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Carbonate sedimentation around Jebel Dhanna: models for parts of the buried Holocene sabkha sequences elsewhere along the Abu Dhabi coastline

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Abstract

The early Holocene mainland coast of Abu Dhabi Emirate consisted of a series of embayments between headlands of Miocene inliers and Pleistocene carbonate seif dunes. Subsequently, most of those embayments were back-filled to form coastal sabkhas. The facies and gross depositional characteristics of modern embayments adjacent to Jebel Dhanna are described and used as analogues for former embayments such as those landward of Abu Dhabi Island. Unfortunately, the sedimentology of both modern and earlier embayments have been severely or completely destroyed by industrial and urban developments but vintage aerial photography and satellite imagery have revealed the former topography.

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Republished from Kirkham (1997) with permission of GeoArabia

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Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank the following individuals for their support in the field at various times in recent years: Bryan Twombley, Philippe Lapointe, Hugh Nicholson and Peter Hellyer. Kate Davis kindly assisted with the drafting of figures.

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This research did not receive any specific Grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.

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  1. Sedimentology and Reservoir Development Ltd, Pen-yr-Allt, Village Road, Nannerch, Mold, Flintshire, CH7 5RD, UK

    Anthony Kirkham

  2. The School of Ocean and Earth Science, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK

    Graham Evans

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  1. Anthony Kirkham
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Correspondence to Anthony Kirkham.

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Kirkham, A., Evans, G. Carbonate sedimentation around Jebel Dhanna: models for parts of the buried Holocene sabkha sequences elsewhere along the Abu Dhabi coastline. Carbonates Evaporites 35, 24 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13146-020-00561-0

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