Mineralogical composition of the sand and silt subfractions in some soils of Sinai peninsula, Egypt

Abstract EN

A mineralogical study of the sand and silt sub fractions were conducted on some soil profiles representing the soils of Sinai Peninsula.

The soils under study are derived from two parent materials vary in their mineralogical composition.

The soils of southern Sinai are derived from granitic parent materials, while calcareous ones are dominated at the North Sinai.

The objective of the current work is to throw light on the mineralogical composition of the sand and silt sub fractions in the soils of Sinai peninsula which are derived from different parent materials.

The results indicate that the mineralogical composition of the sand and silt sub fractions in the soils of South Sinai consist mainly of quartz, feldspars, mica-biotitic and muscovite, heavy minerals and chlorite occur, also, but with less amount.

Quartz content varies within narrow limits for each particle size.

The high content of feldspars and mica in the sub fractions is a contribution from igneous and metamorphic rocks dominated by granite and gneiss rich in feldspars and micas.

With regard to the soils of North Sinai the results indicated that quartz grains are the main minerals, the associations are mainly mica biotite, mica muscovite, heavy minerals and feldspars.

Chlorite has been detected in traceable amounts in some sub fractions.

Also, the results indicated that these soils contain less amounts of feldspars and mica than the soils of south Sinai ; this reflect the nature of parent materials from which the soils are derived.