ABSTRACT
The Cretaceous period bore witness to one of the largest transgressions in the history of the earth. The global sea-level changes were controlled by sea floor spreading and accretion of the oceanic ridges. In the northern platform margins of Arabo-Nubian Craton, the Cretaceous commenced by extension, rifting, volcanism, and northwestward tilting. The Maastrichtian Ghareb Formation is widespread in Israel. It is built mainly of argillaceous chalks containing rich calcareous nannoplankton, foraminifera, and ostracodes as well as some ammonite and bivalves. The Paleocene sediments in Israel are represented by Taqiye Formation, consisting of gray marl, white chalk and marly chalk containing about 0.50% organic matter. The Maastrichtian and Paleocene syntectonic activity in Israel is contemporaneous with intensive tectonic compression, thrusting, folding and emplacement of ophiolites that took place close to Alpine thrust belt in Cyprus, northern Syria and Turkey. As a result, a system of paleo-subbasins, developed between the axes of Syrian-arc folds, with restricted marine environment, where organic-rich sediments accumulated.
