Mapping the internal structure of sand dunes with GPR: A case history from the Jafurah sand sea of eastern Saudi Arabia

2008 ◽  
Vol 27 (11) ◽  
pp. 1446-1452 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ademola Q. Adetunji ◽  
Abdullatif Al-Shuhail ◽  
Gabor Korvin
Keyword(s):  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Internal Structure ◽  
Case History ◽  
Sand Dunes

scholarly journals Study of Black Sand Particles from Sand Dunes in Badr, Saudi Arabia Using Electron Microscopy

Atmosphere ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 6 (8) ◽  
pp. 1175-1194 ◽  
Author(s):  
Haider Khwaja ◽  
Omar Aburizaiza ◽  
Daniel Hershey ◽  
Azhar Siddique ◽  
David E. ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Sand Dunes ◽  
Black Sand ◽  
Sand Particles

scholarly journals Integrated Geological, Hydrogeological, and Geophysical Investigations of a Barchan Sand Dune in the Eastern Region of Saudi Arabia

Water ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 682
Author(s):  
Mohammed Benaafi ◽  
Sherif M. Hanafy ◽  
Abdullatif Al-Shuhail ◽  
Ammar El-Husseiny ◽  
Jack Dvorkin
Keyword(s):  
Grain Size ◽  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Water Content ◽  
Sand Dune ◽  
Sand Dunes ◽  
Homogeneous Medium ◽  
Eastern Region ◽  
Large Area ◽  
Electrical Resistivity Survey ◽  
Dune Crest

In arid countries such as Saudi Arabia, aeolian sand often covers a large area of the country. Understanding the variations of sand properties in dunes, including grain size, sorting, mineral composition and water content, can be important for groundwater recharge, environmental, and construction applications. Earlier studies examined properties of sand dunes by collecting samples from the surface. This study aims to investigate variations of sand properties within a Barchan sand dune in the coastal area of Saudi Arabia, by collecting samples and measurements from two vertically drilled boreholes up to the ground water level; one drilled in the dune crest and another one in the limb. Representative samples were collected and analyzed for their texture parameters, water content, and mineralogy. Electrical resistivity survey data was also acquired to map water content variation in the dune limb, and for comparison with well bore data. The reported results show no vertical variations in grain size or sorting in the dune crest. In contrast, the upper 0.5 m of the dune limb shows a relatively poorer sorting than found in deeper parts of the dune. Laterally, no variations in minerology were observed between crest and limb sands while grain size tended to be slightly coarser in the dune limb compared to the crest. Regarding the water content, it was found to vary vertically, probably due to previous cycles of rainfall infiltration through the sand body. Such observed variation in water content is consistent with the measured resistivity profile which could clearly identify the water table and areas with higher water content. This study concludes that beyond the upper 0.5 m, the Barchan sand dune body can be treated as a homogeneous medium in terms of mineralogy and sorting while grain size increases slightly toward the limb side.

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