הגיאולוגיה של הכרמל מחזורים ×•×•×œ×§× ×• - Geological Survey of Israel - המכון ...

terminated by an erosion surface over the shallow platform rocks, indicating a phase ofuplifting and emergence.Cycle 2 includes the V 1 volcanic horizon at its base, and the Isfiye Formation, thatconsists of soft chalks at its lower part and ends upwards with a hard limestone unit (Bet OrenLimestone). Following the uplifting at the end of the previous cycle, this cycle beganthroughout most of the Carmel area with a rapid subsidence to a depth of ~65m, whichresulted in the establishment of open marine environments over the outer platform.Subsequently, this cycle displays a trend of gradual shallowing upwards, which culminated inuplifting and local subaerial erosion.Cycle 3 begins in places with the V 2 pyroclastic horizon, and contains the equivalentArqan and Zikhron formations. The Arqan Formation includes the previously definedKhureibe and Junediya (or Shamir) formations, and is well developed in northern MountCarmel. It is represented by chalk and limestone lithologies, commonly with layers andnodules of chert, which reflect open and in places relatively deep outer platformenvironments, similar to the ones that prevailed throughout most of the Carmel area at thebeginning of the second cycle. The Zikhron Formation is dominated by stratified dolomites,and occurs in the southern Carmel (Ramat Hanadiv and Zikhron Ya’aqov), and in certainisolated places (e.g. the Muhraqa region) that are surrounded by the Arqan Formation. In thesouthern Carmel, this formation is associated with barrier reefs, and represents shallow andrestricted conditions, similar to the ones that prevailed throughout most of the Carmel duringthe first cycle. In the isolated places, the Zikhron Formation includes a basaltic flow at itsmiddle part. Like the previous two cycles, this one ended also by gradual shallowing upward,and in places by emergence and erosion.Cycle 4 displays a change into a different and very complex array of environmentsacross the platform. It begins in places with the V 4 pyroclastic horizon, and the sedimentarysection is represented by the equivalent Bina and Sakhnin formations. The Bina Formationconsists of limestones, and is quite uniform at the southern part of its extension. To the northand northeast it can be divided into two, from bottom to top, the Muhraqa and Sumaqmembers. The Muhraqa Member consists of a limestone facies (which contains isolatedrudist reefs and bioclastic beds) and a dolomitic facies. The distribution of these facies acrossthe platform, as well as the distribution of the isolated reefs in the limestone facies, has noapparent pattern. The Sumaq Member (a new definition) contains the previously recognizedDaliyya, Umm E Zinat, Qumbeze and Shune formations. It is characterized by the alternationof limestone and marl beds, and contains also some rudist patch reefs. The SakhninII