Quarries and the Environment in the Kurdistan Region, Iraq

Quarries of different types and uses and quarried materials can be foundeverywhere in the Kurdistan region, Iraq. The main quarries are those of limestone used for cement production, and they are of multiphases and are well designed. Other quarries are randomly located without any scientific aspects; these are used for local purposes, mainly for aggregates. However, they are all polluting the environment (air, water, and soil) in different intensities and moods. &nbsp

The Darbendi Bazian Abandoned Alluvial Fan. An Indication for the Lateral Growth of Qara Dagh Anticline, SW Sulaimani, Kurdistan Region, NE Iraq.

Qara Dagh anticline is one of the main anticlines in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region with NW – SE trend.  It is a double plunging anticline almost symmetrical and consists of six minor anticlines some of them exhibit en-echelon plunges. The anticline shows many indications of lateral growth which indicate Neotectonic activities. Among those indications is the Darbendi Bazian abandoned alluvial fan. In this study, the details of the fan are presented and discussed as interpreted from satellite images. The interpreted data is checked in the field and it is found that the alluvial fan is a large fan showing typical symmetrical fan. It is a single stage fan covered by fine materials. The thickness of the fan ranges from (2.5 – 6) m, whereas its length and width are 4.18 km and 1.35 km, respectively. The fan was originated from Tinal stream which was draining the area behind the apex towards south and south west and nowadays flows in an opposite direction. The alluvial fan’s geometry, constituents, genesis and mode of deposition are given and discussed

Suitability of the Carbonate Rocks of the Bekhme Formation Exposed in Shakrook Anticline, Iraqi Kurdistan region, for Cement Industry

The Bekhme Formation forms almost the bulk of the Shakrook anticline, especially the limbs. The current research deals with studying the exposed beds within the Bekhme Formation at the Shakrook anticline to check the suitability of the exposed rocks at the northeastern limb of the anticline for the cement industry. Twenty rock samples from a section which lies along a deeply cut valley that crosses the northeastern limb of the Shakrook anticline within the Bekhme Formation were collected. The channel sampling method was applied; therefore, each sample represents the concerned sampling interval and to be representative for the thickness of the sampled interval. The total thickness of the sampled section is 110 m with a covered interval of 15 m, totaling to 125 m. The collected 20 samples were prepared at the laboratory of the Koya University and were subjected to XRF test at the Tarbiat Modares University, Iran, to indicate the concentration of the main oxides (CaO, MgO, Al2O3, Fe2O3, Na2O, K2O, and SO3), and Cl and L.O.I. The indicated concentrations at each sample, from both universities, were compared and were found to be almost coinciding. The average concentrations at each sample were changed to weighted averages and the results were compared with the Iraqi standards for cement industry. The results revealed that the sampled rocks are excellent for cement production

Factors Controlling the Development of Wine-Glass Forms in the Mountains of the Kurdistan Region, Iraq

The northern and northeastern parts of Iraq are mountainous areas and rugged topography with different erosional and morphological forms; among them are the wine-glass (erosional cirques) forms. They are developed in different shapes, sizes, and depths. In the outlets of the wine-glass forms; usually, alluvial fans are formed. The studied area is characterized by the presence of long and narrow anticlines with NW–SE trend that changes westward to E–W trend. The Cretaceous carbonate rocks form the main carapace of the majority of the mountains; however, locally Paleogene and/or Jurassic rocks form the carapace. In the core, rocks down to Devonian are exposed. In those anticlines where only Cretaceous rocks are exposed, no or very rarely wine-glass forms are developed. This is attributed to the Cretaceous carbonate rocks, which exist in huge thicknesses in many formations, with thickly bedded to massive nature and very hard erosion resisting rocks. Tens of the existing wineglass forms are studied to indicate the factors that control their development, which are the type of exposed rocks, their thicknesses, and hardness. To perform the aim of this study, different satellite imagery with different resolutions was used; besides using GIS technique and field check to improve the acquired date

Factors Controlling the Development of Straight Valleys and Streams in the Kurdistan Region, North and Northeast of Iraq

The Iraqi Kurdistan Region is a mountainous area with relief difference ranging from few hundred meters up to 3000 m, and locally more. Almost all of the mountains form anticlines that have NW–SE trend changing westwards of longitude to E–W. The carapace of the majority of the mountains is built up of Cretaceous rocks; however, some of them are of older rocks. Many of those anticlines are crossed by straight valleys and/or are crossed by streams and rivers which form again straight lines and almost coincide with regional lineaments, usually in N–S or NE–SW trend. The studied straight valleys are controlled, most probably by tectonic factors, therefore, exhibit special topographic forms, like straight lineaments crossing many successive anticlines, and also clear bending in some of the ridges in their crossing points to the valleys and/or streams. This paper aims to determine and discuss the factors that control the development of the straight valleys and/or lineaments. To achieve this aim, remote sensing and GIS techniques were followed, using Landsat, QuickBird images as well as geological maps of different scales, and different published articles

Industrial Assessment of the Carbonate Rocks of the Pila Spi Formation at Haibat Sultan Mountain, Iraqi Kurdistan Region

The Pila Spi Formation is one of the prominent formations forming continuous ridges in Kurdistan Region. The thickness of the formation ranges from 15 to 110 m, consisting of well-bedded limestone, dolomite, dolomitic limestone, and very rare marl beds. The study area is located about 15 km east of Koya town, next to the abandoned tunnel through a deeply cut valley which has exposed 50 m of the formation. However, the uppermost part of the exposed section may belong to one of the Oligocene formations of Kirkuk Group. The study area was selected within the Pila Spi Formation because the rocks of the same formation and along the same ridge, about 45 km west of the study area showed encouraging results for cement industry. The average CaO is about 51%, whereas the average MgO is 1.8%. Therefore, eight samples were collected at constant thickness from the exposed section. The samples were subjected to X-ray fluorescence (XRF) test to indicate the main oxides in the sampled section. The acquired results from the XRF tests showed that the chemical composition of the exposed rocks within the Pila Spi Formation is suitable for cement industry, also for paper and paint but needs some treatment. Accordingly, another eight samples were collected from the same section to increase the density of sampling, totaling to 16 samples

Geomorphic Indicators of Folds Lateral Growth Using Satellite Images: Sulaimaniyah Vicinity in Kurdistan Region of Iraq

Visual interpretation of satellite images is a very significant technique to recognize and interpret structural features, which indicate lateral growth of folds, the origin of folds, and dating of folds using the exposure dating method. In this study, Landsat 8 (ESSRI) and Google Earth images are used to recognize structural features at Pira Magroon, Surdash, and Azmar anticlines in the Sulaimaniyah vicinity, Kurdistan Region, north of Iraq. The mentioned anticlines are outstanding geomorphological and structural features in the Sulaimaniyah vicinity. The recognized and interpreted structural features include: en-echelon folding, domes, and Neotectonic indication. All these features are discussed in detail with many images to show the discussed cases, most of the interpreted data and presented figures are never mentioned previously

Aqra Anticline: A Growing Structure in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region

Aqra Anticline is a double plunging anticline, oriented NW–SE with a steep southwestern limb and even overturned. Geomorphological features are interpreted using satellite images, as a result, it was found that the anticline shows clear geomorphological and structural features which indicate the lateral growth of the anticline. Among those features are water gaps, wind gaps, forked-shaped valleys, curved valleys, inclined valleys and dislocated and abandoned alluvial fans. Some of the vague interpreted features were checked and confirmed in the field

Determining the Tectonic Origin of the Gara and Mateen Anticlines Using Geomorphological and Structural Forms, Iraqi Kurdistan Region

Gara and Mateen are 2 major anticlines in the northern part of the Iraqi Kurdistan Region, located in the vicinity of the town Amadiyah. Both anticlines are oriented in an almost east–west (E–W) trend with a steep southern limb. The length and width of the Gara and Mateen anticlines are 87 km and 63 km, and 11 km and 9.5 km, respectively. The 2 anticlines are separated by a wide and shallow syncline filled by the Tertiary rocks of the Pliocene–Pleistocene age. The oldest exposed rocks in the Gara and Mateen anticlines are from the Triassic age. The carapace of both anticlines is built up by the Bekhme and Qamchuqa formations. The geomorphological and structural features were studied through satellite images and geological maps. Based on these studies, it was found that both anticlines show clear geomorphological and structural features that indicate their lateral growth. Among those features are water and wind gaps, different shapes of valleys that indicate lateral growth, abandoned alluvial fans, whale-back shapes, en-echelon plunges, and multiple dome anticlines. Furthermore, the rate of upward movements was calculated using neotectonic data. In addition, the rate of river and stream incisions was calculated on the basis of the height of the river terrace levels

The Structural and Geomorphic Forms of Ranya Vicinity as Deduced from Satellite Images Data, Kurdistan Region, Northeast Iraq

The structural forms (folds and faults) in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region exhibit more complexity in the northern and northeastern parts of the region; accordingly, complicated geomorphic forms were developed too. This is attributed to the collision of the Arabian and Eurasian plates with a convergent boundary that runs about 35 – 40 km northeast of the studied area. Many long and tight anticlines exist in the studied area, the majority of them exhibit very complex forms, such as being faulted and their axes being bent. The main characteristic structural and Geomorphic recognized forms based on the interpretation of high-quality satellite images are: Domes, en-echelon plunges, overturned beds, faulted anticlinal and synclinal axes, abandoned and recent alluvial fans, water and wind gaps, wine glasses, and different valley shapes. The recognized structural forms are quite different from those previously presented on the geological maps of different scales, and the forms are good indications for the lateral growth of the anticlines. A Field check was carried out to check some ambiguous interpreted data and to confirm the new findings