Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Geochemistry of recent marine sediments in the Bardawil lagoon, northern Sinai, Egypt

  • Published:
Hydrobiologia Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The concentrations of major (Al, Fe, Mg, Ti, K and Na) and minor (Ba, Sr, V, Cu, Mn, Cr, Ni, Zn, Pb and Mo) elements as well as carbonate, organic carbon and total nitrogen have been determined in surface sediments collected at 12 stations from the Bardawil lagoon. The aim of the study was to characterize the geochemistry of the sediments in three different environments, the lagoon, the salt pans and the inlet between the lagoon and the Mediterranean Sea. Higher CaCO3 percentage (53.5–70.5%) were found in the salt pans where biogenic calcareous components and carbonate rock fragments were found in sufficient quantities in the sediment fractions. Based on high C/N ratios, the organic carbon fraction of the Bardawil lagoon surface sediments is clearly dominated by terrigenous material. The distribution of Al, Fe, Mg and Ti are essentially controlled by the mineralogy of the sediments. The ratios of Ba, Sr, Cu, Mn, Pb and Mo to Al are all high in the salt pans and reflect changes in mineralogy and sediment texture.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Abdel-Mogheeth, S. M., Sallouma, M. K. & Abdel-Daiem, A. A., 1989. Sulphate enrichment phenomenon in some lake water along the Mediterranean Coast, Egypt. 1st Conf Geochemistry, Faculty of Science, Alexandria University, Alexandria, 3: 476–487.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bishop, J. K. B., 1988. The barite-opal-organic carbon association in oceanic particulate matter. Nature, 332: 341–343.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bordowskiy, O. K., 1965. Sources of organic matter in marine basins. Marine Geology, 3: 5–31.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brumsack, H. J. & J. M. Gieskes, 1983. Interstitial water tracemetal geochemistry of laminated sediments from the Gulf of California, Mexico. Mar. Chem. 14: 89–106.

    Google Scholar 

  • Calvert, S. E., 1976. The mineralogy and geochemistry of near shore sediments. In Riley, J. P. & R. Chester (eds), Chemical Oceanography. Academic Press, New York: 187–280.

    Google Scholar 

  • Calvert, S. E. & N. B. Price, 1983. Geochemistry of Namibian shelf sediments. In Suess, E. & J. Thiede (eds), Coastal Upwelling. Plenum, New York. 337–376.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dehairs, F. C. E. Lambert, R. Chesselet & N. Risler, 1987. The biological production of marine suspended barite and the barium cycle in the Western Mediterranean Sea. Biogeochemistry 4: 119–139.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dymond, J., 1985. Particulate barium fluxes in the oceans: an indicator of new productivity. Trans. Am. Geophys. Union 66: 1275.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ehrlich, A., 1975. Diatoms from the surface sediments of the Bardawil lagoon, northern Sinai, paleoecological significance. Nova Hedwigia 53: 253–277.

    Google Scholar 

  • Eissa, E., 1983. Geological studies on the coastal zone between Port Said and El Bardawil using Air-Photos and Landsat-imagery. MSc. Thesis, Faculty of Science, Mansoura University: 63 pp.

  • Ergin, M., C. Saydam, Ö. Bastürk, E. Erdem & R. Yöruk, 1991. Heavy metal concentrations in surface sediments from the two coastal inlets (Golden Horn Estuary and Izmit Bay) of the northeastern sea of Marmara. Chem. Geol. 91: 269–285.

    Google Scholar 

  • Folk, L., 1974. Petrology of Sedimentary Rocks. Hemplill, Austin, TX: 182 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Francois, R., 1988. A study on the regulation of the concentrations of some trace metals (Rb, Sr, Zn, Pb, Cu, V, Cr, Ni, Mn and Mo) in Saanich inlet sediments, British Columbia, Canada. Mar. Geol. 83: 285–308.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fresnel, J., P. Galle & P. Gayral, 1979. Resultat de la microanalyse des crystaux vacuolaires chez deux chromophytes unicellulaires marines: Exanthemachrysis gayraliae, Pavlova ssp. (Prymnesiophycees, Pavlovacees). C. R. Acad. Sci. Paris, 288: 823–825.

    Google Scholar 

  • Froelich, P. N., G. P. Klinkhammer, M. L. Bender, N. A. Luedtke, G. R. Heath, D. Cullen, P. Dauphin, D. Hammond, B. Hartman & V. Maynard, 1979. Early oxidation of organic matter in pelagic sediments of the eastern equatorial Atlantic: suboxic diagenesis. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta, 43: 1075–1090.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hassab-Allah, R. R. A., 1990. Sedimentology, mineralogical and geochemical studies on the subsurface sediments of Bardawil well No. 1, El Mazar well No. 1 and Maiha well No. 1, northern Sinai, Egypt. MSc. Theses. Geology, Mansoura University. 134 pp.

  • Hirst, D. M., 1974. Geochemistry of sediments from eleven Black Sea cores. In Degens, E. T. & D. A. Ross (eds), The Black Sea-Geology, Chemistry and Biology. Am. Assoc. Petrolum Geol. Bull. 20: 430–455.

  • Issawi, B., M. El-Hennawy, M. Francis & A. Mazhar. 1999. Geological interpretation of the main geomorphic units in Egypt. Phanerozoic Geol. Egypt, Geodynamic Approach, Spec Publ., No. 76. Egyptian Geological Survey.

  • Kamel A. F., 1989. Geomorphic setting and radioactivity of the sand deposits east El Bardawil, Northern Sinai, Egypt. Aswan Sci. Tech. Bull. Fac. Sci. Aswan, 10: 155–174.

    Google Scholar 

  • Klinkhammer, G., 1980. Early diagenesis in sediments for the eastern equatorial Pacific, II. Pore water metal results. Earth Olanet. Sci. Lett. 49: 81–10.

    Google Scholar 

  • Krauskopf, K. B., 1979. Introduction to Geochemistry. McGraw-Hill, New York: 617 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Levy, Y., 1977. Description and mode of formation of the supratidal evaporite facies in northern Sinai coastal plain. J. Sediment Petrol. 47: 463–474.

    Google Scholar 

  • Manskaya, S.M. & T. V. Drozdova, 1968. Geochemistry of Organic Substances. Pergamon, London: 375 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mason, B. & C. B. Moore, 1982. Principals of Geochemistry. Wiley, New York: 344 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mohamed, M. A., G. M Atttia & G. R. Gaafar, 1990. Factors affecting the distribution of carbonate content in Bardawil lagoon sediments, north Sinai, Egypt. 9th Symp. Quaternary Development, Egypt. Mansoura University, Egypt. Abstract, 4–5.

  • Müller, G., 1967. Methods in Sedimentary Petrology. Schweizerbart, Stuttgart: 283 pp.

  • Mülller, P. J., 1977. C/N ratios in Pacific deep-sea sediments; effect of inorganic ammonium and organic nitrogen compounds sorbed by clays. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta, 41: 765–776.

    Google Scholar 

  • Oakley, S. M., P. O. Nelson & K. J. Williamson, 1981. Model of trace-metal partitioning on marine sediment. Environ. Sci. Technol. 15: 474–480.

    Google Scholar 

  • O'Connor, J. T. & D. R. Kester, 1975. Adsorption of copper and cobalt from fresh water and marine systems. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta, 39: 1531–1543.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pruysers, P. A., G. J. de Lange & J. J. Middleburg, 1991. Geochemistry of eastern Mediterranean sediments: primary sediment composition and diagenetic alterations. Mar. Geol. 100 (Special Section): 137–154.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rankama, K. & T. Sahama, 1950. Geochemistry. Chicago Univ. Press., Chicago, IL.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rose, A. W., H. E. Hawkes & J. S. Webb, 1979. Geochemistry in Mineral Exploration. Academic Press, London: 657 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schmitz, B., 1987. Barium, equatorial high productivity and the northward wandering of the Indian continent. Paleoceanography, 2: 197–215.

    Google Scholar 

  • Taher, A. G. & A. A. Soliman, 1999. Heavy metal concentrations in surficial sediments from Wadi El Natrun saline lakes, Egypt. Int. J. Salt Lake Res. 8: 75–92.

    Google Scholar 

  • Templeton, G. D. & N. D. Chasteen, 1980. Vanadium-fulvic acid chemistry: conformational and binding study by electron spin probe techniques. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 44: 741–752.

    Google Scholar 

  • Van der Sloot, H. A., D. Hoede, J. Wijkstra, J., J. C. Duinker & R. F. Nolting, 1985. Anionic species of V, As, Se, Mo, Sb, Te and W in the Scheldt and Rhine estuaries and the southern Bight (North Sea). Estuar. Coastal shelf Sci. 21: 633–651.

    Google Scholar 

  • Volkov, I. I. & L. S. Fomina, 1974. Influence of organic material and processes of sulphide formation on the distribution of some trace elements in deep-water sediments of the Black Sea. In Degens, E. T. & D. A. Ross (eds), The Black Sea – Geology – Chemistry – Biology. American association of Petroleum Geologists Mem., 20: 456–476.

  • Wilson, S. A. & J. H. Weber, 1979. An EPR study of the reduction of vanadium (V) to vanadium (IV) by fulvic acids. Chem. Geol. 26: 345–354.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yücesoy, F. & M. Ergin, 1992: Heavy metal geochemistry of the surface sediments from the southern Black Sea shelf and upper slope. Chem. Geol. 99: 265-287.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Science, Geology Department, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt

    Amany G. Taher

  2. Centre of Environmental Hazard Mitigation, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt

    Amany G. Taher

Authors
  1. Amany G. Taher
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Taher, A.G. Geochemistry of recent marine sediments in the Bardawil lagoon, northern Sinai, Egypt. Hydrobiologia 457, 5–16 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1012290427483

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1012290427483

Search

Navigation