Geochemical analysis for evaluating the paleoweathering, paleoclimate, and depositional environments of the siliciclastic Miocene-Pliocene sequence at Al-Rehaili area, Northern Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Geochemical data and their various approaches are useful to evaluate the climatic control on the depositional environments. This study aims to evaluate the paleoweathering and plaeoclimate condition that have controls on the depositional environments of the Miocene to Pliocene siliciclastic sequence at Al-Rehaili area, north of Jeddah. To achieve this aim, selected sandstone samples were geochemically (major and trace elements analysis) and petrographically examined. The results of these analyses reveal that the examined sandstones were deposited in non-marine (fluvial/alluvial-lacustrine) environments and suffered from weak to intermediate chemical weathering and intense physical induration under semi-arid to semi-humid climatic conditions.