Environmental Impact Assessment and Sedimentology of the Carbonate Quarry Site for Al-Maroua'ah Cement Plant in Al-Hodeida District, NW Yemen

In this study, environmental impact assessment and sedimentology includes chemical analysis were carried out for the quarry site of the limestone raw material in Al-Maroua'ah cement plant in Tehama plane, Al-Hodeida district NW Yemen. The study includes the assessment of the limestone raw materials, the quality, chemical and mineralogical analysis and expected pollutions impact in the quarry site. The studied rock successions are belonging to the Amran Group, which is composed mainly of limestone rocks with few interbedded marl, shale and sandstone beds. The chemical analysis of the limestone rocks show CaO content is (50.31%), with very little MgO content (0.71%). The present shale marl and sandstone rock units are useful for the correction of the rocks to concise with the international specifications of the cement production. The site of the quarry of the main raw materials of limestone rocks was selected far From the villages and human populations to prevent the environmental pollutions according to the WHO and YEPA specifications. The emitted dust from the operations of the quarry machine makes impacts on the surrounding environments especially for the farms and the natural plants and animals, which are living in the region. For this, the site of quarry is selected in a mountain far from the vegetation, population and villages to avoid the expected environmental impact. Mitigation plan for prevent or decreases the pollution impact to the minimum, was discussed

Environmental Impact Assessment and Sedimentology of the Carbonate Quarry Site for Al-Maroua'ah Cement Plant in Al-Hodeida District, NW Yemen

In this study, environmental impact assessment and sedimentology includes chemical analysis were carried out for the quarry site of the limestone raw material in Al-Maroua'ah cement plant in Tehama plane, Al-Hodeida district NW Yemen. The study includes the assessment of the limestone raw materials, the quality, chemical and mineralogical analysis and expected pollutions impact in the quarry site. The studied rock successions are belonging to the Amran Group, which is composed mainly of limestone rocks with few interbedded marl, shale and sandstone beds. The chemical analysis of the limestone rocks show CaO content is (50.31%), with very little MgO content (0.71%). The present shale marl and sandstone rock units are useful for the correction of the rocks to concise with the international specifications of the cement production. The site of the quarry of the main raw materials of limestone rocks was selected far From the villages and human populations to prevent the environmental pollutions according to the WHO and YEPA specifications. The emitted dust from the operations of the quarry machine makes impacts on the surrounding environments especially for the farms and the natural plants and animals, which are living in the region. For this, the site of quarry is selected in a mountain far from the vegetation, population and villages to avoid the expected environmental impact. Mitigation plan for prevent or decreases the pollution impact to the minimum, was discussed

Stratigraphic note : update on the palynology of the Akbarah and Kuhlan formations, northwest Yemen

Following a preliminary palynological report of two samples from the lower part of the Kuhlan Formation (Unit A) near Kuhlan village, northwest Yemen (Stephenson and Al-Mashaikie, 2010), a further seven samples from Unit A, and an additional 22 samples from the underlying Akbarah Formation in the same locality are reported. The seven new samples from the Kuhlan Formation support the 2165A to 2141A Biozone age originally suggested by Stephenson & Al-Mashaikie (2010), and the new Akbarah Formation samples suggest an age not markedly different since Anapiculatisporites concinnus and Spelaeotriletes triangulus are also present in the Akbarah Formation (e.g. samples AK-11 and AK-12). This correlation confirms that the lower Kuhlan Formation and the Akbarah Formation, are likely to be late Carboniferous in age and equivalent to the lower parts of the Al Khlata Formation of Oman

Palynology and correlation of Carboniferous-Permian glacigene rocks in Oman, Yemen and Pakistan

Palynological assemblages from sections in Yemen and Pakistan are similar enough to allow the application of biozones based on the Pennsylvanian glacigene sediments of interior Oman. Thirty four samples from the upper 84 m of a 125 m thick section of the Tobra Formation at Zaluch Nala, western Salt Range, Pakistan yielded palynomorph taxa including Microbaculispora tentula, abundant monosaccate pollen including Cannanoropollis janakii and Plicatipollenites malabarensis, Converrucosisporites grandegranulatus, Horriditriletes ramosus and Horriditriletes tereteangulatus indicating the late Pennsylvanian Oman 2165B Biozone. Eleven samples from the Yemen Kuhlan Formation, and 22 samples from the underlying Akbarah Formation from approximately 300 m of a section near Kuhlan in northwest Yemen, suggest a 2165A Biozone age (also late Pennsylvanian). This correlation indicates the widespread nature of glacial sediments of a narrow biostratigraphic late Pennsylvanian age range (the Oman P5 unit) in basins across part of the north Gondwana margin. New data from three samples from the Tobra Formation at the Choa Road section near Khewra in the eastern Salt Range, Pakistan are assignable to the earliest Permian 2141B Biozone, indicating a possible correlation between the ‘Tobra shale’ and the Rahab Shale Member of Oman, which is considered to mark the final deglaciation sequence in Oman