Facies analysis and sedimentary environment of the Jeirud Formation in Garmabdar section, central Alborz: with emphasis on paleoredox conditions during deposition of black shales

The late Devonian has been associated with major global climate changes, widespread anoxia events, and the Hangenberg Crisis. The main aim of this study is to explore the relationship between paleoenvironment and paleoredox condition during deposition of the lower Devonian Jeirud Formation in the Garmabdar section, northeast of Tehran. The Jeirud Formation in the Garmabdar section, with a thickness of about 280 m, is composed of siliciclastics, carbonates, carbonate-siliciclastic hybrids and phosphorite deposits. Sedimentary facies analysis led to recognition of three siliciclastic facies associations related to estuarine environments under the influence of waves, shoreface and offshore and two carbonate facies associations related to intertidal and subtidal environments. Moreover, the geochemical paleoredox proxies (such as U/Th and V/Cr) also suggest prevailing anoxic conditions during deposition of black shales and phosphorites in the studied section. In overall, these results suggest that there is a good agreement between the depth of the depositional environment and anoxic conditions during deposition of black shales of the Jeirud Formation.