© Elemental Chemistry As A Tool Of Stratigraphic Correlation: A Case Study Involving Lower Paleozoic Wajid, Saq, And Qasim Formations In Saudi Arabia Hussain, M ELSEVIER SCI LTD, MARINE AND PETROLEUM GEOLOGY; pp: ; Vol: 24 King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals Summary Separated physically by a distance of over 1250 kill, two lower Paleozoic formations in Saudi Arabia, the Wajid Formation in the southwest and the Saq Formation in central and northwestern Saudi Arabia, are fairly similar in lithology (both are quartz arenite) and overall depositional environment; yet the exact stratigraphic relationship between these two formations is not adequately known. Based on seismic and well data some earlier studies suggested that these two formations are in fact a single formation, and the name Wajid Formation and its Members should be abandoned in flavor of the terminology adopted for similar Paleozoic formations in the central and northern part of the country. The present study, which is first of its kind in Saudi Arabia, is ail attempt to determine the stratigraphic relationship between the Dibsiyah Member of the Wajid Formation and the Risha Member of the Saq Formation based on their overall elemental chemistry. This study also included the Ordovician Kahfah Member of the Qasim Formation for ensuring validity of the approach-this younger formation is expected to show a significantly different elemental chemistry compared to the other two formations. Elemental data when subjected to multivariate cluster and factor analyses and plotted confirmed three end members corresponding to these three formations. However, based on the observation that there is considerable overlapping of the Wajid samples in both Saq and Qasim sample domains of the plots, and very Copyright: King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals;

© little or insignificant presence of the Qasim samples in the Wajid sample domain, it was concluded that these three formations were deposited in a single basin and represent a single strat graphic Succession in which sediments of the Saq and Wajid formations are closely related. Also, based on overall similarity in lithology, substantial overlapping and mixing of the Wajid and Saq formations, and apparent absence of such relationships involving Wajid and Qasim samples, the Wajid and Saq call be considered as a single formation. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. References: *BRGM, 1985, UNPUB WAT AGR SOIL S *INT, 1969, WAT AGR DEV SURV AR ALLABOUN AA, 1990, J KING ABDULAZIZ U E, V3, P201 ALLABOUN AA, 1993, LEXOCON PALEOZOIC 1 ALNAJR S, 2000, STRATIGRAPHIC PALEON AMIREH BS, 1991, SEDIMENT GEOL, V71, P99 AVIGAD D, 2003, GEOLOGY, V31, P227 AVIGAD D, 2005, EARTH PLANET SC LETT, V240, P818, DOI /j.epsl BABALOLA LO, 1999, THESIS KING FAHD U P BELLANCA A, 1999, J SEDIMENT RES B, V69, P466 BEYDOUN ZR, 1991, STUDIES GEOLOGY, V33 BHATIA MR, 1986, CONTRIB MINERAL PETR, V92, P181 CLARKLOWES DD, 1980, CRCIC7 IMP COLL CONDIE KC, 1993, CHEM GEOL, V104, P1 CULLERS RL, 1991, LITHOS, V27, P115 DABBAGH ME, 1983, J AFR EARTH SCI, V1, P47 DANCHIN RV, 1967, SCIENCE, V158, P261 DELFOUR J, 1983, 24G SAUD DEP MIN MIN DICKINSON WR, 1985, PROVENANCE ARENITES, P333 EVANS RB, 1991, MIDDL E OIL SHOW C P, P847 FENG R, 1990, GEOCHIM COSMOCHIM AC, V54, P1061 FOLK RL, 1980, PETROLOGY SEDIMENTAR GARFUNKEL Z, 1999, ISRAEL J EARTH SCI, V48, P135 GARRELS RM, 1965, SOLUTIONS MINERALS E GARVER JI, 1995, GEOL SOC AM BULL, V107, P440 GU XX, 2002, J SEDIMENT RES, V72, P393 HAIR JF, 1998, MULTIVARIATE DATA AN HEIER KS, 1970, HDB GEOCHEMISTRY HELAL AH, 1964, NEUES JB GEOLOGIE PA, V7, P391 HELAL AH, 1968, DTSCH GEOL GESELL SC, V117, P506 HUSSAIN M, 2000, AAPG NAT C NEW ORL A, P7 HUSSAIN M, 2001, FRAMEWORK MINERALOGY Copyright: King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals;

© HUSSAIN M, 2004, GEOARABIA, V9, P77 JOHNSSON MJ, 1990, J SEDIMENT PETROL, V60, P27 KONERT G, 2001, GEOARABIA, V6, P445 LOZEJ GP, 1983, RFOF032 SAUD AR DEP MCLENNAN SM, 1984, GEOCHIM COSMOCHIM AC, V48, P1 MCLENNAN SM, 1989, REV MINERAL, V21, P169 MCLENNAN SM, 1991, J GEOL, V99, P1 NYAKAIRU GWA, 2001, GEOCHEM J, V35, P13 OWENS B, 1995, REV PALAEOBOT PALYNO, V89, P1 POWERS RW, 1966, 560D US GEOL SURV SENLAP M, 2001, GEOARABIA, V6, P233 SHARLAND P, 2001, ARABIAN PLATE SEQUEN STEINEKE M, 1958, HABITAT OIL STERN RJ, 1994, ANN REV EARTH PLANET, V22, P319 STUMP TE, 1994, P GEO AR C, P867 STUMP TE, 1995, J AFR EARTH SCI, V21, P421 TAYLOR SR, 1985, CONTINENTAL CRUST IT TAYLOR SR, 1995, REV GEOPHYS, V33, P241 VANDEKAMP PC, 1985, T ROY SOC EDINBURGH, V76, P411 VANDEKAMP PC, 1994, J SEDIMENT RES A, V64, P17 VASLET D, 1986, 27F MIN PETR MIN RES WEISSBROD T, 1986, SEDIMENT GEOL, V47, P263 WINDLEY BF, 1996, GEOLOGY, V24, P131 WONG FL, 2002, CONT SHELF RES, V22, P899 WRONKIEWICZ DJ, 1987, GEOCHIM COSMOCHIM AC, V51, P2401 For pre-prints please write to: Copyright: King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals;