ALLUVIAL FANS OF THE SLABIAT DEPRESSION, IRAQI SOUTHERN DESERT

T. Zaini, Maher; F. Abdul Jab, Mawahib; Bar,

	ALLUVIAL FANS OF THE SLABIAT DEPRESSION, IRAQI SOUTHERN DESERT
Iraqi Bulletin of Geology and Mining
Article 1, Volume 11, Issue 1, 2015, Pages 79-93
Authors
Maher T. Zaini; Mawahib F. Abdul Jab;
Abstract
The Slabiat Depression is one of the largest depressions in the Iraqi Southern Desert; its length in the study area is 65 Km, whereas its width ranges (30 – 32.5) Km. Its depth on the surface ranges (0 – 10) m. The depression is filled with Quaternary sediments. All the main valleys drain in the depression, some of them drain farther the south in Saudi Arabia. The Quaternary sediments that fill the Slabiat Depression include Sabkha sediments (Pleistocene), alluvial fan sediments (Pleistocene – Holocene), and depression fill sediments (Holocene), in addition to sediments of aeolian origin. There are eight alluvial fans in the study area, with two stages and clear differences between the fans; in the northwestern and southeastern parts of the depression, they differ in their mode of formation, orientation, size and shape. This is attributed to the different sources of the sediments, supplying the fans. Moreover, the valleys in the northwestern pass through karst terrain. The development of the alluvial fans requires a drop in gradient, in appition many other factors. However, the drop in the gradient of the valleys and the present gradient of the depression is not sufficient to develop the alluvial fans. Therefore, the development of the alluvial fans had occurred under different conditions than those of the present. However, neotectonic activity also has contributed to the development of the depression, consequently contributed to the development of the alluvial fans, in the depression.
Keywords
Alluvial fans; Slabiat Depression; Neotectonic; Iraq

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