## 4 Results
### Petrography  
Section 1 is characterized by three main facies: packstone, grainstone, and wackstone facies as shown in Figure 5A-E. The bottom of section 1 is represented by samples H1-11, which show the packstone facies with countable amount of biocasts. Bioclasts are bone fragments, ostracodes, and planktonic and benthic foraminifera. Many non-bioclast grains are found in the thin section of H11. Textural features in the phosphate samples (samples H12-22) represented mainly the grainstone facies (Figure 5B-D). All samples in this facies showed a high allochem percentage in comparison to the matrix. Many allochem types were found in the thin sections, such as peloids, intraclasts, and bioallochems, which included skeletons and shells. Peloids were oval-shaped, uncoated, and poorly sorted as there are three or more sizes of these peloids. Intraclasts had many irregular, poorly sorted, and angular shapes which indicated the in situ origin of these grains. Bone fragments and skeletons are well preserved and relatively large in size. Many of these skeletons contain pores within their structure which could indicate that these skeletons were deposited under calm conditions. The matrix in the middle zone is less abundant than it is in the bottom zone as grains dominate in this facies. Samples H23-32 obtained the wackstone facies as the calcitic matrix is dominant. Bone fragments (Figure 5E) are the major bioallochem component in sample H28. These components are well preserved and contain voids within their structure. Section 2 samples are characterized by three main facies: wack-mudstone, and two different sub-types of grainstone facies, these facies are shown in Figure 5F-J. The bottom and top of these sections are characterized by planktonic foraminifera supported with a calcitic matrix (Figure 5F,G,J). This facies is wack-mudstone, which inferred that the deposition was pronounced in a deep setting. In between this facies, two different facies appeared in Al-Dhahikiyya, both are grainstones with grain support, but the difference comes from the type of grain in the texture. The first one comprises pellets and intraclasts; peloids have an oval shape and are uncoated by external materials. Intraclasts have many irregular, poorly sorted, and angular shapes which indicate the in situ origin of these grains (Figure 3H). The second grainstone facies has less pelletal fractions and its intraclasts are coated with phosphatic and calcitic material (Figure 3H). These intraclasts are sub-rounded to rounded and sub-angular grains. Both grainstone facies are lacking the skeletal bioallochem component. A variety of facies types were observed in section 3, ranging from grainstone to wackstone facies (Figure 5K-P). All section 3 samples showed the grainstone facies, except for samples HS 14-17 which represented the wackstone facies (Figure 5M). The base is characterized by fossiliferous limestone where _Lopha_ spp dominated. Above the base, grainstone composed mainly of pelletal grains and the skeletal components as a minor constitute (Figure 5K) was observed. Skeletal grains were not found in any of the above sections. Coated and sometimes uncoated peloids supported with calcite cements were common in samples HS 4-13 (Figure 5L). Sorting appeared to be good to moderate in these samples. At the top, another phosphatic horizon represents well-sorted, uncoated peloids supported with calcitic cement (Figure 5K). Cement was not found in the top samples as the phosphate became friable (Figure 5L). Figure 4: Distribution charts of marker species of calcareous nannofossils in sections 1 and 2. _L. Cayeuxii_, the marker species of biozone UC-12, _B. purca constrain_, the marker species for UC 14, and _R. bisecta_, the marker species for NP17 are illustrated in the plates. Figure 5: Microphotographs represent the textural contents of sections 1, 2, and 3. Microphotographs (**A**,**F**,**G**,**J**,**M**) show the wackstone facies.