Geomorphology, Stratigraphy and Tectonics of the Mesopotamian Plain, Iraq: A Critical Review

Abstract

The Mesopotamian Plain is part of the Mesopotamia which extends for vast area bigger than the plain. The plain is almost flat and vast lowland, which has clearly defined physiographic boundaries with the other surrounding physiographic provinces. The plain is a huge accumulation geomorphologic unit, where the fluvial, lacustrine, and the Aeolian landforms prevail; the fluvial units being the abundant among others. However, estuarine and marine forms also are developed, but restricted to the extreme southeastern reaches of the plain. The Mesopotamian Plain is covered totally by Quaternary sediments among which the fluvial origin is the most prevailing and more specifically the flood plain sediments. The flood plain sediments are the Holocene in age, whereas the Pleistocene sediments are restricted to alluvial fan sediments and river terraces. The flood plain sediments cover majority of the Mesopotamian Plain, whereas the alluvial sediments are restricted to the northern-eastern, western and southern peripheral parts only. Different geomorphological features indicate the Neotectonic activity in the plain, such as migrations of rivers due to growing of subsurface anticlines. The extreme southeastern part is covered by the tidal flat and sabkha sediments. Marshes and shallow depressions are also covered by the Holocene sediments which are contaminated by the Aeolian sediments. Mesopotamian Plain is a part of the Mesopotamian Foredeep which is a part of the Zagros Foreland Basin including the Zagros Fold-Thrust Belt. It is large continuously subsiding basin since the Upper Miocene (11.62 Ma). The plain shows no structural features on the surface, except the main fault escarpment representing the part of Abu Jir Active Fault Zone. However, the rolling topography, in the northern parts of the plain indicates subsurface anticlines that are still growing up, such as Balad, Samarra, Tikrit and Baiji anticlines indicating the Neotectonic activity. Moreover, many buried subsurface anticlines are present in different parts of the plain. All of them are growing anticlines and have caused continuous shift to Tigris and Euphrates rivers and their distributaries indicating the Neotectonic activities. The minimum and maximum subsidence amounts in the plain since the Upper Miocene are zero and -2500 m, respectively.

The paleoenvironment and depositional context of the Sumerian site of Abu Tbeirah (Nasiriyah, southern Mesopotamia, Iraq)

“…The progradation of the Tigris and Euphrates deltas slowed significantly and then ceased, the complex of multiple fluvial channels was gradually abandoned, and the present fluvial pattern with the periodic shifting of the river courses, floodplain aggradation, and enhanced soil-formation started to develop (see also Sanlaville, 1989Sanlaville, , 2003Aqrawi, 1995aAqrawi, , 2001Morozova, 2005;Jerolmack and Mohrig, 2007;Jerolmack, 2009;Pennington et al, 2016). These changes were the result of: (1) neotectonic movement (essentially the growth of subsurface faults and anticlines, as well as salt-diapiric structures; Baltzer and Purser, 1990;Al-Sakini, 1993;Fouad and Sissakian, 2011;Sissakian et al, 2018Sissakian et al, , 2020; (2) development of the alluvial fans occurring along the margins of the LMP (see for example Baltzer and Purser, 1990;Sissakian et al, 2014); (3) climatic changes that produced the hydrological variability of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers; and (4) human activities that exploited the natural waterways for agricultural irrigation and fishing, especially in areas where crevasse splays commonly developed (Pournelle, 2003;Morozova, 2005;Kennett and Kennett, 2006;Jotheri et al, 2016Jotheri et al, , 2018Jotheri and Allen, 2020).…”

“…Subsurface investigations of the Mesopotamian plain have shown the presence of several buried tectonic elements, including folds, faults, and diapiric structures. Many of these buried structures are still active, indicating neotectonic movement that can be observed through their effects on the Pleistocene–Holocene stratigraphy and coastline position, and through modification of Quaternary landforms (Baltzer and Purser, 1990; Al-Sakini, 1993; Al-Kadhimi et al, 1996; Sissakian, 2000; Fouad and Sissakian, 2011; Sissakian and Fouad, 2012; Fouad, 2012; Sissakian et al, 2020).…”

Study and Evaluating the Physical and Chemical Properties of Clay of Injana Formation in Al-Anbar Governorate - Western Iraq for the Purposes Some Ceramic Industries.

“…The age of Injana formation is Late Miocene (Jassim & Goff,2006) . the type locality is located along the northeastern limb of Himreen south anticline at Injana area [3] . The thickness of the formation in the typical section is about 620 meters, while the thickness of the formation is about 20 meters in the Habbaniyah area [4] .…”

Geoinformatics-Based Approach for Aquifer Recharge Zone Identification in the Western Desert of Iraq

“…The six major geomorphological landforms most common in the Western Desert of Iraq of are structural-denudational origin, denudational origin, fluvial origin, evaporation origin, solution origin, and eolian origin [36]. Several features of these landforms favor the occurrence and potential for groundwater exploration [42][43][44]. The study area is characterized predominantly by limestone, sandstone, and claystone terrains and some erosional and depositional geomorphic properties revealed by hills, wadies, and undulating surfaces.…”