Study of microfacies and interpretation of sedimentary environment of the Lower Cretaceous succession at Markesh Mountain in the north of Ravar

Lower Cretaceous deposits are outcropped in the Markesh Mountain, 15 km north of Ravar (Kerman Province), with a thickness of 143 m, and this section includes intercalation of gypsiferous marls, thin-bedded limestones, thin- to medium-bedded limestones, and medium- to thick-bedded limestones. For the shale and gypsiferous marls in the base of stratigraphic column due to the absence of fossils and also based on previous geological studies, the Upper Jurassic age has been considered. In the studied succession, 14 genera and 17 species of foraminifera, three genera and four species of calcareous algae, as well as 16 genera and 24 species of ostracods were identified, and the Barremian to Albian age was determined. The upward section, the Lower Cretaceous succession at the Markesh Mountain are covered by Neogene deposits. In general, the studied deposits include evaporitic facies and two marl and calcareous facies. The calcareous facies based on the microfacies characteristic consist of three sub-facies, (A) corresponding to the coastal sub-environment above the tidal zone, (B) the lagoonand (C) the bar sub-environment. Based on studies, Lower Cretaceous succession at the Markesh Mountain section was deposited in a shallow carbonate platform.