MIOSPORES AND DINOFLAGELLATES BIOZONATION AND PALEOECOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OFTHE SUBSURFACE LOWER CRETACEOUS SUCCESSIONIN NORTH WESTERN DESERT, EGYPT.

A palynological analysis has been carried out on the Lower Cretaceous Kharita, Dahab, Alamein and Alam
El Bueib formationsencountered in the subsurface sections of the Mamura-1 (MAX-1), Mersa Matruh-1 (MMX-
1) and Burg El Arab-1(BAX-1) wells, north Western Desert of Egypt. 144 core samples have been analyzed
palynologically and produced 147 species belonging to 102 genera, which allow and recognizing three informal
sporomorph zones and two informal dinoflagellate zones are restricted to northern Western Desert ranging
from Neocomian to Albian ages. They are correlated with the well-documented biozonations established for the
same interval from other localities in the north Western Desert of Egypt and northern Gondwana regions.
According to the relative abundances and paleoecologic characters of the palynomorphs, the Kharita
Formation maybe deposited in an open-marine, warmer and humid climate. The Dahab and Alamein formations
maybe deposited in a shallow to inner shelf environment and under humid, tropical to sub-tropical climatic
conditions. The Alam El Bueib Formation maybe deposited in deltaic; warmer environment under humid
climatic conditions.