FORAMINIFERA AND MICROFACIES OF AN EXPOSURE OF THE AMMAN FORMATION ALONG THE AMMAN EL-SALT ROAD, NORTHWEST OF AMMAN, JORDAN/

The present paper deals with a study of the planktic foraminiferal fau na and estimation of paleobathymetric changes by analysing microfacies characteristics of an exposure of the Amman Formation. This enables c omparison with global eustatic variations of sea level and dating the exposed succession as late Early to Late Campanian in age. The lower S ilicified Limestone Unit of the Amman Formation was laid down in an ou ter neritic sea. The upper Phosphorite Unit of the same formation was deposited in a subtidal or inner neritic environment. A review of lite rature on the Amman Formation suggests that this rock unit has been di agenetically intensively chertified in topographically high areas of t he Jordanian Highlands. In low-lying areas, on the eastern side of the Highlands, the sequence is generally less affected by silicification and yields the economic phosphate deposits of Jordan.