Online:
Visits:
Stories:
Profile image
By Wooster Geologists - A World to Explore (Reporter)
Contributor profile | More stories
Story Views

Now:
Last Hour:
Last 24 Hours:
Total:

A day in the Zohar and Matmor Formations of the Negev

Monday, March 21, 2016 21:46
% of readers think this story is Fact. Add your two cents.

(Before It's News)

1 Zohar outcrop 031516MITZPE RAMON, ISRAEL — It was another very windy day in southern Israel, but still just fine for fieldwork. Yael Edelman-Furstenburg, Yael Leshno and I returned to Makhtesh Gadol to work on Yael Leshno’s data collection procedures for her PhD project in the Middle Jurassic sequence here. Our first task was figuring out the detailed stratigraphy, which is not especially easy considering all the faulting and somewhat dated lithological descriptions for orientation. The above image is of the Zohar Formation just below its contact with the Kidod Formation (depending on what stratigraphic scheme you follow!).

2 Zohar disconformityThe top few meters of the Zohar Formation are a series of argillaceous limestones with numerous trace fossils (Planolites and Thalassinoides, mainly) and this gorgeous erosion surface (disconformity). The white limestone beneath was lithified when it was exposed and downcut by sand-bearing currents. On the left you can see pieces of the limestone incorporated into the overlying calcareous sandstone. Classic.

3 Goldberg trench 031516We then moved up section into the Kidod Formation (or upper Zohar!) to the site of the first stratigraphic column constructed through these rocks. Right of center you can see a trench dug into the marls by Moshe Goldberg in 1962. This was part of his project to describe the entire Jurassic section in Makhtesh Gadol. We still use his iconic work today as “Goldberg, 1963”.

4 Quadrat start 031516Here are the Yaels starting the very first quadrat measurements within the Matmor Formation. Within a half-meter square they are counting and identifying all the fossils — every little bit over a few millimeters. Student Yael has many of these quadrats in her future!

5 Makhtesh view 031516Here is a view of the Makhtesh with the Yaels at work. You can see our white field vehicle from the Geological Survey in the middle distance.

6 Matmor bedding plane 031516We ended the day at this bedding plane in the upper Matmor Formation I remembered finding many years ago. It has spectacular clam and gastropod fossils across its surface, many in apparent life positions. I’d show you images of the critters, but I’m saving them for a Fossil of the Week post!



Source: http://woostergeologists.scotblogs.wooster.edu/2016/03/22/a-day-in-the-zohar-and-matmor-formations-of-the-negev/

Report abuse

Comments

Your Comments
Question   Razz  Sad   Evil  Exclaim  Smile  Redface  Biggrin  Surprised  Eek   Confused   Cool  LOL   Mad   Twisted  Rolleyes   Wink  Idea  Arrow  Neutral  Cry   Mr. Green

Top Stories
Recent Stories

Register

Newsletter

Email this story
Email this story

If you really want to ban this commenter, please write down the reason:

If you really want to disable all recommended stories, click on OK button. After that, you will be redirect to your options page.