The heavy minerals of the Kurnub Sandstone (Early Cretaceous) of Jordan

A study of the heavy-mineral distribution in the Kumub Sandstone (Early Cretaceous) in Jordan was carried out in vertical and lateral sections. The heavy-mineral suites of the Kurnub Sandstone in north and south Jordan are identical and comparable to those in south Israel and southwest Sinai. The suites are mainly opaques, zircon, tourmaline and rutile; garnet, staurolite, epidot, anatase, barite and hornblende are less frequent. Staurolite and hornblende are confined to the south, whereas garnet is confined to a few horizons in the north. Selective chemical decomposition played a significant role in the modification of the unstable heavy-mineral variations in the Kirnub Sandstone. The ultrastable heavy minerals indicate a source area predominantly composed of granitic and metamorphic rocks. The association of zircon, tourmaline and rutile in a pure quartz arenite indicates that the main source of the Kurnub Sandstone of Jordan must be weathered Paleozoic sediments.