Geochemical Characteristics of Clay Deposits, Bussaya Area, Southern Iraq

This study concerned with the geochemical characteristics of clay deposits belong to Nfayilbeds (Middle Miocene) in Al Muthana Governorate southern Iraq, as a new resource of clayraw material. Twenty three samples of clay deposits were analyzed by using X-RayFluorescence technique (XRF) for the major oxides; (SiO2, Al2O3, Fe2O3, MgO, CaO, Na2O,K2O, TiO2, and L.O.I), and trace elements; (V, Cr, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Sr, Pb, Ga, Rb, Ba, andZr). The chemical results demonstrated due to the relation between Sr and Cu, that thedepositional environment predominated by hot and arid paleoclimate conditions, while from therelation between Al2O3 with (Al2O3, CaO, Na2O, and K2O) reveals a low to relatively moderatechemical weathering. Whereas the ratio of Ni/Co reveals that the deposition was within hypoxicenvironment, while due to the ratio of Al2O3 / TiO2 in which advocated by Ti- Zr relation whichdemonstrates that the intermediate igneous rocks as a provenance of the studied clays.