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News
GEOLOGICAL
SURVEY OF IRAQ
(GEOSURV-IRAQ)
ANNOUNCEMENT
INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH GROUP ON THE GEOLOGY OF
WESTERN ZAGROS
(IRAQ)
The Geological Survey of Iraq (GEOSURV-IRAQ) is
highly interested in bringing the attention of
the world earth scientists to this poorly
studied and highly interesting part of the
Zagros Orogenic Belt. GEOSURV-IRAQ is
coordinating an international group of Earth
scientists who are interested to study this area
from various aspects including among other
things:-
The program includes a field excursion at 23-27
of Nov.2011in Sulaimaniya City for five days to
enable scientific observation, documentation,
sampling and discussions in the field.
A symposium will be organized by
GEOSURV-IRAQ in 2012 to present the results of
research carried out by the participating
scientists and all papers may be published in a
special issue of the Iraqi Bulletin of Geology
and Mining (published by GEOSURV-IRAQ).
Field excursion and symposium will
be funded by GEOSURV-IRAQ including
accommodation and local transport inside Iraq.
International transport and cost of the research
work is to be borne by the scientists who can
apply for funding from their institutes or
universities.
All scientist who are interested to
join this international research group should
fill-in the following form to enable contact,
Visa, and arrange for the field excursion as
soon as possible.

The
contact scientist from GEOSURV-IRAQ is Dr. Saffa
F. A. Fouad/ e-mail:
saffafouad@geosurviraq.com,
saffa.fouad1957@gmail.com
Please address all your correspondence to the
above e-mail address. Looking forward for your
participation and
contribution.
Dr.
Khaldoun Al- Bassam
Director General
GEOSURV-IRAQ
GEOSURV- IRAQ
WESTERN ZAGROS/ A brief
The Zagros Mountain is the NW-SE trending
segment of the Alpine- Himalayan orogenic belt.
It extends more the 1800km from southern Turkey
through north and east Iraq to the Straits of
Hormuz, southwestern Iran. The width of the
Zagros Mountain range inceaese from northwest
(150 km in Kurdistan) to southeast
(350 km in Fars Arc.).
The Zagros Mountains are the product of
the deformation produced by the Late
Cretaceous-Qaternary convergence of the Arabian
and the Iranian (Eurasian) plates. The
deformed rock sequence consists of Late
Proterozoic to Cenozoic sedimentary pile that
accumulated on the northern margin of the
Arabian plate. The Zagros orogenic belt has been
traditionally subdivided into several structural
domains trending parallel to the plate
suture.The Zagros Mountain front, however, is
sinuous and contains a number of tectonic
salients (ares) and re- enternts (embayments).
These are, from southeast to northwest; Farc
Arc, Dezful Embayment, Lurestan Arc, and Kirkuk
Embayment.
The regional stratigraphy of the Zagros region
has been well studied in Fars Arc and Dezful
Embayment. The regional stratigraphic column has
been divided into five structural– mechanical
groups, they, from base to top. the Basement
Group
(Panafrican crystalline basement complex); the
Lower Mobile Group (Late Infracanbrian- Early
Cambrian Hormuz Salt); the Competent Group
(Cambrian to Early Miocene platformal
sediments); the Upper Mobile Group (Miocene
salt); and the Incompetent ( Passive) Group (
Late Miocene to resent molasses).
There is a general agreement among structural
geologists working in the Zagros Fold- Thrust
Belt that the mechanical properties of the
folded sedimentary pile substantially governing
the mechanism and the geometrical style of
folding.
Analysis and interpretation of folding and
faulting in the Zagros orogenic belt have been
rapidly evolving in the last decade, and several
research groups are actively working on these
topics currently. Unfortuantely almost all of
the contemporary research groups and studies
have focused on the south and central parts of
the Zagros in Fars Arc, Dezful Embayment and
Lurstan, whereas non of them have focused on the
western part of the Kirkuk Embayment.
The Western Zagros of the Kirkuk Embayment
consists of a large number of folds of variable
size and style. The deformation within the
folded belt varies both along and across the
tectonic strike.
The
Western Zagros belt within of the Iraqi
territory has been divided into four main
structural domains with different
characteristics. These domains, from the
interior to the outer part of the belt, are:
Shalair ( Sanandaj- Sirjan) Terrain, the Zagros
Suture, Zagros Fold- Thrust Belt, and the
Mesopotamian Foredeep. The Shalair Terrain
consists of metamorphosed Paleozoic- Miocene
sediments and meta-arc volcanics. The Zagros
Suture is occupied by intensely deformed thrust
slices of ophloites, radiolarites and minor
volcanics. The Zagros fold- Thrust Belt consists
of thick folded and faulted Paleozoic to
Pliocene marginal and sediments, whereas, the
Mesopotamia Foredeep is covered by Miocen to
Quaternary, marine and terrestrial clastics.
The Western Zagros Fold- Thrust Belt contains
almost 50% of the total oil reserve of Iraq and
yet it is very poorly studied. It is covered by
very limited seismic surveys of poor quality in
which deep structures are not shown. On the
other hand, detailed surface geological maps are
hardly available and no deep exploration wells
have been drilled. The lack of reliable data may
allow seriously different interpretations.
Therefore new successful exploration eventually
requires good understanding of the geometries of
the structures and their continuation at deep,
timing and sequence of geological events as well
as the role of the mechanical stratigraphy.
It is worth mentioning that the Iraqi side of
the Zagros is remarkable for numerous mineral
showings that may be related to tectonic and
magmatic processes. These include copper,
Ni-rich chromite, Pb-Zn, magnetite, Mn- Fe,
radioactive minerals, etc. Research work is
needed to study the genetic aspects of these ore
minerals and their relation to the tectonic
history of the Zagros.
Visit State Company of Geological Survey
and Mining of Iraq
The Netherlands Government recently
organized a conference in The Hague on
the assistance of the Netherlands to
help rebuild Iraq. On the occasion of
that meeting, Dr.K.S. Al-Bassam,
Director General of the State Company of
geological Survey and Mining of Iraq (GEOSURV-IRAQ),
paid a surprise visit to ITC on 28th
January to discuss a revival of the
collaboration between ITC and GEOSURV-IRAQ
which in the past led to the training of
GEOSURV-IRAQ staff, currently still in
active service.
Discussions
progressed smoothly and efficiently and
resulted in the concluding of a
Memorandum of Understanding to confirm
the intensions of ITC and GEOSURV-IRAQ
and to provide the enabling vehicle to
develop and implement mutually
beneficial and agreed upon initiatives,
with training of GEOSURV-IRAQ staff
being a priority.
The Memorandum of Understanding was
signed by Professor Molenaar, on behalf
of ITC and Dr. Al-Bassam on behalf of
GEOSURV-IRAQ
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