Investigating the characteristics of “Calcite eyes” in large benthic foraminifera of the Aptian-Albian carbonate deposits, North and Southwest Neo-Tethys Ocean

رخساره‌های رسوبی

Article 4, Volume 13, Issue 1 - Serial Number 24, June 2020, Pages 52-73   

Document Type: مقالات پژوهشی

DOI: 10.22067/sed.facies.v13i1.86984

Authors

Seyyed Mohammad Ali Musavizadeh^* ; Gholamreza Tajbakhsh

Assistant Professor, Department of Geology, Faculty of Sciences, Yazd University, Yazd, Iran

Abstract

Introduction
The Zagros structural zone has undergone part of its evolution and sedimentation trend during the Cretaceous on the northwestern margin of a vast carbonate platform called the Arabian Plate (Sharland et al. 2001; Ziegler, 2001). Darian Formation Lower Cretaceous in age (Aptian-Albain) (Schroeder et al. 2010) is the last formation of the Khami group named by James & Wynd (1965) and is important in terms of hydrocarbon reservoir potential (Habibi et al., 1994; Rahmani et al., 2010). An essential feature of the Darian Formation is the abundance of different species of orbitolina, so that at the beginning of studies, this formation is named "Orbitolina limestone" (James & Wynd, 1965). The study of benthic foraminifers in carbonate sediments of the Dariyan Formation revealed round to oval subjects in Orbitolina tests. Since these subjects have been field by sparry calcite cement, known as “calcite eyes” (Galloway 1933; Schroeder & Cherchi 1979), various theories have been proposed about the mechanism and cause of the formation of "calcite eyes" (Colom, 1955; Mohammed, 1996). The present study tries to provide a report on the characteristics of calcite springs and the process of their changes in terms of frequency, size, and dispersion in Darian Formation sediments. In the following, the hypotheses about the formation mechanism of these structures are examined.
 
Materials and Methods
Banesh and Sangsiah stratigraphic sections were selected based on geological maps. Total 351 samples were collected and named according to Dunham (1962) classification for carbonate rocks. Different species of “calcite eyes” were identified based on Haslett (1992) and Schlagintwait (2007). To investigate the relationship between calcite eyes and adaptive reactions of Orbitolina to the environmental condition such as low oxygen states, the abundance trend of calcite eyes was correlated with early Aptian oceanic anoxic event (OAE1a) (Moosavizadeh et al. 2014) interval.
 
Discussion
Because there are still uncertainties about the mechanism for the formation of these structures, the present study tries to compare the morphology, frequency, and distribution of "calcite eyes" in Orbitolina, the sedimentation, and paleoecological conditions during the formation of sediments of the Daryian Formation with the processes discussed concerning the formation of "calcite eyes" and the best mechanism to specify. The structural features of "calcite springs" include morphology, their position on the orbitolina tests, and their stratigraphic distribution. These structures are seen in two main forms, spherical and oval shapes. However, boring in these two forms has caused irregular shapes in these structures. In terms of stratigraphy, these structures are abundant in the Upper Aptian sediments and are simultaneous with highstand facies of the seawater. On the other hand, in terms of abundant facies and magnificence, "calcite springs" have been observed in elongated orbitolina related to orbitolina rudestone of open marine setting.
 
Conclusion
Investigation in orbitolina of the carbonate sediments of the Dariyan formation revealed the existence of round to oval subjects called "calcite eyes". Examining the structural properties and based on the evidence available, it was found that these objects cannot be created as a result of an adaptive response to environmental changes, and these are, in fact, sponge spicules that form as foreign objects in the tests of benthic foraminifers in the Dariyan formation.
 
Acknowledgment
We want to express our gratitude to Dr. Felix Shclagintweit and Dr. Kurosh Rashidi for their help in providing some references.
 
References
Colom, G. 1955. Jurassic-Cretaceous pelagic sediments of the western Mediterranean zone and Atlantic area. Micropaleontology, 1(2): 109-124.
Dunham, R.J., 1962. Classification of carbonate rocks according to depositional texture. In: Ham, W.E. (ed.), Classification of Carbonate Rocks. American Association of Petroleum Geologists Memoir, 1: 108-121.
Galloway, J.J., 1933. A manual of Foraminifera. Bloomington, Indiana. 1883 p.
Habibi, F., Feiznia, S., & Barzegar, F., 1994. Stratigraphy, sedimentology and reservoir evolution of Upper Dariyan -Kazhdumi Tongue- Lower Dariyan and Gadvan Formations in Dezful South area. National Iranian Oil Company, Unpublished Report.
James, G., & Wynd, J., 1965. Stratigraphic nomenclature of Iranian oil consortium agreement area. American Association of Petroleum Geologists Bulletin, 49: 2245-2182.
Mohammed, M.U., 2016. Micropaleontological aspects of the "Calcite Eyes" phenomenon in the family Orbitolinidae. Iraqi Journal of Science, 57 (2): 1462-1468.
Moosavizadeh, M.A., Mahboubi, A., Moussavi-Harami, R., Kavoosi, M.A., & Schlaginitweit, F., 2015. Sequence stratigraphy and platform to basin margin facies transition of the Lower Cretaceous Dariyan Formation (northeastern Arabian Plate, Zagros Fold Belt, Iran). Bulletin of Geosciences, 90: 145–172.
Rahmani, O., Aali, J., Mohseni, H., Rahimpour-Bonab, H., & Zalaghaie, S., 2010. Organic geochemistry of Gadvan and Kazhdumi formations (Cretaceous (in South Pars field, Persian Gulf, Iran. Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering, 70: 57-66.
Schlagintweit, F., Auer, M., & Gawlick, H., 2007. Reophax? rhaxelloides n. sp., a new benthic foraminifer from Late Jurassic reefal limestones of the Northern Calcareous Alps (Austria). Journal of Alpine Geology, 48, 57-69.
Schroeder, R., & Cherchi, A. 1979. Upper Barremian–Lowermost Aptian Orbitolinid Foraminifers from the Grand Banks Continental Rise, Northwestern Atlantic (DSDP Leg 43, Site 384). In: Initial Reports of the Deep Sea Drilling Project, 43: 575-583.
Schroeder, R., Van Buchem, F., Cherchi, A., Baghbani, D., Vincent, B., Immenhauser, A., & Granier, B., 2010. Revised orbitolinid biostratigraphic zonation for the Barremian–Aptian of the eastern Arabian Plate and implications for regional stratigraphic correlations. GeoArabia, Special Publication, 4: 49-96.
Sharland, P.R., Archer, R., Casey, D.M., Davies, R.B., Hall, S.H., Heward, A.P., Horbury, A.D., & Simmon, M.D., 2001. Arabian Plate sequence stratigraphy. GeoArabia, Special Publication 2: 322-371.
Ziegler, M.A., 2001. Late Permian to Holocene paleofacies evolution of the Arabian Plate and its
hydrocarbon occurrences. Geoarabia, 6: 445-504.

Keywords

Calcite eyes; Dariyan Formation; Large benthic foraminifera; Orbitolina; Spongespicules

References

خدام الحسینی، س.ر.، 1377. گزارش عملیات پی جویی مقدماتی منطقه کوچکعلی. طرح اکتشاف زغال‌سنگ حرارتی ناحیه مزینو، طبس. گزارش داخلی، صص 33-43.

طاهرپور خلیل‌آباد، م.، وزیری، ح. جعفری، الف.، 1394. معرفی اسپیکول‌های جنس Rhaxella (چشم‌های کلسیتی) در اربیتولینید‌های موجود در سازندهای تیرگان و داریان (حوضه رسوبی کپه داغ و زاگرس مرتفع). دومین کنگره بین‌المللی زمین شناسی کاربردی، دانشگاه آزاد اسلامی مشهد، صص 1314-1319.

کارگر، ش.، 1381. نقشه زمین شناسی سعادت شهر، مقیاس 1:100000، سازمان زمین شناسی و اکتشافات معدنی کشور.

یوسفی، ت. کارگر، ش.، 1378. نقشه زمین‌شناسی سیوند، مقیاس 1:100000، سازمان زمین شناسی و اکتشافات معدنی کشور.

Alavi, M., 2004. Regional stratigraphy of the Zagros fold-thrust belt of Iran and its proforeland evolution. American Journal of Science, 304: 1-20.

Alavi, M., 2007. Structures of the Zagros fold-thrust belt in Iran. American Journal of Science, 307: 1064-1095.

Ando, A., Kaiho, K., Kawahata, H., & Kakegawa, T., 2008. Timing and magnitude of early Aptian extreme warming: Unraveling primary δ18 O variation in indurated pelagic carbonates at Deep Sea Drilling Project Site 463, central Pacific Ocean. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 260: 463-476.

Beavington-penny, S.J., & Racey, A., 2004. Ecology of extant nummulitids and other larger benthic foraminifera; applications in palaeoenvironmental analysis. Earth Science Reviews, 67: 219-265.

Bronniman, P., 1955. Microfossils incertae sedis from the Upper Jurassic and Lower Cretaceous of Cuba. Micropaleontology, 1 (1): 28-51.

Bucur, I.I., Rashidi, R., & Senowbari-Daryan, B., 2012. Early Cretaceous calcareous algae from Central Iran (Taft Formation, south of Aliabad, near Iazd). Facies, 58 (4): 605-636.

Colom, G. 1955. Jurassic-Cretaceous pelagic sediments of the western Mediterranean zone and Atlantic area. Micropaleontology, 1(2): 109-124.

Dickson, J.A.D., 1966. A modified staining technique for carbonate in thin section. Nature, 205: 587-599.

Douglass, R. 1960. Revision of the family Orbitolinidae. Micropaleontology, 6(3): 249-270.

Dunham, R.J., 1962. Classification of carbonate rocks according to depositional texture. In: Ham, W.E. (ed.), Classification of Carbonate Rocks. American Association of Petroleum Geologists Memoir, 1: 108-121.

Embry, A.F., & Klovan, J.E., 1971. A late Devonian reef tract on northeastern Banks Island, NWT. Bulletin of Canadian Petroleum Geology, 19: 730-781.

Flügel, E., 2014. Microfacies of Carbonate Rocks: Analysis, Interpretation and Application, 2^nd edition. Springer Verlag, Berlin, 984 p.

Galloway, J.J., 1933. A manual of Foraminifera. Bloomington, Indiana. 1883 p.

Grabau, A.W., 1904. On the classification of sedimentary rocks. American Geologist, 33: 228-247.

Habibi, F., Feiznia, S., & Barzegar, F., 1994. Stratigraphy, sedimentology and reservoir evolution of Upper Dariyan -Kazhdumi Tongue- Lower Dariyan and Gadvan Formations in Dezful South area. National Iranian Oil Company, Unpublished Report.

Hartman, W.D., 1981. Form and distribution of silica in sponges. In: Vilas, L., Pierre Masse, J., & Arias, C., (eds.), Orbitolina episode carbonate platform evolution the early Aptian model form SE Spain. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 119: 35-45.

Heydari, E., Hassanzadeh, J., Wade, W.J., & Ghazi, A.M. 2003. Permian–Triassic boundary interval in the Abadeh section of Iran with implications for mass extinction. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 193: 405-423.

Hillgärtner, H., van Buchem, F.S., Gaumet, F., Razin, P., Pittet, B., Grötsch, J., & Droste, H., 2003. The Barremian-Aptian evolution of the eastern Arabian carbonate platform margin (northern Oman). Journal of Sedimentary Research, 73: 756-773.

Hinde, G.J., 1890. On a new genus of siliceous sponges from the lower calcareous Grit of Yorkshier. Quarterly Journal of the Geological society of London, 46: 54-61.

Hinde, G.J., 1910. On the fossil sponge spicules in a rock from deep Lead at Princess Royal Township, Norseman District, Western Australia. Bulletin of Geological Survey of Western Australia, 36: 7–24.

Hofker, J., 1963. Studies on the genus Orbitolina (Foraminifera). Leidse Geologische Mededelingen, 29: 183-253.

Huck, S., Heimhofer, U., Rameil, N., Bodin, S., & Immenhauser, A., 2011. Strontium and carbon-isotope chronostratigraphy of Barremian-Aptian shoal-water carbonates: Northern Tethyan platform drowning predates OAE1a. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 304: 547-558.

James, G., & Wynd, J., 1965. Stratigraphic nomenclature of Iranian oil consortium agreement area. American Association of Petroleum Geologists Bulletin, 49: 2245-2182.

Jenkyns, H.C., 2010. Geochemistry of oceanic anoxic events. Geochemistry Geophysics Geosystems, 11: 1-30.

Lukowiak, M., 2015. Late Eocene siliceous sponge fauna of southern Australia: reconstruction based on loose spicules record. Zootaxa, 3917 (1): 1-65.

Masse, J., Fenerci, M., & Pernarcic, E., 2003. Palaeobathymetric reconstruction of peritidal carbonates: Late Barremian, Urgonian, sequences of Provence (SE France). Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 200: 65-81.

Millán, M., Weissert, H., Owen, H., Fernández-Mendiola, P., & García-Mondéjar, J., 2011. The Madotz Urgonian platform (Aralar, northern Spain): Paleoecological changes in response to Early Aptian global environmental events. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 312: 167-180.

Mohammed, M.U., 1981. Microfacies of the Mauddud Formation. M.Sc. Thesis. Department of Geology, college of Science, University of Baghdad, Baghdad, Iraq, 156 p.

Mohammed, M.U., 1996. Orbitolinids (Foraminifera) of the Lower Cretaceous (BarremianTuronian) of Iraq. Ph.D. Thesis. Department of Geology, college of Science, University of Baghdad, Baghdad, Iraq, 148 p.

Mohammed, M.U., 2016. Micropaleontological aspects of the "Calcite Eyes" phenomenon in the family Orbitolinidae. Iraqi Journal of Science, 57 (2): 1462-1468.

Moosavizadeh, M.A., Mahboubi, A., Moussavi- Harami, R., Kavoosi, M.A., & Schlaginitweit, F., 2015. Sequence stratigraphy and platform to basin margin facies transition of the Lower Cretaceous Dariyan Formation (northeastern Arabian Plate, Zagros Fold Belt, Iran). Bulletin of Geosciences, 90: 145–172.

Moosavizadeh, M.A., Mahboubi, A., Moussavi-Harami, R., & Kavoosi, M.A. 2014. Early Aptian oceanic anoxic event (OAE 1a) in Northeastern Arabian Plate setting: an example from Dariyan Formation in Zagros fold-thrust belt, SE Iran. Arabian Journal of Geosciences, 7: 4745-4756.

Omana, L., Torres, J., Doncel, R., Alancáster, G., & Caballero, I., 2014. A pithonellid bloom in the Cenomanian-Turonian boundary interval from the western Valles-San Luis Potosí platform, Mexico: Paleoenvironmental significance. Revista Mexicana de Ciencias Geologicas, 31 (1): 28-44.

Pittet, B., Van Buchem, F.S.P., Hillgärtner, H., Razin, P., Grötsch, J., & Droste, H., 2002. Ecological succession, palaeoenvironmental change, and depositional sequences of Barremian–Aptian shallow‐water carbonates in northern Oman. Sedimentology, 49: 555-581.

Rahmani, O., Aali, J., Mohseni, H., Rahimpour-Bonab, H., & Zalaghaie, S., 2010. Organic geochemistry of Gadvan and Kazhdumi formations (Cretaceous (in South Pars field, Persian Gulf, Iran. Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering, 70: 57-66.

Reiss, Z., Derin, E., & Gerry, E., 1966. O tak nazyvaemch "kalcitorych glaznach" v stenke rakovin aggljutinirujuščich foraminifer. Voprosy Mikropaleontologii, 10: 234-242.

Schlagintweit, F., Auer, M., & Gawlick, H., 2007. Reophax? rhaxelloides n. sp., a new benthic foraminifer from Late Jurassic reefal limestones of the Northern Calcareous Alps (Austria). Journal of Alpine Geology, 48, 57-69.

Schlagintweit, F., Kołodziej, B., & Qorri, A., 2015. Foraminiferan-calcimicrobial benthic communities from Upper Cretaceous shallow-water carbonates of Albania (Kruja Zone). Cretaceous Research, 56: 432-446.

Schroeder, R., & Cherchi, A. 1979. Upper Barremian–Lowermost Aptian Orbitolinid Foraminifers from the Grand Banks Continental Rise, Northwestern Atlantic (DSDP Leg 43, Site 384). In: Initial Reports of the Deep Sea Drilling Project, 43: 575-583.

Schroeder, R., & Neumann, M., 1985. Les grands foraminifers du Cretace moyen de la region Mediteraneenne. Geobios Mémorie Special, 7: 1-16.

Schroeder, R., Van Buchem, F., Cherchi, A., Baghbani, D., Vincent, B., Immenhauser, A., & Granier, B., 2010. Revised orbitolinid biostratigraphic zonation for the Barremian–Aptian of the eastern Arabian Plate and implications for regional stratigraphic correlations. GeoArabia, Special Publication, 4: 49-96.

Sharland, P.R., Archer, R., Casey, D.M., Davies, R.B., Hall, S.H., Heward, A.P., Horbury, A.D., & Simmon, M.D., 2001. Arabian Plate sequence stratigraphy. GeoArabia, Special Publication 2: 322-371.

Silvestri, A. 1932. Revisione di orbitoline nordamericane e nuovi località di Chapmanine. Memorie della Pontificia Accademia delle Scienze Nuovi Lincei, Ser. 2 (16): 371-394.

Trejo, M., 1967. La esponja fosil Rhaxella sorbyana Blake ysu signification estratigrafica. Boletín de la Asociación Mexicana de Geólogos Petroleros, 19: 33-38.

Uriz, M.J., 2002. Family Geodiidae Gray, 1867. In: Hooper, J.N.A., & Soest, R.W.M. van (eds.), Systema Porifera. Guide to the classification of sponges. Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers, New York, Boston, Dordrecht, London, Moscow, pp. 134–140.

Uriz, M.J., 2012. Sponge ecology in the molecular era. Advance in Marine Biology, 61: 345-410.

van Buchem, F.S.P., Baghbani, D., Bulot, L.G., Caron, M., Gaumet, F., Hosseini, A., Keyvani, F., Schroeder, R., Swennen, R., & Vedrenne, V., 2010. Barremian-Lower Albian sequence stratigraphy of southwest Iran (Gadvan, Dariyan and Kazhdumi formations) and its comparison with Oman, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, Barremian–Aptian stratigraphy and hydrocarbon habitat of the eastern Arabian late. GeoArabia, Special Publication 4: 503-548.

Vilas, L., Masse J.P., & Arias, C., 1995. Orbitolina episode in carbonate platform evolution the early Aptian model form SE Spain. Paleogeography, Paleoclimatology, Paleoecology, 119: 35-45.

Wiedenmayer, F., 1994. Contribution of the knowledge of post-Paleozoic neritic and archibenthal sponges (Porifera). Schweizerische Paläontologische Mitteilungen, 116: 1–147.

Wilmsen, M., Fürsich, F.T., & Majidifard, M.R., 2013. The Shah Kuh Formation, a latest Barremian e Early Aptian carbonate platform of Central Iran (Khur area, Yazd Block). Cretaceous Research, 39: 183-194.

Ziegler, M.A., 2001. Late Permian to Holocene paleofacies evolution of the Arabian Plate and its hydrocarbon occurrences. Geoarabia, 6: 445-504.