The Effect of Sandstone Composition on Distribution of Tafoni Landforms in the Aghajari Sandstone, Northwest of Masjed Soleyman, Iran

The Aghajari sandstone layers are located in the west of Zagros Mountains from several centimeters thicknesses to maximum 6 meters with carbonating content. Laboratory and fieldwork show high amount of carbonate content through sandstone layers and tafoni and honeycombs (THs) in early layers. In the study area three parameters have the most effective impactful factors in tafoni and honeycombs (THs) including matrix, carbonate content, and porosity. In this study result shows overlays of high ranges of CaCO3, porosity, and low matrix in the early layers (especially in A, B, C, D, and H layers) with tafoni and honeycombs (THs). Overall, we conclude that matrix and CaCO3 (carbonate clast including carbonate lithics, fragment fossils, and Pellet) and porosity have direct relationships and matrix reverse relationships with tafoni and honeycombs (THs) in the Aghajari sandstones layers.