Textural characteristics and distribution of coastal sediments in the northern section of the Syrian continental shelf

Abstract EN

Detailed textural study of the northern section of the Syrian continental shelf (N35.92991 E35.91785: N35.35752 E35.91542) has been carried out in order to determine the sediment nature and distribution.

the sediments are mainly coarse to very fine-grained particles, moderately sorted, negatively skewed to fine skewed and leptokurtic to mesokurtic in nature.

interrelationship of various parameters shows bimodal nature of sediments having dominance of mainly medium to coarse sand.

the major part of the sediment fall in coarse to very fine grained category (sand, silt and clay).

Based on the cm (coarser one percentile and median size values in micron) pattern, the sediment fall in rolling and suspension field.

these factors indicate that the sediments discharged from the rivers mixes with offshore sediments and with the sediments eroded from a source rock.

Moreover, the wave energy conditions were high enough to disperse the sediments along the shelf and passing it to the open ocean and later dispersing them by littoral currents.