The Oligo-Miocene deepwater system of the Levant Basin

- 14 -3.3.2 Lower Oligocene sedimentsPatchy outcrops of lowermost Oligocene sediments (zone P18 in Fig. 3) are scarce and are sparselyspread from the Golan to the Northern Negev. They are more common in wells along theMediterranean coastal plain and offshore areas, where they are included in the lower part of the BetGuvrin Formation (Fig. 3). These sediments invariably consist of deep-water pelagic marly chalks,and their aerial distribution largely follows the distribution of the upper Eocene deposits, except fortheir absence in the Southern Negev (Buchbinder et al., 2005). These units thus indicate that mostof Israel, except the southern and central Negev, was covered by sea in earliest Oligocene times.3.3.3 Upper Rupelian- lower Chattian transported clastics lowstand and carbonate wedgeSediments of P19-P21 zones (ampliapertura to opima opima, Fig. 3) have a limited inlanddistribution. However, sediments of the opima opima zone penetrate more inland to the LowerShefela region (Lakhish Formation), characterizing of slumped blocks, debris flows and occasionalsandy calcareous turbidites (Lakhish area). These mass transported sediments are covered by a fewmeters of in situ large-foraminiferal limestone representing a lowstand prograding wedge(Buchbinder et al., 2005). More than 300 m of sand and conglomerates of this phase werepenetrated in the Ashdod wells in the Coastal Plain (Fig. 3).3.3.4 Upper Oligocene (P22) - lower Miocene (N4) cyclesThese cycles represent the last major Oligocene transgressions (Fig. 3). They are separated by anerosional unconformity of moderate magnitude. The onlap of the Early Miocene cycle; i.e. theupper Ha'on Member (Susita Formation), reached the Golan area across the Rift Valley (Fig. 3,Buchbinder et al., 2005). However, their hemi-pelagic sediments were largely eroded from the hillybackbone of the country. The facies is ubiquitously pelagic or hemi-pelagic (Bet Guvrin type),except in the most proximal outcrops in the Golan Heights.3.3.5 The Burdigalian lowstand (N5-N7)Sediments of this interval are limited to the Coastal Plain and offshore area. Canyon incision wasrenewed and mass transported deposits occasionally accumulated, as exemplified by the Gaza sands(Fig. 3; Martinotti, 1973).3.3.6 Lowermost Middle Miocene cycle (Ziqlag Formation)This cycle is unique in the sense that it shows a development of a carbonate platform in times ofdominant fine siliciclastic deposition (Ziqlag Formation, Fig. 3) unconformably abutting the