biostratigraphy and paleoecology of cretaceous/tertiary boundary in ...

Chapter one
Introduction
such as plate tectonics' (continental rifting) the asteroid-impact, volcanisms,
acid rains, iridium increase and CO 2 release and the resulting climate changes.
The K/T boundary has been studied in different localities and regions in the
world for different sense and purposes by different methods, such as tectonic,
geochemical, stratigraphic, and biostratigraphic. The Cretaceous/ Tertiary
Boundary in Kurdistan Region were not studied completely, especially in
Sulaimani region which represents an important part of Zagros area.
This study deals with the biostratigraphy and paleoenvironment of
Cretaceous/Tertiary boundary sequences in the Sulaimani region, NE-Iraq,
Kurdistan, depending on planktonic foraminifera through Late Maastrichtian
and Early Paleocene. Lithologically it is concerned with Tanjero and Kolosh
clastic Formations, Tanjero-Red Bed Series or Shiranish-Kolosh Formations
regionally in the studied area.
The study is specially concentrated on analysis of all the uncertain aspects
of the formations, such as stratigraphy, biostratigraphy, paleoenvironment,
paleogeography, basin analysis, age and regional geology. In the present
study there are attempts to answer many of the questions raised naturally
through different researches and studies since this decade by different
authors in and outside Iraqi regions about stratigraphy, biostratigraphy, nature
of the contact, age determination, paleoecology, paleogeographic
reconstruction, and correlation with regional, continental and intercontinental
similarities.
1.2- Location and Geomorphology
The studied area is located within the Imbricated Zone (proximal area) was
represented by Qishlagh, Kato and Sirwan valley sections (High Folded
Zones) and in the High and Low Folded Zones (distal area) represented by
Qulka and Gali sections. The studied area is located within Sulaimani and near
by Erbil Governorates in northeastern Iraq. It extended from Halabja town
in southeast to Koy Sinjaq town in the northwest. This area is located between
latitude (35 0 10 - ) and (36 0 30 - ) north and longitude (46 0 10 - ) and (44 0 40 - )
east, (Fig.1.1 ). The main outcrop of the studied sections is located at Smaquli
2