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Sedimentological and geoenvironmental evaluation of the coastal area between Al-Khowkhah and Al-Mokha, southeastern Red Sea, Republic of Yemen

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Abstract

The increasing anthropogenic activities (e.g., constructing touristic resorts) have led to notable changes in the Yemeni Red Sea coastal regions. In this context, recent sediments have been investigated to infer possible natural and man-induced processes on these coastal areas. The target area lies between longitudes 43°13′–43°30′E and latitudes 13°15′–13°55′N. It extends about 90 km along the coastline as a part of the Tihama plain. Geomorphologically, it forms a long-curved stretch with pronounced headlands, embayments and bays. Generally, it is covered by recent sediments (wadi, lagoon, beach and spit deposits along with sabkha, coastal dunes and mangrove). Textural studies reveal that most of the studied sediments are mainly poorly to moderately sorted and are composed mainly of sandy fractions with few gravel and mud, mostly bimodal with minor unimodal patterns. The igneous (granites) as well as basic (basalt, andesite and andesitic pyroclastics) and acidic (dacite and rhyolite) volcanic rocks of Tertiary age, which are exposed to the east of the study area, are believed to be the source of pyroxenes, amphiboles, epidotes, biotite, sphene, zircon, tourmaline and rutile, in a decreasing order of abundance. Moreover, smectite, kaolinite, chlorite, illite and palygorskite are the predominant clay minerals, mainly of detrital origin. The total carbonate content fluctuates from 37.41% (lagoon sediments) to 53.74% (sabkha sediments). The high amount of sea grasses, which covers the tidal flat zone and relates to the fine-grained sediments, accounts for the high organic matter content. The mineralogy of the source rocks has controlled the general distribution of major elements (Fe, Mg, Na, K and Mn) in the beach sediments. In such sediments, the concentrations of the heavy metals (Cu, Zn, Cd, Ni, Pb and Co) may reflect the sediment pollution using different approaches. The enrichment factors (EFs) of the trace metals for most samples reveal values that are greater than 1, referring to three groupings, which are: moderate to moderately severe (Zn, Cu and Mn), minor to moderate (Pb and Co) and zero to minor (Cd and Ni) enrichment. The EFs for Pb, Cd, Ni and Co metals (<5) may be attributed to the crustal materials and/or natural weathering processes. But, those for Zn, Cu and Mn (>5), especially in Al-Khowkhah–Abu-Zahr, Moushij–Zahari–Ruays, Yokhtol and Mokha localities, are possible of anthropogenic contributions.

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Acknowledgements

Deep gratitude goes for Prof. Dr. Mahuob Abdel-Rahman Saeed, Professor of Geochemistry, Environmental and Earth Science Department, Faculty of Science, Sana’a University, Yemen, for the facilities offered during the field work. The authors are greatly obliged to the Chief Editor, three reviewers and the Journal Manager for the valuable comments and corrections that improved the content and the English of the manuscript. Thanks go also to Prof. Magdy S. Mahmoud (Geology Department, Faculty of Science, Assiut University) and Dr. Sherin Abdel-Gaffar (English language and Literature Department, Faculty of Arts, Assiut University) for linguistic improvements.

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  1. Department of Geology, Faculty of Science, Assiut University, Assiut, 71516, Egypt

    Ahmed R. El-Younsy & Mahmoud A. Essa

  2. Department of Marine Geology, Faculty of Marine Sciences and Environments, Hodeidah University, Al Hudaydah, Yemen

    Saeed O. Wasel

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  1. Ahmed R. El-Younsy
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El-Younsy, A.R., Essa, M.A. & Wasel, S.O. Sedimentological and geoenvironmental evaluation of the coastal area between Al-Khowkhah and Al-Mokha, southeastern Red Sea, Republic of Yemen. Environ Earth Sci 76, 50 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-016-6355-1

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