Sedimentology, facies and depositional model of the alluvial fan of Abyek, Qazvin

This study was done to describe and interpret the facies, the provenance of sediments, pedogenesis processes, and the model of the Abyek alluvial fan in the northern margin of Qazvin Plain, using 45 sediment samples in the form of nine profiles and nine surface samples. The facies study led to the determination of six facies grouped into two facies associations including coarse-grained lithofacies (Gms, Gcs, Gci, Gcp/Gmp, Gmg, and Glns), and calcrete facies (Plc). This alluvial fan is dominated by the episodic matrix to clast-supported gravel (interbedded with a subordinate) and red, matrix-supported gravel which were deposited by non-cohesive debris flow. The results of granulometry analysis showed that the size of the sediments of the alluvial fan shows wide variations from gravel to clay, and the texture of the sediments of this alluvial fan is mainly gravel and sandy gravel with very poorly sorting and fine skewness. The study of macromorphology and micromorphology of calcrete showed that their occurrence was controlled by pedogenic processes. Micromorphological studies also revealed alpha and beta features such as coated grains, pisoid, laminar crust and strong brecciation.