QUATERNARY TUFA PROFILES, JABAL FARASAN – WADI QEDID AREA, SOUTHERN SAUDI ARABIA
QUATERNARY TUFA PROFILES, JABAL FARASAN – WADI QEDID AREA, SOUTHERN SAUDI ARABIA

Summary/Abstract: Quaternary tufa deposits are recorded in Jabal Farasan-Wadi Qedid area northeast Jeddah City. Five tufa types are investigated, these are fluvial-barrage tufa, cascade tufa, fan-tufa, fluvial crusts, and pools type tufa. The latter type represents a recent active tufa. The studied tufas exhibit stromatolitic laminations, rhizolithes, microphytes with sedimentary fills, oncoids, oncolites, pesoids, lithoclasts and intraclasts microstructures. These organo-sedimentary structures develop by deposition of micrite on bacteria, cyanobacterial filaments and algae. Tufa deposits exhibit diagenetic features as cementation, carbonate recrystallization, dissolution and later filling by calcite. Tufas provide excellent records of terrestrial paleoenvironments and paleoclimatic conditions and indicate Late Quaternary humid phase in southern Arabia related to the seasonal monsoon climate.

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