Aeolian sediment transport, Sultanate of Oman and the Araabian Sea /
Geochemical and mineralogical analyses of terrestrial sediment samples from the Sultanate of Oman and aerosol dust from over the Arabian Sea, suggest cycling of aeolian sediments on the local and regional scales is driven by monsoonal winds. These processes are manifested in the development of the W...
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| Format: | Thesis Book |
| Language: | English |
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[Place of publication not identified] :
[publisher not identified] ;
1998.
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| Online Access: | http://proxy.library.tamu.edu/login?url=http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=732837651&sid=1&Fmt=2&clientId=2945&RQT=309&VName=PQD |
| Summary: | Geochemical and mineralogical analyses of terrestrial sediment samples from the Sultanate of Oman and aerosol dust from over the Arabian Sea, suggest cycling of aeolian sediments on the local and regional scales is driven by monsoonal winds. These processes are manifested in the development of the Wahiba Sand Sea and in the transport of dust from the Omani Desert over the Arabian Sea. Geochemistry and mineralogy of dune sand samples and analysis of Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) imagery imply two source provenances for the Wahiba Sand Sea. The sand comprising the upper Wahiba was derived primarily from local wadis where sediments were deflated during the Southwest Monsoon. The original provenance for these sands, and the source of the wadis, is the Hajar ophiolite mountains in northern Oman. The lower Wahiba sand is more quartz rich and possesses a different geochemical signature. These sands are likely derived from the coast, coastal sabras, and reworked aeolianites that underlie most of the southern sand sea. The lower Wahiba sands presently mantle the wadis that supplied sand to the upper Wahiba. The temporal, spatial, and geochemical patterns of dust concentrations collected over the Arabian Sea, along with atmospheric transport models, show multiple dust sources for the region. The presence of dust from a particular source is a function of season, wind regime, and location. The highest dust levels occurred during the sampling winter (Northeast Monsoon) and spring (during the Shamal), with possible primary sources in india, Pakistan, Iran and some local input from the Arabian Peninsula. The lowest dust concentrations occurred during the summer Southwest Monsoon. The most consistently dusty areas throughout the year were off the Omani Coast and over the Gulf of Oman. Comparison of the geochemical signatures of these samples with those of Wahiba Sand Sea samples indicate that there is a significant contribution of dust from the Omani Desert to the atmospheric dust load of the region. |
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| Item Description: | Vita. |
| Physical Description: | ix, 120 leaves : illustrations, maps ; 28 cm. Issued also on microfiche from University Microfilm Inc. |
| Bibliography: | Includes bibliographical references: pages 111-119. |