Miocene sediment mineralogy of the lower Chelif basin (NW Algeria): implications for weathering and provenance

Authors : Fatiha HADJI, Abbas MAROK, Ali MOKHTAR SAMET

Pages : 85-102

View : 13 | Download : 5

Publication Date : 0000-00-00

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :  Mineralogical investigations of clay and nonclay minerals were conducted on the Miocene sediments from three sections of the lower Chelif basin, northern Algeria. Bulk rock analyses of Miocene sediments show that these clastic sediments are dominated by variable mineralogical compositions and concentrations. Quartz is the dominant mineral through the three stratigraphic intervals and calcite insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(except in the upper layers); and dolomite are lacking in the Messinian deposits. The clay mineralogy is dominated by smectite insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(24%); and mixed-layer illite-smectite insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(I-S); insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(22%); during the Burdigalian-Langhian, illite insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(36%); and kaolinite insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(28%); in the Tortonian, and illite insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(49%); and I-S insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(20%); in the Messinian stratigraphic range. The smectite-insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(kaolinite+chlorite);-illite ternary diagram shows that, in general, Miocene sediments originated from a mixed mafic and felsic source and were influenced by physical erosion and chemical weathering processes.
Keywords : Burdigalian Langhian, Tortonian, Messinian, clay minerals, nonclay minerals