provides a firm basis for correlation, not only with floodplain deposits in other parts of the plain but also with the other major facies developed in the area. In addition, the recognition of significant stratigraphic breaks in the sedimentary sequence combined with facies analysis lays a firm foundation for an interpretation of the geological history of the region.

Type
Articles
Information
Libyan Studies , Volume 14 , 1983 , pp. 16 - 38
Copyright
Copyright © Society for Libyan Studies 1983

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