This facies belt includes one petrofacies and five microfacies. A1 is a siliciclastic petrofacies while A2 to A5 are carbonate microfacies. These petrofacies and microfacies are deposited in the supertidal and intertidal subenvironments, described as follow:

A1: Sublitharenite Petrofacies

This petrofacies involves 45% immature, well-sorted but relatively poor- rounded quartz, together with 10% rock fragments with 2 mm in size. The average size of grains ranges from 0.3 mm to 2 mm (Figure 4(a)).

A2: Dolomitized Fenestral Gypsiferous Mudstone Microfacies

This facies is composed of 20% gypsum crystals in 0.2 mm size and fenestral fabric or bird’s eyes, lying within a lime mud matrix. This facies has undergone dolomitization process (Figure 4(b)).

A3: Oxidized Dolomudstone Microfacies

This microfacies consists of microcrystalline dolomite or dolomicrite, oxidized by Fe (Figure 4(c)).

A4: Fenestral Bioclast Mudstone/Wackstone Microfacies

This microfacies is completely covered by 5% to 10% microcrystalline lime mud and fenestral fabric or bird’s eye, intraclast and skeletal fragments (algae, benthic foraminifera, gastropod) (Figure 4(d)).

A5: Fenestral Bioclast Intraclast Wackstone Microfacies

The analysis of the structure of this microfacies shows a composition of intraclast, 10% to 15% skeletal fragments and fenestral fabric or bird’s eye together with calcimicrobe algae, located within a lime mud matrix (Figure 4(e)).

A6: Fenestral Benthic Foraminifera Intraclast Pelecypod Algal Wackstone/Packstone Microfacies

This microfacies hosts benthic foraminifera with 5% 0.2-mm-sized Globivavulina sp., 5% intraclast fragments with 0.2 mm in size, 5% pelecypoda with a size of 0.3 mm, 5% dasycladaceae algae with 0.3 mm in size and fenestral fabric and bird’s eye, situated in a lime mud matrix (Figure 4(f)).

Interpretation

Petrofacies and microfacies of this group are formed in the semi-arid to arid supratidal and intertidal environments. Petrofacies A1 is a sublitharenite petrofacies, formed in the supratidal subenvironment and a warm and humid climateas a result of intense chemical weathering [12] [13] .

Microfacies of this group are recognized with abundant limemud. Bird’s eye or fenestral pores within the carbonate microfacies suggest deposition in tidal environment [14] . Fenestral fabric is formed as a result of losing water or burrowing activities of earthworms, and is appropriately expanded within microfaciesof this group [15] [16] . Microfacies A2 is a mudstone microfacies, composed of fenestral fabric. Lack of biological remnants and bioturbation as well as the presence of evaporite minerals and gypsum layers account for the sedimentation of this microfacies in supratidal flat environment [15] [16] and a dry and warm climate [14] . The presence of these minerals suggests an average temperature of higher than 22 C and a seasonal temperature of more than 35 C [9] . High rate evaporation in supratidal subenvironment causes gypsum crystals to develop, which in turn absorb calcium, thereby resulting in microcrystalline dolomicrite [17] [18] . Microfacies A3 hosts microcrystalline dolomite or dolomicrite, which are characterized as type-1 dolomite. Its crystal size varies from 5 to 16 micron, and it is developed within a supratidal subenvironment due to the presence of microcrystals, preservation of early texture and lack of fossils. In fact, the dolomite are of secondary type, formed in the early diagenesis process. Seawater or Mg-enriched intraparticle solutions are likely to trigger dolomitization [19] . Following evaporite minerals, mudstone is formed in a supratidal subenvironment (Sabkha) in the form of early dolomite (dolomicrite). This seems generally due to the migration of sulphateions from environment [20] . The composition of bird’s eye or fenestral pores together with intraclast fragments in microfacies A5 proves the formation of this microfacies in an intertidal subenvironment [11] [21] . Microfacies A6, accompanying supratidal microfacies and containing fenestral pores and limited lagoonal organisms, seems to be developed within an intertidal subenvironment [11] .

This facies belt is composed of three microfacies as follow:

B1: Intraclast Benthic Foraminifera Wackstone Microfacies

The most abundant allochem of this microfacies is 8% Globivavulina, Textularia, Earlandias, as a benthic foraminiferal species, with 0.3 mm in size together with 5% 0.2-mm-sized intraclast fragments, all located within a micritic matrix (Figure 5(a)).

B2: Bioclast Intraclast Dasycladacea Packstone Microfacies

This microfacies hosts 30% dasycladacea algae, 30% intraclast fragments, 20% benthic foraminifera and 10% pelecypoda fragments with 0.3 mm in size, all of which are located in a micritic matrix. The grain size varies from 0.2 to 1.5 mm in size (Figure 5(b)).

B3: Gastropod Pelecypoda Wackstone Microfacies

This microfacies shows a composition of 8% pelecypoda and 5% gastropod, all scattered within a micritic matrix. The average size of grains is 0.4 mm (Figure 5 (c)).

Interpretation

Microfacies of this facies belt share such characteristics as presence of lime mud, non-skeletal grains including intraclast and lagoonal bioclasts such as benthic foraminifera, dasycladacea algae, pelecypoda and gastropod, capable of surviving in restricted and semi-restricted conditions [22] . The first common characteristics among microfacies of restricted lagoon environment are the presence of tranquility in their formation environment, and the second one is the high level of salinity in the depositional environment of the sediments of this group [23] . The distinctive feature of the microfacies of this group is due to the fabric type and grain size. The high percentage of green algae (dasycladacea), foraminifera, pelecypoda and gastropoda amongst the salient features of microfacies B1 and B2 in the euphotic zone, where the water is shallow while nutrients are abundant [23] [24] [25] [26] . The high content of lime intraclast and their large size in microfacies B1 and B2 indicates that this microfacies belongs to high-energy lagoon and near shoal environments.

This facies belt consists of three microfacies as follow:

C1: Ooid Grainstone Microfacies

The major allochem in this microfacies is ooid, which constitutes 75% of the total sample and is 0.5 mm in diameter. The core of some ooids is composed of crinoid (Figure 6(a)).

C2: Sandy Bioclast Ooid Extraclast Grainstone Microfacies

This microfacies is composed chiefly of 35% intraclast. 15% concentric ooids, 5% bioclast fragments and 10% quartz grains are among other allochems of this microfacies. The average size of the grains ranges from 0.2 to 3.5 mm (Figure 6(b)).

C3: Bioclast Bryozoan Grainstone Microfacies

This microfacies hosts various bioclast fragments including 40% crinoids with 1 mm in size, 10% intraclast with 0.4 mm in size and 15% medium-sorted and rounded quarts grains, located in a micritic matrix (Figure 6(c)).

Interpretation

This facies belt is formed in high-energy shoal setting and below the wave effect due to the presence of non-skeletal fragments such as ooid, intraclast and extraclast and lack of limemud [27] . The presence of fully cement matrix, lack of limemud and size of the grains forming these microfacies indicate the high level of energy during the formation of this microfacies in a shoal environment [28] [29] [30] . The abundance of ooids and cross and plate lamination in microfacies C1 points to association of this microfacies with a high-energy and shallow environment like shoal [31] [32] . Cross lamination mostly found in medium- grained sediments suggests a high-energy condition during the formation of this microfacies [21] . Similarly, a microfacies with medium to well sorted and rounded ooids is formed in the depositional environments of current age like southern coasts of Persian Gulf and the Bahamas at a depth of lower than 5 m. the presence of rounded intraclast in microfacies C2 indicates the high-energy and turbulent part of shoal environment [10] . According to the evidence, this microfacies can be associated with the outermost part of carbonate shoal, i.e. seaward shoal [10] [11] [33] [34] . Microfacies C3 consists of lagoonal skeletal fragments like benthic foraminifera, scattered in a sparite matrix. The evidence indicates that this microfacies is developed in a leeward shoal environment [8] . In this microfacies, moreover, intraclasts result from erosion and rip-up as well as erosion of older deposits by stormy currents [35] .

This facies belt is composed of three microfacies as follow:

D1: Ostracod Wackstone Microfacies

This microfacies includes 10% 0.1 to 0.2-mm-sized ostracod and 3% 0.1-mm- sized radiolarian, located in a dark micritic matrix (Figure 7(a)).

D2: Dolomitized Archaeodiscus Radiolarian Wackstone/Packstone Mi- crofacies

This microfacies contains 30% radiolarian with 0.1 mm in size and 10% archaediscus with 0.3 mm in size, all scattered within a micritic matrix. It is noteworthy that dolomitization has influenced this microfacies (Figure 7(b)).

D3: Sandy Intraclast Bioclast Packstone Microfacies

The composition of this microfacies shows various bioclast fragments including 40% 1-mm-sized crinoid, 10% 0.4-mm-sized intraclast and 15% medium- sorted and rounded quartz grains, located in a micritic matrix (Figure 7(c)).

Interpretation

The intergranular muddy matrix [36] and abundance of radiolarian and os-

tracod [11] point to the formation of deposits in a low-energy and calm environment like open marine. The abundance of carbonate mud and a fall in the size of skeletal fragments in microfacies D1 and D2 suggest the deposition of these microfacies within deep and low-energy open marine environment [11] . Allochem has increased whereas micrite has decreased in microfacies D3. The presence of a small amount of cement, intraclasts and bioclasts like large crinoids as well as high concentration of allochems in these microfacies indicates their formation in shallow and high-energy setting like supratidal or near shoal environments [11] .