A REVIEW OF THE CRETACEOUS FORMATIONS IN THE ARABIAN PENINSULA AND GULF .3. UPPER CRETACEOUS (ARUMA-GROUP) STRATIGRAPHY AND PALEOGEOGRAPHY

A historical review of the development of the stratigraphy of Upper Cretaceous rocks in the Arabian Peninsula and Gulf provides a partial explanation for many of the different formational names. A type section is presented for the United Arab Emirates, and lithofacies variations within the region are related to it. In addition to the simple model of migration of predominantly shallow‐water facies belts across a shelf, the Upper Cretaceous also contains deep‐water facies due to the onset of plate‐margin tectonic activity, which resulted in the emplacement of the Hawasina complex and the Semail ophiolites of Oman. As observed in the earlier mid‐ and Lower Cretaceious rocks, two cycles can be recognized. These are found in the SE part of the region, in contrast with the mid‐Cretaceous, where two cycles are more clearly recognized in the NE area. Copyright © 1990, Wiley Blackwell. All rights reserved