Microfacies analysis and diagenetic history of Lower to Middle Eocene carbonates at Umm Russies area in the northeastern desert of Egypt

Abstract An integrated study, incorporating field observations and petrographic analysis, has been conducted on the Lower-Middle Eocene carbonates of the Umm Russies area, North Eastern Desert, Egypt. These carbonate sequence represented, from base to top, by Minia, Gebel Hof, and Observatory format...

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Main Authors: Mahmoud Abd-Elhameed, Gamal Attia, Yasser Salama, Asmaa El-Moghazy, Abdelaziz Mahmoud
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-06-01
Series:Scientific Reports
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-05365-7
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author Mahmoud Abd-Elhameed
Gamal Attia
Yasser Salama
Asmaa El-Moghazy
Abdelaziz Mahmoud
author_facet Mahmoud Abd-Elhameed
Gamal Attia
Yasser Salama
Asmaa El-Moghazy
Abdelaziz Mahmoud
author_sort Mahmoud Abd-Elhameed
collection DOAJ
description Abstract An integrated study, incorporating field observations and petrographic analysis, has been conducted on the Lower-Middle Eocene carbonates of the Umm Russies area, North Eastern Desert, Egypt. These carbonate sequence represented, from base to top, by Minia, Gebel Hof, and Observatory formations, primarily consisting of marl, dolomite, and limestone. The microfacies analysis allowed the identification of seven distinct microfacies types: bioclastic floatstone, ferruginous dolomite, bioclastic packstone, ferruginous peloidal grainstone, sandy rudstone, foraminiferal wackestone, and bioclastic packstone. These microfacies types reflect a deposition in a wide range of environments from high-energy inner ramp to low-energy middle ramp settings. The performed petrographic analysis indicates that the investigated carbonate rocks underwent significant modification through a range of diagenetic processes, such as micritization, glauconitization, and dolomitization, representing marine-phreatic, meteoric-phreatic, burial, and meteoric-vadose environments. These environments are part of three successive diagenetic stages; eogenesis, mesogenesis, and telogenesis. The relationship between diagenetic episodes and depositional settings highlights that high-energy inner ramp environments facilitated early cementation and micritization, while middle ramp conditions promoted dissolution and neomorphism. Restricted platform margin environments favored dolomitization and glauconitization. Integrating microfacies analysis with these diagenetic interpretations facilitates reconstructing paleoenvironmental conditions and provides a framework for understanding carbonate rock formation in various geological settings.
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spelling doaj-art-73f82eabccd443f08198fe933368df6d2025-08-20T02:37:14ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222025-06-0115112210.1038/s41598-025-05365-7Microfacies analysis and diagenetic history of Lower to Middle Eocene carbonates at Umm Russies area in the northeastern desert of EgyptMahmoud Abd-Elhameed0Gamal Attia1Yasser Salama2Asmaa El-Moghazy3Abdelaziz Mahmoud4Geology Department, Faculty of Science, Helwan UniversityGeology Department, Faculty of Science, Helwan UniversityGeology Department, Faculty of Science, Beni-Suef UniversityGeology Department, Faculty of Science, Helwan UniversityGeology Department, Faculty of Science, Helwan UniversityAbstract An integrated study, incorporating field observations and petrographic analysis, has been conducted on the Lower-Middle Eocene carbonates of the Umm Russies area, North Eastern Desert, Egypt. These carbonate sequence represented, from base to top, by Minia, Gebel Hof, and Observatory formations, primarily consisting of marl, dolomite, and limestone. The microfacies analysis allowed the identification of seven distinct microfacies types: bioclastic floatstone, ferruginous dolomite, bioclastic packstone, ferruginous peloidal grainstone, sandy rudstone, foraminiferal wackestone, and bioclastic packstone. These microfacies types reflect a deposition in a wide range of environments from high-energy inner ramp to low-energy middle ramp settings. The performed petrographic analysis indicates that the investigated carbonate rocks underwent significant modification through a range of diagenetic processes, such as micritization, glauconitization, and dolomitization, representing marine-phreatic, meteoric-phreatic, burial, and meteoric-vadose environments. These environments are part of three successive diagenetic stages; eogenesis, mesogenesis, and telogenesis. The relationship between diagenetic episodes and depositional settings highlights that high-energy inner ramp environments facilitated early cementation and micritization, while middle ramp conditions promoted dissolution and neomorphism. Restricted platform margin environments favored dolomitization and glauconitization. Integrating microfacies analysis with these diagenetic interpretations facilitates reconstructing paleoenvironmental conditions and provides a framework for understanding carbonate rock formation in various geological settings.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-05365-7Lower-Middle eoceneNorth Eastern desertMicrofacies analysisDiagenetic historyParagenetic model
spellingShingle Mahmoud Abd-Elhameed
Gamal Attia
Yasser Salama
Asmaa El-Moghazy
Abdelaziz Mahmoud
Microfacies analysis and diagenetic history of Lower to Middle Eocene carbonates at Umm Russies area in the northeastern desert of Egypt
Scientific Reports
Lower-Middle eocene
North Eastern desert
Microfacies analysis
Diagenetic history
Paragenetic model
title Microfacies analysis and diagenetic history of Lower to Middle Eocene carbonates at Umm Russies area in the northeastern desert of Egypt
title_full Microfacies analysis and diagenetic history of Lower to Middle Eocene carbonates at Umm Russies area in the northeastern desert of Egypt
title_fullStr Microfacies analysis and diagenetic history of Lower to Middle Eocene carbonates at Umm Russies area in the northeastern desert of Egypt
title_full_unstemmed Microfacies analysis and diagenetic history of Lower to Middle Eocene carbonates at Umm Russies area in the northeastern desert of Egypt
title_short Microfacies analysis and diagenetic history of Lower to Middle Eocene carbonates at Umm Russies area in the northeastern desert of Egypt
title_sort microfacies analysis and diagenetic history of lower to middle eocene carbonates at umm russies area in the northeastern desert of egypt
topic Lower-Middle eocene
North Eastern desert
Microfacies analysis
Diagenetic history
Paragenetic model
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-05365-7
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