SEDIMENTOLOGICAL AND MINERALOGICAL ANALYSES OF THE RECENT COASTAL SEDIMENTS ALONG AL-HODEIDAH- AL-URJ AREA, SOUTHERN RED SEA, YEMEN

Document Type : Research and Reference

Author

Al-Hodeidah University, Faculty of Marine science and Environment, Department of Marine Geology

Abstract

The present study describes the recent coastal sediments along Al-Hodeidah coast, Republic of Yemen. A total of 113 samples were collected from the onshore and offshore areas at four locations. The aim was to provide some information regarding the textural properties, mineralogical, and depositional environment of the sediments along Al-Hodeidah coast. Based on the sedimentological data it is suggested that most of the sediments are deposited in fluviatile conditions and in high energy active environments. The sediments are dominated by sand-mud size with calcareous particles. The occurrence of fine-grained carbonate mud is attributed to lagoonal environment. They are characterized by the occurrence of some Mollusca species that signify normal marine and brackish waters. The sediments of El-Sheikh Younes and Ras Kathib areas are generally characterized by an increased amount of pebble sizes represented mainly by molluscan shells fragments, which increasing in abundance northward. The sediments also contain a considerable amount of gypsum, a large number of marine mollusca and few freshwater forms. The heavy mineral assemblages recorded from the sands consist of (in order of decreasing abundance): opaque, amphibole, zircon, epidote, rutile, garnet and tourmaline. The non-carbonate minerals are quartez, hematite, magnetite, halite and gypsum.