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Foraminiferal palaeobathymetry and depositional sequences of the subsurface Eocene Apollonia Formation in North Western Desert, Egypt

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Abstract

Sea-level changes, palaeobathymetry, palaeo-productivity and depositional sequences (sequence stratigraphy) are evaluated using benthic foraminifers from two subsurface boreholes in the North Western Desert (Egypt) belonging to the Eocene Apollonia Formation. Five planktic foraminiferal biozones (E4–E5, E8–E10) have been identified. The absence of E6–E7 and upper Eocene zones are attributed to long-time unconformities (regional tectonics) during the Cretaceous/Palaeogene (K/Pg) and Eocene/Oligocene (E/O) boundaries with estimated time gaps of 16 and 13.9 Ma, respectively. Six benthic foraminiferal assemblages, spanning middle to outer neritic depths, are noted. They are represented by Bolivinoides decoratus, Eponides mariei, Bulimina quadrata, Anomalinoides zitteli, Uvigerina eocaena and Uvigerina pygmoides. Three depositional sequences based upon four sequence boundaries are also identified. Each depositional sequence can be classified into transgressive and highstand system tracts inferred from benthic foraminiferal palaeobathymetry, which are separated by maximum flooding surfaces (MFS), characterised by maximum abundance of buliminids and uvigerinids, and peak values of total foraminiferal numbers, planktic (P)% and diversity. Comparisons of our recorded sequences and their boundaries inside and outside Egypt reflect that the studied succession is affected by both tectonic activity that caused long time gaps and eustatic processes.

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Acknowledgements

The authors are greatly thankful to Prof. Abdelmohsen Ziko and Prof. Sreepat Jain for constructive comments. We are also grateful to Prof. Carlton E. Brett and Prof. Ralf Schiebel for valuable comments, English corrections and important suggestions that improve this paper.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Exploration Department, Egyptian Petroleum Research Institute, Nasr City, Cairo, Egypt

    Sherif Farouk

  2. Geology Department, Faculty of Science, Zagazig University, Zagazig, Egypt

    Abdelmoneim Ismail, Ibtsam Abd El-Rauf & Mohamed Tawfik

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  1. Sherif Farouk
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  2. Abdelmoneim Ismail
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  3. Ibtsam Abd El-Rauf
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  4. Mohamed Tawfik
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Correspondence to Mohamed Tawfik.

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Appendix: Systematic list of planktic and benthic foraminifera according to Loeblich and Tappan (1988)

Appendix: Systematic list of planktic and benthic foraminifera according to Loeblich and Tappan (1988)

Planktic foraminifera

Racemiguembelina powelli Smith and Pessagno, 1973

Pseudoguembelina palpebra Brönnimann and Brown, 1953

Gansserina gansseri (Bolli, 1951)

Contusotruncana contusa (Cushman, 1926)

Paragloborotalia opima (Bolli, 1957)

Turborotalia cerroazulensis (Cole, 1928)

Turborotalia cocoaensis (Cushman, 1928)

Turborotalia frontosa (Subbotina, 1953)

Turborotalia pomeroli (Toumarkine and Bolli, 1970)

Turborotalia possagnoensis (Toumarkine and Bolli, 1970)

Acarinina angulosa (Bolli, 1957)

Acarinina bullbrooki Bolli, 1957

Acarinina collactea (Finlay, 1939)

Acarinina pentacamerata Subbotina, 1947

Acarinina praetopilensis (Blow, 1979)

Acarinina soldadoensis Brönnimann, 1952

Acarinina topilensis (Cushman, 1925)

Morozovella aequa (Cushman and Renz, 1942)

Morozovella aragonensis (Nuttall, 1930)

Morozovella caucasica (Glaessner, 1937)

Morozovella formosa (Bolli, 1957)

Morozovella gracilis (Bolli, 1957)

Morozovella lensiformis (Subbotina, 1953)

Morozovella marginodentata (Subbotina, 1953)

Morozovella subbotinae (Morozova, 1939)

Truncorotaloides libyaensis El Khoudary, 1977

Truncorotaloides rohri (Brönnimann and Bermúdez, 1953)

Guembelitrioides nuttalli (Hamilton, 1953)

Subbotina jacksonensis (Bandy, 1949)

Subbotina linaperta (Finlay, 1939)

Hantkenina australis Finlay, 1939

Hantkenina dumblei Weinzierl and Applin, 1929

Globigerina angulisuturalis Bolli, 1957

Globigerinatheka curryi Proto Decima and Bolli, 1970

Globigerinatheka kugleri (Bolli, Loeblich, and Tappan, 1957)

Globigerinatheka mexicana (Cushman, 1925)

Globigerinatheka subconglobata (Shutskaya, 1958)

Pseudohastigerina wilcoxensis (Cushman and Ponton, 1932)

Benthic Foraminifera

  1. 1.

    Bathysiphon sp. c.f eocenicus Cushman and Hanna, 1927

  2. 2.

    Ammodiscus cretaceus (Reuss, 1845)

  3. 3.

    Scherochorella congoensis Kender, Kaminski, and Jones, 2007

  4. 4.

    Haplophragmoides sp.

  5. 5.

    Ammobaculites sp.

  6. 6.

    Reticulophragmium sp.

  7. 7.

    Cyclammina cancellata Brady, 1879

  8. 8.

    Spiroplectinella carinata (d’Orbigny 1846)

  9. 9.

    Spiroplectinella dentata (Alth, 1850)

  10. 10.

    Spiroplectinella knebli LeRoy, 1953

  11. 11.

    Spiroplectinella longa Said and Kenawy, 1956

  12. 12.

    Vulvulina colei Cushman, 1932

  13. 13.

    Trochammina sp.

  14. 14.

    Gaudryina aissana Ten Dam and Sigal, 1950

  15. 15.

    Gaudryina elegantissima Said and Kenawy, 1956

  16. 16.

    Gaudryina laevigata Franke, 1914

  17. 17.

    Gaudryina pyramidata Cushman, 1926

  18. 18.

    Gaudryina rugosa d’Orbigny, 1840

  19. 19.

    Gaudryina soldadoensis Cushman and Renz, 1942

  20. 20.

    Verneuilina aegyptiaca Said and Kenawy, 1956

  21. 21.

    Verneuilina cretacea Karrer, 1870

  22. 22.

    Marssonella oxycona (Reuss, 1860)

  23. 23.

    Nodosaria longiscata d’Orbigny, 1846

  24. 24.

    .Pyramidulina affinis (Reuss, 1845)

  25. 25.

    Pyramidulina vertebralis (Batsch) of Plummer, 1927

  26. 26.

    Lenticulina americanus (Cushman, 1918)

  27. 27.

    Lenticulina iota (Cushman, 1923)

  28. 28.

    Lenticulina isidis (Schwager, 1883)

  29. 29.

    Lenticulina midwayensis (Plummer, 1927)

  30. 30.

    Lenticulina navicula (d’Orbigny, 1840)

  31. 31.

    Lenticulina obesus Nakkady, 1950

  32. 32.

    Lenticulina occidentalis var. torrida (Cushman, 1923)

  33. 33.

    Lenticulina rotulata (Lamarck, 1804)

  34. 34.

    Lenticulina turbinata (Plummer, 1927)

  35. 35.

    Bolivinoides decoratus (Jones, 1886)

  36. 36.

    Bolivinoides draco (Marsson, 1878)

  37. 37.

    Globocassidulina subglobosa Brady, 1880

  38. 38.

    Praebulimina carseyae (Plummer, 1931)

  39. 39.

    Praebulimina reussi (Morrow, 1934)

  40. 40.

    Sitella cushmani (Sandidge, 1932)

  41. 41.

    Bulimina alazanensis Cushman, 1927

  42. 42.

    Bulimina farafraensis LeRoy, 1953

  43. 43.

    Bulimina inflata Seguenza, 1862

  44. 44.

    Bulimina jacksonensis Cushman, 1925

  45. 45.

    Bulimina midwayensis Cushman and Parker, 1936

  46. 46.

    Bulimina pupoides d’Orbigny, 1846

  47. 47.

    Bulimina quadrata Plummer, 1927

  48. 48.

    Bulimina velascoensis White, 1929

  49. 49.

    Uvigerina acuminata Hosius, 1895

  50. 50.

    Uvigerina churchi Cushman and Siegfus, 1939

  51. 51.

    Uvigerina cocoaensis Cushman, 1925

  52. 52.

    Uvigerina eocaena Güembel, 1868

  53. 53.

    Uvigerina jacksonensis Cushman, 1925

  54. 54.

    Uvigerina lappa Cushman and Edwards, 1937

  55. 55.

    Uvigerina multistriata Hantken, 1871

  56. 56.

    Uvigerina peregrina Cushman, 1923

  57. 57.

    Uvigerina pygmoides Papp and Turnovsky, 1953

  58. 58.

    Uvigerina rippensis Cole, 1927

  59. 59.

    Uvigerina semivestita Bermúdez, 1937

  60. 60.

    Uvigerina schwageri Brady, 1884

  61. 61.

    Uvigerina spinicostata Cushman and Jarvis, 1929

  62. 62.

    Uvigerina venusta Franzenau, 1894

  63. 63.

    Coryphostoma incrassata Reuss, 1851

  64. 64.

    Valvulineria scrobiculata (Schwager, 1883)

  65. 65.

    Eponides lotus (Schwager, 1883)

  66. 66.

    Eponides mariei Said and Kenawy, 1956

  67. 67.

    Cibicidoides abudurbensis Nakkady, 1950

  68. 68.

    Cibicidoides alleni (Plummer, 1927)

  69. 69.

    Cibicidoides pachyderma (Rzehak, 1886)

  70. 70.

    Cibicidoides pharaonis (LeRoy, 1953)

  71. 71.

    Cibicidoides pseudoacutus (Nakkady, 1950)

  72. 72.

    Cibicides decoratus (LeRoy, 1953)

  73. 73.

    Cibicides farafraensis LeRoy, 1953

  74. 74.

    Cibicides libycus LeRoy, 1953

  75. 75.

    Cibicides tappanae Said and Kenawy, 1956

  76. 76.

    Cibicides ungerianus (d’Orbigny, 1846)

  77. 77.

    Nuttalinella florealis (White, 1928)

  78. 78.

    Melonis barleeanum.(Williamson, 1858)

  79. 79.

    Pullenia americana Cushman, 1936

  80. 80.

    Pullenia quinqueloba (Reuss, 1851)

  81. 81.

    Osangularia plummerae Brotzen, 1940

  82. 82.

    Anomalinoides acutus (Plummer, 1926)

  83. 83.

    Anomalinoides rubiginosus (Cushman, 1926)

  84. 84.

    Anomalinoides sinaensis Said and Kenawy, 1956

  85. 85.

    Anomalinoides zitteli (LeRoy, 1953)

  86. 86.

    Gyroidinoides arkadelphiana (Cushman, 1938)

  87. 87.

    Gyroidinoides girardana (Reuss, 1851)

  88. 88.

    Gyroidinoides tellburmaensis Futyan, 1976

  89. 89.

    Angulogavelinella avnimelechi (Reiss, 1952)

  90. 90.

    Gavelinella monterelensis (Marie, 1941)

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Farouk, S., Ismail, A., El-Rauf, I.A. et al. Foraminiferal palaeobathymetry and depositional sequences of the subsurface Eocene Apollonia Formation in North Western Desert, Egypt. Palaeobio Palaeoenv 98, 403–429 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12549-017-0312-1

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