The role of organominerals in the lithification of calcareous lumps within the intertidal sediments of Bubiyan Island, Kuwait, Arabian Gulf

Calcareous lumps of varying sizes and shapes are scattered on the landward part of the muddy intertidal flat along the southern coast of Bubiyan Island, northeast Kuwait. Two main lithotypes are recognized, namely, hard sandy crust fragments which are mostly formed of porous calcareous grainstone (bio-oosparite) and lithified muddy lumps that consist of calcareous wackestone (bio-micrite). They were originally eroded from the soft tidal flat sediments then lithified. Petrographic, mineralogical, and SEM/EDS examinations revealed that lithification of these calcareous lumps is attributed to cementation by biologically influenced organominerals, mainly high magnesium calcite and aragonite. The conditions responsible for the precipitation of these organominerals as well as variation in their mineralogy within each type of these calcareous lumps were discussed.