The Middle and Late Miocene sandstones of the Fat’ha and
Injana formations from northern Iraq are carbonate-rich lithic
arenites and are largely derived from recycled arc sources
(Fig. 7, A). They are commonly granitic or gneissic exposures
supplemented by recycling of associated sediments (Dickinson,
1985). Within recycled orogens, sediment sources are
predominantly sedimentary strata and subordinate volcanic
rocks, partly metamorphosed, exposed to erosion by the
orogenic uplift of foldbelts and thrust sheets (Dickinson, 1985;
Dickinson and Suczek, 1979). Another petrographic technique
based on QmFLt distribution (Fig. 7, b) discriminates between
Fat’ha sandstones that plot in recycled orogen provenances
and Injana sandstones that plot in magmatic arc provenance.