<![CDATA[This study examines the relationship between facies and stylolitization in the Upper Araej Member carbonates of onshore Abu Dhabi. Analysis of core and thin sections identified four facies: wispy-laminated skeletal wackestone (F-1), peloidal skeletal mud-dominated packstone (F-2), coated-grain skeletal grainstone (F-3), and peloidal skeletal floatstone (F-4), deposited across a shallow carbonate ramp. Stylolites were described and measured for vertical offset amplitude to assess facies dependence. Results show facies-related tendencies in stylolite amplitude and morphology. Mud-supported facies (especially floatstones and wackestones) tend to display higher variability, with floatstones reaching amplitudes of up to 20 mm, whereas grainstones may also contain isolated high-amplitude stylolites (up to 14 mm). Packstones and wackestones, by contrast, rarely exceed 10-13 mm. Boxplots highlight greater variability in mud-rich facies, whereas grainstones exhibit narrower distributions. Statistical testing (ANOVA, p = 0.109; Kruskal–Wallis, H = 3.38, p = 0.34) indicates no statistically significant differences in mean stylolite amplitude across facies, although descriptive data reveal trends in variability and extremity. Jagged stylolites occur in both mud-rich and grain-supported facies, whereas wispy seams are strongly associated with micrite-rich facies and are largely absent in grainstones. Stylolites in these carbonates may act as both vertical barriers and localized porosity enhancers. Their facies-associated occurrence emphasizes the need to integrate stylolitization into reservoir models to better predict connectivity, compartmentalization, and flow behavior in Middle Jurassic carbonates.]]>
