Thesis (Ph.D.) - Cairo University - Faculty of Science - Department of Geology

The present palynological study of four wells (OBA D-17, OBA D-8, THAX-1 and OBA D-10) has been performed on 169 cutting samples covering the interval from Jurassic to Lower Cretaceous in the north Western Desert. This includes Ras Qattara, Yakout, Khatatba, Masajid and Alam El Bueib formations.This study yielded 91 species of 54 genera of palynomorphs (spores, gymnosperm, angiosperm pollen grains, dinoflagellate cysts, in addition to acritarchs, foraminiferal test linings and freshwater algae). From the quantitative and qualitative analyses of the studied interval, nine interval and assemblage dinoflagellate biozones are proposed, these are described as follows: I: Cribroperidinium edwardsii Interval Zone (Aptian), II: Tenua anaphrissa Interval Zone (middle{u2013}late Barremian), III: Muderongia simplex Interval Zone (late Hauterivian{u2013}early Barremian), IV: Systematophora sp. Acme Zone (Valanginian{u2013}early Hauterivian), V: Gonyaulacysta jurassica Interval Zone (late Oxfordian {u2013}Kimmeridgian), VI: Ctenidodinium continuum Interval Zone (early Oxfordian), VII: Korystocysta gochtii Interval Zone (late Bathonian{u2013} Callovian), VIII: Pareodinia ceratophora and Dissiliodinium sp. Assemblage Zone (late Bajocian {u2013}early Bathonian) and IX: Mancodinium semitabulatum Interval Zone(Aalenian{u2013} early Bajocian). As well as five equivalent sporomorph biozones: Murospora florida Interval zone (Aptian), Aequitriradites spinulosus Interval Zone (middle{u2013} late Barremian), Pilosisporites verrus{u2013}P. trichopapillosus Assemblage Zone (Valanginian{u2013}early Barremian), Callialasporites trilobatus Interval Zone (Aalenian{u2013}Kimmeridgian) and Classopollis spp.{u2013} Spheripollenites psilatus Assemblage Zone (Toarcian{u2013}Aalenian)

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