Ali Hasan Kadhim Al-Khaldy

Abstract This geochemical study concerns the Al-Teeb River sediments that accumulate in the river course or river basin. The river is one of the seasonal rivers in Iraq, located in the Missan Governorate in southeastern Iraq, northeast of Amara City. It originates from the Himrin mountains nearthe Iranian border and flows into Hor Al-Snnaf. It has a maximum length of about 63 km and runs through the Al-Teeb District. Eight samples were collected and subjected to geochemical analyses by XRF. Numerous geochemical parameters and major and trace element relationship diagrams have been used to infer the origin and type of sediments, paleoclimate, and source rocks. The average chemical alteration index (44.12) indicates that the sediments have undergone low to moderate weathering. Results obtained from the chemical index of weathering (55.043), plagioclase index of alteration (50.5), and index of chemical variability (2.37) support this conclusion and confirm the low weathering of the source rocks and low maturity. The climate of source rocks is semi-arid to sub-humid and mean annual temperature is 15.22°C. The chemical classification of Al-Teeb river sediments is greywacke and originated from continental arc or oceanic arc environments

ABSTRACT The main aim of this research is to define the mineralogical composition of recent sediments deposited around the Al-Teeb river basin in eastern Missan, trying to determine the provenance or the source of these sediments. The study area represents the southeastern edge of the Mesopotamian Plain and is part of it. Quaternary deposits cover most of the area. It is clayey with old sea and river deposits and part of aeolian deposits. These sediments cover 95% of the study area, while the older rocks, which date back to the Tertiary (Late Miocene – Pliocene), exposed in the area east and northeast of the Al-Teeb area, made up hills which back to the undifferentiated Pliocene Mukdadiya and Bai-Hassan formations. The light components of these sediments consist mainly of quartz, feldspars (potash and plagioclase feldspar), sedimentary rock fragments (carbonate rock fragments, chert rock fragments, evaporates fragments), igneous rock fragments, and metamorphic rock fragments The heaviest minerals are opaque, amphiboles, pyroxenes, chlorite, epidotes, biotite, garnet, muscovite, zircon, kyanite, staurolite, and rutile. These sediments are typically formed by sedimentary rocks (single or many cycles), low and high-rank metamorphic rocks, acidic and basic igneous rocks, and pegmatite rocks. The high percentage of opaque heavy minerals in clastic sediment refers to unstable clastic sediments.