Petrographical and Geochemical Studies of the Upper Cretaceous Sandstones in Wadi Feiran, West-Central Sinai, Egypt: Implications for Depositional Environment and Diagenesis

Abstract

The main focus of this paper is on the sandstones from the Upper Cretaceous period found in the Wadi Feiran area. The study aims to investigate various aspects of the sandstones, including their petrographic characteristics such as textural maturity and mineralogical classification, as well as their paleoenvironment, diagenesis, and chemical composition. The results show that the sandstones are sub-mature and were formed in relatively shallow neritic environments. Based on their mineralogical composition, they are classified as quartz arenite. The paleoenvironmental analysis suggests that the sediments were deposited in an area of mild tectonic stability. During diagenesis, the sandstones underwent various physical and chemical stages. Analysis of their chemical composition indicates that they were deposited under relatively warm and slightly alkaline conditions in a relatively shallow and restricted medium, with major and trace components including Al2O3, SiO2, Fe2O3, CaO, MgO, K2O, Na2O, P2O5, Cl, SO3, Ti, Mn, Cu, Ni, and Sr.