Sedimentological Study of Sand Dunes in the Al-Najaf Province, Central Iraq

This study focused on the sedimentological attributes of the dunes in the Najaf Governorate, southern Iraq. Twelve spot samples were collected from two areas, the first was approximately ۳ km from Madhlum Village, and the other was west of Al-Manathera District. Several analyses were performed, including grain-size analysis, XRD, petrography using a polarized microscope, magnifying lenses to distinguish light minerals, and SEM-EDS survey. These sediments are compound of silt, sand, and mud fractions, with sand particles predominating in the dune fields. Muddy sand was categorized according to this pattern. According to XRD, quartz is the predominant mineral at the studied locations, followed by feldspars, calcite, and gypsum. Petrographic analysis reveals that monocrystalline quartz is more abundant than polycrystalline quartz. The various types of rock fragments include metamorphosed, igneous, carbonate, mudstone, and chert fragments. Alkaline feldspar is more than plagioclase. The mineral content was classified as litharenite to feldspathic litharenite. The provenance of the sand dunes indicates recycled orogeny. The paleoclimate in the source area ranged from semi-humid to sem-iarid.

کلیدواژه ها:

Sand Dunes ، Sedimentology ، Quartz ، Al-Najaf ، Petrogenesis