Sedimentological characteristics of the surficial sediments of the Kuwaiti marine environment, northern Arabian Gulf

Abstract

The textural characteristics, carbonate content and the coarse fraction components of the Recent bottom sediments of the marine environment off Kuwait are described and the faunal-sediment associations discussed. The sediments were subdivided into seven textural classes, namely sand, silty sand, muddy sand, sandy silt, sandy mud, silt and mud. Most of the study area is covered with muddy sediments whereas sandy deposits are restricted to the rocky bottoms near the southern flat of Kuwait Bay, the southern coast of Kuwait and around the islands and bathymetric highs. The textural classes, carbonate contents and faunal types of the coarse fraction were used to construct a biolithofacies map of the marine bottom sediments off Kuwait, in which nine facies are identified. The sedimentological characteristics of the Recent marine bottom sediments off Kuwait reflect the interaction between autochthonous calcareous fragments mostly of biogenic origin, lime rock fragments derived from beachrocks and submerged reef flats, and allochthonous terrigenous detritus transported to the area mainly by dust storms. The Kuwaiti offshore area is generally a low energy depositional environment with little sediment transport.

An historical review of the Quaternary sedimentology of the Gulf (Arabian/Persian Gulf) and its geological impact

“…Subsequent studies of the geomorphology, hydrology and a reconnaissance of the sediments of the Mesopotamian delta plain were made by Rzoska (1980), Baltzer et al (1982), Purser et al (1982) and Baltzer & Purser (1990). Al-Zamel (1983) described the sediments of Bubiyan Island on the southwest flanks of the delta and Hilmy et al (1971), Khalaf & Ala (1980), Khalaf et al (1982Khalaf et al ( , 1984, Al-Ghadban (1990) and Aqrawi (1994) described the marly sediments of Kuwait Bay, a delta flank depression, whose composition proved to be similar to that of the load of the TigrisEuphrates except for the addition of high contents of the diagenetic clay palygorskite. Later, Aqrawi & Evans (1994) described the sediments of Lake Hammar (Fig.…”

Sediments in the estuarine environment of the tigris/euphrates delta; Iraq; Arabian Gulf

“…Empty cavities are usually encrusted by thin layers of algae and bryozoans or filled with sand size calcareous materials. It is likely that this rock (3 m to 5 m depth) and that described by Khalaf et al (1982) from Kuwait are counterparts. They are possibly submerged beaches formed at a time of lowered sea-level.…”

“…The subdivision was first reported by Khalaf et al (1984) from the marine area off Kuwait. The area extends across the sea floor off the Shatt Al-Arab river mouth front (' Figures 1 and 7).…”

“…The detrital dolomite in the Arabian Gulf sediments is believed to be the result of wind blown transport of dust material (Emery 1956;Sugden 1963;Pilkey and Noble 1966;Kukal and Saadallah 1973;Khalaf and Ala 1980;Khalaf et al 1982). A preliminary examination of dust fallout collected from stations close to Khawr Az-Zubair-Umm Qasr Bay shows that dustfall deposits are composed of 80 per cent of calcareous silt which contains on average 6 per cent dolomite.…”

“…For an extensive review of the literature see Purser (1973). More recently, the textural and mineralogical properties of sediments in the Kuwait Bay and Kuwait offshore areas were described by Picha (1978), Khalaf and Ala (1980), and Khalaf et al (1982Khalaf et al ( . 1984.…”