Stratigraphy

Pre-rift stratigraphy and proto-Red Sea embayments :

The pre-rift stratigraphic section of the Red Sea basin varies dramatically along its length, in
general decreasing in thickness away from the Tethyan margin north of the Gulf of Suez and
the Indian Ocean margin south of Afar. The nature and thickness of the pre-rift strata
influenced the composition of the syn-rift fill, the geometry of the initial extensional faulting,
and the large-scale morphology of the rift sub-basins. Pre-rift strata were also critical in
forming several of the proven hydrocarbon systems of the basin.
Paleozoic
The metamorphic and granitoid pre-rift basement of the NubianArabian shield was
extensively peneplained prior to deposition of Cambrian siliciclastic rocks.
At the latitude of the central Gulf of Suez, the Cambrian consists of continental to marginal
marine sandstone of the Qebliat Group Araba and Naqus Formations (Nubia C ), which
attains a total thickness of about 580 m.
The Cambrian sandstones of the Gulf of Suez region are disconformably overlain by up to
240 m of Carboniferous marine dolostone, black shale, mudstone, and sandstone of the
Umm Bogma, Abu Durba, and Abu Thora (Nubia B) Formations.
The upper Carboniferous sandstones are intruded and capped by Permian basalts. Upper
Paleozoic strata are not yet proven in the central Red Sea basin.
Cretaceous
Overlying the Gulf of Suez late Paleozoic sandstones and basalts are red beds and
continental sandstones of the PermianTriassic Qiseib and the Jurassic to Lower Cretaceous
Malha (Nubia C) Formations of the El Tih Group. Equivalents of the Malha Formation, with a
thickness of several hundred meters, are interpreted to occur along the Egyptian Red Sea
margin as far south as Quseir, although these unfossiliferous sandstones have also been
interpreted as Late Cretaceous in age.
Offshore, at Zabargad Island, about 200 m of Lower Cretaceous strata are present
(Zabargad
Fm.) consisting of alternating beds of marine mudstone, sandstone and silicified limestone.
The Upper Cretaceous section in the Gulf of Suez and Egyptian Red Sea margin consists of
shallow marine strata of the Quseir, Raha, Wata, Matulla, Duwi, and Sudr Formations .
The lower units are predominantly shale and sandstone of the Cenomanian to early
Senonian transgression, overlain by Campanian and Maastrichtian limestone and chalk. The
Upper
Cretaceous strata attain a total thickness of about 580 m in the Gulf of Suez.
The Paleogene of the Gulf of Suez and Egyptian Red Sea margin consists of the 635 m Esna
Shale Formation overlain by thick, often cherty, limestones of the Thebes, Samalut, Waseiyit,
Mokattam and other Formations. The limestones are locally capped by thin transitional Late
EoceneOligocene marginal marine to fluvial sandstones and paleosols of the Tayiba
Formation.

The total thickness of the Paleogene in the northern Gulf of Suez is about 500 m, thinning
about100 m along the Red Sea Egyptian margin at Quseir.

The base of the syn-rift section includes heterogeneous and laterally discontinuous beds of
sandstone & conglomerate . The basal beds locally contain clasts of basalt or pyroclastics.
Oligicene
Oligocene sediments have not been positively identified along most of the Red Sea coastal
plains; however, deposition of the Red Series in the Danakil Depression is considered to have
begun in the late Oligocene
Oligocene and Miocene marine sediments are found on the south coast of the Arabian
Peninsula
At the western margins of red sea there is shale containing Oilgocene
fossils & interlayered basalt
Miocene :
Miocene sediments have been described along the coastal plains of the Red Sea from the
Gulf of Suez to latitude 14N.
Miocene contain clastics (2-3 km)& evaporates (3-4 km). The Miocene marine invasion is
considered to have come from the Mediterranean rather than from the Indian Ocean
Post Miocene :
These sediments are Pliocene to recent in age
The thickness and lithology of these sediments show marked variation from one area to
another .
Post Miocene sediments consists if sands, sandstone, shales and/or limestone intercalations .
the sans and sandstone are predominant in the marginal areas, while limestone are well
developed in central parts .
Pliocene :
At the beginning of the Pliocene, marine oozes and marginal elastics began to be deposited
on the evaporite sequence, signalling a drastic change in the sedimentary record. The
Pliocene marine invasion is considered to have come from the Indian Ocean rather than the
Mediterranean because the latter was
separated from the Red Sea during the early Pliocene by uplift of the Isthmus of Suez
Pleistocene :
Rates of deposition of Pliocene and Pleistocene sediments in the southern part of the Red
Sea were distinctly higher than those observed at the latitude of Jidda, indicating continued
uplift and erosion along the southern margins of the Red Sea
Pleistocene deposits mainly evaporates

The major Neogene siliciclastic discharge and carbonate accumulations,and the principle
structure trends influencing synrift sedimentation along the NW parts of the red sea coast .
(after Purser and philobbos 1993 ).

Simplified stratigraphic sections and terminology of the gulf of suez and red sea (after
boserworth & Burke2005 ).

Refrence :
1-William Bosworth, Philippe Huchon b, Ken McClay. The Red Sea and Gulf of Aden Basins.
Journal of African Earth Sciences 43 (2005) 334378
2- Robert G. Colema,GEOLOGIC BACKGROUND OF THE RED SEA
3- Barakat.M.G., Drwish,M. Hassoub,E. and slah,M., Rifting-Related sequences and
hydrocarbon Hbitat in the southern Gulf of suez and north red sea province, Egypt. Second
int. conf. Geology of the arab world, Cairo university, 1994.
3- Philobbos, E.R. and B.H. Purser 1993. Geodynamics and sedimentation of the Red SeaGulf of Aden Rift System. In, M.E. Sharkawi and S.E. Ansary (Eds.), Geological Society of
Egypt, Special Publication no. 1, 456 p.