Texture and mineralogy of the surface sediments of Sharm Obhur, west Red Sea coast of Saudi Arabia

doi:10.1016/0025-3227(83)90036-1

Marine Geology

Volume 53, Issues 1–2, August 1983, Pages 103-116

https://doi.org/10.1016/0025-3227(83)90036-1 Get rights and content

Abstract

The present paper deals with the study of the grain-size characteristics and the mineralogy of the bottom and beach sediments of Sharm Obhur. Most of the sediments are in digenous carbonates with little terrigenous material. A major part of the Sharm is covered with coarse to medium-grained sediments.

Heavy minerals make up 5 to 15% of the samples and are mainly composed of amphiboles, pyroxenes, biotite, epidote and opaques. The heavy-mineral suite is apparently derived mainly from metamorphic source rocks with minor contribution from basalts.

The content of high-Mg calcite decreases landward in the Sharm due to more inorganic precipitation of carbonate in the form of aragonite.

The high content of calcite in the beach sands from the shoreline of the Sharm shows that the calcite-rich old reef limestones that crop out along the Sharm contribute considerable material of the beach sediments. Kaolinite, mixed-layer chlorite—vermiculite and illite are the dominant clay minerals.

The alluvium derived from the low-grade metamorphic rocks and basalts of the Jeddah Group forms the source of the clay minerals.

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Citation Excerpt :
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Research paperTexture and mineralogy of the surface sediments of Sharm Obhur, west Red Sea coast of Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Arabian Sea. Mar. Geol.

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Egypt Geol. Surv.

Sedimentological and micropaleontological investigations on the beach sands around Jeddah

Saudi Arabia. Bull. Fac. Earth Sci., K.A.U.

Clay and carbonate mineralogy of the reef sediments, North of Jeddah

J. Fac. Sci., K.A.U.

Geological results of exploration in Sudan by A.G.L.P. mineralia

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Paleoclimatic reconstruction of Late Pleistocene and Holocene based on biogenic sediments from Black Sea and a tropical African lakes

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Longitudinal dunes of the northwestern edge of the Simpson desert, Northern Territory, Australia. 1, Geomorphology and grain-size relationships

Sedimentology

Brazos River bar, a study in significance of grain-size parameters

J. Sediment. Petrol.

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J. Sediment. Petrol.

Geology and geochemistry of reef carbonate sediments and waters, Gulf of Aqaba, Red Sea

J. Sediment. Petrol.

Research paper
Texture and mineralogy of the surface sediments of Sharm Obhur, west Red Sea coast of Saudi Arabia