Geology of the Al Khatam 1:100 000 map sheet, 100-13, United Arab Emirates

Farrant, A.R.; Leslie, A.; Merritt, J.E.; Merritt, J.W.; Jordan, C.J.; Price, S.J.; Thomas, R.J.. 2012 Geology of the Al Khatam 1:100 000 map sheet, 100-13, United Arab Emirates. Nottingham, UK, British Geological Survey, 33pp.

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Abstract/Summary

This Sheet Description describes the Quaternary and solid geology of the Al Khatam 1:100 000 scale geological map. The Al Khatam district covers 2780 km2 southeast of Abu Dhabi. Most of the area is underlain by Quaternary aeolian and fluvial deposits, but the underlying Miocene bedrock outcrops in the northeast of the district. These comprise fluvial sandstones of the Baynunah Formation which probably underlie much of the district. These Miocene rocks are poorly exposed in roughly northwest to southeast trending inter-dune areas in the north-western corner of the district. It is possible the Barzaman Formation underlies the dunes in the north-east but it is not exposed at surface in this district. Over almost the entire area, the Miocene rocks are overlain by Quaternary deposits. These consist predominantly of weakly cemented calcareous quartzose aeolian sandstones of the Madinat Zayed Formation. These crop out within large interdunes throughout the district, and locally form small mesas or terraces. To the northeast, the aeolian sandstones of the Madinat Zayed Formation grade into the predominantly fluvial sandstones and conglomerates of the Hili Formation. These fluvial sandstones represent the distal end of a complex alluvial fan system draining from the Hajar Mountains in the east. As such, they tend to fine distally to the southwest, where the majority of the fluvial sands and siltstone/mudstones occur. They locally contain intercalated aeolian sand beds which were blown in from the north-west. Quaternary carbonate aeolianites of the Ghayathi Formation occur locally in the northern part of the district. These represent fossil calcareous palaeodune systems which locally form the cores to the modern carbonate-dominated dune ridges. The Quaternary deposits are overlain by more recent unconsolidated dune sands with various morphologies, mapped as low dunes, dune ridges, sand sheets and barchanoid dune fields. These cover most of the area and are arranged into a series of west-northwest to east-southeast trending dune fields. In the northeast of the district, nearest the coast, these dunes sands are predominantly carbonate, but they get progressively more quartzose to the southeast. The interdune areas, floored either by Miocene or Quaternary sediments, are often masked by sabkhas or thin veneers of aeolian dune sand.

Item Type:	Publication - Book
Programmes:	BGS Programmes 2010 > BGS Corporate
ISBN:	9780852727232
Funders/Sponsors:	Ministry of Energy United Arab Emirates
Additional Information. Not used in RCUK Gateway to Research.:	This item can be purchased from https://www.moenr.gov.ae/en/our-services/geological-reports/geological-reports.aspx
NORA Subject Terms:	Earth Sciences
Date made live:	01 Aug 2012 13:36 +0 (UTC)
URI:	https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/18767

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