Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Textural characteristics of sediments along the southern Red Sea coastal areas, Saudi Arabia

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Arabian Journal of Geosciences Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

A lack of understanding exists of the origin and textural characteristics of Saudi Arabian Red Sea coastal sediments. This paper concerns the southern coastline of Jizan on the Saudi Red Sea. It is some 160 km long characterised by either narrow rocky headlands with intermittent pocket beaches or wide low-lying beaches dissected by wadis. Granulometric testing of samples from 135 locations showed that beach sand size was mainly very fine to medium grained (M z = 3.93 Ø), sorting ranged from 1.65 to 0.41 and skewness values from −051 to 0.39, being mainly negative; dune sands were medium to fine grained (M z = 1.13 Ø; average sorting 2.8), while skewness variations within dune samples indicated symmetrical to fine skewed values (б Ι = 0.55 to 0.89). Most foreshore samples were derived from wadis. Wadi mud levels can be high, e.g. Baysh (84%), and wadi Samrah (90%) with mean grain size ranging from very fine to medium sand (M z = 3.9 Ø), sorting being well to poor (0.45 to 1.52) due to sediment influxes. Sabkha had a wide range of sand/mud and significantly higher carbonate percentages than other environments. Sediment source differences and littoral reworking contributed to grain size variation. The carbonate content varied between 1.5 and 31.5% due to hinterland contributions, and spatial analysis showed increasing quantities of carbonate minerals towards the south. On the wider geographical front, findings from Jizan are similar to those of the Northern United Arab Emirates (UAE), including sabkhas, being composed of sand, skeletal carbonate, fine fluvial material and wind-blown silt and clay components of wadi origin. Further work on the northeastern Red Sea edge can hopefully confirm these findings.

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

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Abou Ouf MA, El Shater A (1992) Sedimentology and mineralogy of Jizan shelf sediments, Red Sea, Saudi Arabia. JKAU: Mar Sci 3:39–54

    Google Scholar 

  • AbouOuf M, Durgaprasada Rao NVN, Tag RJ (1988) Benthic foraminifera from littoral sediments of Al Lith—Al Qunfidah coast, south eastern Red Sea. Indian Journal of Marine Sciences 17(3):217–221

    Google Scholar 

  • Alcántara-Carrió J, Fernández-Bastero S, Alonso I (2010) Source area determination of aeolian sediments at Jandia Isthmus (Fuerteventura, Canary Islands). J Mar Syst 80(3):219–234

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Al-Farraj A (2005) An evolutionary model for sabkha development on the north coast of the UAE. J Arid Environ 63(4):740–755

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Alharbi OA, Philips MR, Williams AT, Bantan RA (2011) Landsat ETM applications: identifying geological and coastal landforms, SE Red Sea Coast, Saudi Arabia. In: Özhan E (Editor), Proceedings of the Tenth International Conference on the Mediterranean Coastal Environment, MEDCOAST 11 (Rhodes, Greece), pp 985–996

  • Alharbi OA, Phillips MR, Williams AT, Gheith AM, Bantan RA, Rasul NM (2012) Desalination impacts on the coastal environment: ash Shuqayq, Saudi Arabia. Sci Total Environ 421:163–172

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Alhazmi OA (2006) Use of remote sensing applications for coastal landforms identification of Ash Shuqayq area, southeastern of the Red Sea coast. Msc, King Abdulaziz University, Saudi Arabia, Saudi Arabia

    Google Scholar 

  • Al-Sayari SS, Zotl JG (1978) Quaternary period in Saudi Arabia. Springer, New York

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Alsharhan A, ElSammak AA (2004) Grain-size analysis and characterization of sedimentary environment of the United Arab Emirates coastal area. J Coast Res 20:464–477

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Al-Washmi HA, Gheith AM, Nabhan AI (2005) Geomorphological features, sediment distribution and transport along Ash Shuqayq-Al Huraydah coastal area, Southern Red Sea. Journal of the Faculty of Marine Science, King Abdulaziz University 16:57–80

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Armstrong-Altrin JS, Nagarajan R, Lee YI, Zubillaga JJK, Saldaña LPC (2014) Geochemistry of sands along the San Nicolás and San Carlos beaches, Gulf of California, Mexico: implications for provenance and tectonic setting. Turk J Earth Sci 23(5):533–558

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bascom W (1964) Waves and beaches. Anchor Books, NY 267

    Google Scholar 

  • Basyoni MH (1997) Sedimentological and hydrochemical characteristics of Al Lith sabkha, Saudi Arabia. Journal of King Abdulaziz University: Earth Science 9:75–86

    Google Scholar 

  • Behairy AKA, Rao DNVN, El-Shater A (1991) A siliciclastic coastal sabkha, Red Sea coast, Saudi Arabia. Journal of the Faculty of Marine Science 2:65–77

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Blott SJ, Pye K (2001) GRADISTAT: a grain size distribution and statistics package for the analysis of unconsolidated sediment. Earth Surf Process Landf 26(11):1237–1248

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bridge J, Demicco R (2008). Earth surface processes, landforms and sediment deposits: Cambridge University Press, New York

  • BSI (1975) Methods of test for soils for civil engineering purposes. British Standards Institution, B.S. 1377

  • Dean WE (1974) Determination of carbonate and organic matter in calcareous sediments and sedimentary rocks by loss on ignition: comparison with other methods. J Sediment Petrol 44:242–248

    Google Scholar 

  • Dora GU, Kumar VS, Philip CS, Johnson G, Vinayaraj P, Gowthaman R (2011) Textural characteristics of foreshore sediments along Karnataka shoreline, west coast of India. International Journal of Sediment Research 26(3):364–377

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Eisema D (1981) Supply and deposition of suspended matter in the North Sea. Special Publication of the International Association of Sedimentologists 5:415–428

    Google Scholar 

  • El-Sayed MI (1999) Tidal flat rocks and sediments along the eastern coast of the United Arab Emirates. Carbonates Evaporites 14(1):106–120

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Frank WM, Friedman GM (1973) Continental-shelf sediments off New Jersey. Journal of Sedimentary Research 43(1):224–237

  • Folk RL (1974) Petrology of sedimentary rock. Hemphill Publication Company, Texas

    Google Scholar 

  • Folk RL (1980) Petrology of sedimentary rocks. Hemphill Publication Company, Texas

    Google Scholar 

  • Folk RL, Ward W (1957) Brazos river bar: a study in the significance of grain size parameters. J Sediment Petrol 27:3–26

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gheith AM (1999) Mineralogy and diagenesis of coastal sabkha sediments of the hypersaline lagoons on the eastern coast of the Red Sea, Saudi Arabia. Arabian Gulf Journal of Scientific Research 17(2):199–219

    Google Scholar 

  • Gheith AM (2000a) Sedimentary reflection of the coastal processes on the shore zone sediments along the eastern Red Sea coast, Saudi Arabia. Zeitschrift fur. Geomorphologie 44(4):449–468

    Google Scholar 

  • Gheith AM (2000b) Use of surface features of quartz grains as indicators of various modern sedimentary environments along the eastern coastal plain of the Red Sea, Saudi Arabia. Arab Gulf Journal of Scientific Research 18(3):165–172

    Google Scholar 

  • Kamaruzzaman BY, Shazili NAM, Lokman H (2002) Particle size distribution in the bottom sediments of the Kemaman River estuarine system, Terengganu, Malaysia. Pertanika Journal of Tropical Agricultural Science 25(2):149–155

    Google Scholar 

  • Liu X, Vandenberghe J, An Z, Li Y, Jin Z, Dong J, Sun Y (2016) Grain size of Lake Qinghai sediments: implications for riverine input and Holocene monsoon variability. Palaeogeogr Palaeoclimatol Palaeoecol 449:41–51

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Madah F, Mayerle R, Bruss G, Bento J (2015) Characteristics of tides in the Red Sea region, a numerical model study. Open Journal of Marine Science 5(02):193

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Manual SP (1984) US Army engineer waterways experiment station. US Government Printing Office, Washington 2

    Google Scholar 

  • Mohamed MAE, Madkour HA, El-Saman MI (2011) Impact of anthropogenic activities and natural inputs on oceanographic characteristics of water and geochemistry of surface sediments in different sites along the Egyptian Red Sea coast. Afr J Environ Sci Technol 5(7):494–511

    Google Scholar 

  • Morcos SA (1970) Physical and chemical oceanography of the Red Sea. Oceanography Marine Biology Annual Review 8:73–202

    Google Scholar 

  • Okeyode IC, Jibiri NN (2013) Excess lifetime cancer risks associated with the use of sediments from Ogun River, Nigeria as building material. Research Journal of Physics 7(j):1–8 7, 1-8

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pan B, Pang H, Zhang D, Guan Q, Wang L, Li F, Guan W, Cai A, Sun X (2015) Sediment grain-size characteristics and its source implication in the Ningxia–Inner Mongolia sections on the upper reaches of the Yellow River. Geomorphology 246:255–262

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Patzert WC (1974) Wind-induced reversal in Red Sea circulation. Deep-Sea Res 21:109–121

    Google Scholar 

  • Rao DNVN, Behairy AKA (1986) Nature and composition of shore-zone sediments between Jeddah and Yanbu, Eastern Red Sea. Mar Geol 70:287–305

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rasul N (1992) Late quaternary to present day coarse-grained sedimentation of the Indus fluvial-marine system. PhD, University of Wales, UK

    Google Scholar 

  • Sabrouti MAE (1983) Texture and mineralogy of the surface sediments of ShrmObhur, west Red Sea coast of Saudi Arabia. Mar Geol 53(1–2):103–116

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Skolasińska K (2014) Inquiry of levee formation by grain size analysis—a case study from the Warta River (central Poland). Catena 122:103–110

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Solohub JT, Klovan JE (1970) Evaluation of grain-size parameters in lacustrine environments. J Sediment Petrol 40(1):81–101

    Google Scholar 

  • Tag RJ, Abu Ouf M, El Shater A (1990a) Textural characteristics of coastal sediment between Wadi Al-Fagh and Wadi Al Qunfudah. Southeastern Red Sea. Arabian Gulf Journal of Scientific Research 8(2):33–47

    Google Scholar 

  • Tag RJ, Abu Ouf M, El Shater A (1990b) The nature and occurrence of heavy minerals in the recent sediments of Al-Lith Al QunfudahCoast of Saudi Arabian Red Sea. Indian Journal of Marine Science 19:265–168

    Google Scholar 

  • Thomas T, Phillips MR, Williams AT, Jenkins RE (2012) Medium timescale behaviour of adjacent embayedd beaches; influence of low energy forcing. Appl Geogr 32:265–280

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Udden JA (1914) Mechanical composition of clastic sediments. Geological Society of America Bulletin25(1):655–744

  • UNEP/PERSGA (1997) Assessment of land-based sources and activities affecting the marine environment in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. Regional organisation for the conservation of the environment of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. UNEP Regional Seas Reports and Studies

  • Wentworth CK (1922) A scale of grade and class terms for clastic sediments. The Journal of Geology 30(5):377–392

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Geography department, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, Saudi Arabia

    Omar A. Alharbi

  2. Faculty of Architecture, Computing and Engineering, University of Wales: UWTSD, Swansea, Wales, SA1 6ED, UK

    Omar A. Alharbi, Allan T. Williams, Michael R. Phillips & Tony Thomas

  3. CICA NOVA, Nova Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa 1071, Portugal

    Allan T. Williams

Authors
  1. Omar A. Alharbi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Allan T. Williams
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Michael R. Phillips
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Tony Thomas
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Omar A. Alharbi.

Electronic supplementary material

Table 2

(DOCX 22 kb).

Table 3

(DOCX 15 kb).

Table 4

(DOCX 16 kb).

Table 5

(DOCX 15 kb).

Table 6

(DOCX 17 kb).

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Alharbi, O.A., Williams, A.T., Phillips, M.R. et al. Textural characteristics of sediments along the southern Red Sea coastal areas, Saudi Arabia. Arab J Geosci 9, 735 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-016-2741-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-016-2741-y

Keywords

Search

Navigation