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| Titel |
Recent benthic foraminiferal assemblages and sedimentary facies distribution from marginal marine environment of Abu Dhabi region (Arabian Gulf) |
| VerfasserIn |
F. Fiorini, S. W. Lokier |
| Konferenz |
EGU General Assembly 2012
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| Medientyp |
Artikel
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| Sprache |
Englisch
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| Digitales Dokument |
PDF |
| Erschienen |
In: GRA - Volume 14 (2012) |
| Datensatznummer |
250060211
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| Zusammenfassung |
| The environmental characterization of the coastline of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
(UAE) has been carried out using benthic foraminifera and sedimentary facies distribution.
The northern coastline of the UAE has been subjected to major construction activity that has
significantly modified the coastline and the coastal sedimentary systems over the last 40
years. For the present study 150 sea-floor sediment samples were collected in different
shallow-marine sedimentary environments (nearshore shelf, beach-front, channels, oolitic
shoals and lagoons) around Abu Dhabi Island. During the sampling several sampling location
used in studies conducted during the 1960’s, prior to major anthropogenic activities, were
resampled.
The identified foraminiferal assemblages consist mainly of species with a porcellaneous test
belonging to the genera Quinqueloculina, Triloculina, Spiroloculina, Sigmoilinita,
Miliolinella, Adelosina and Peneroplis. The last one is particularly abundant in samples
collected seaweed. Hyaline foraminifera mostly belonging to the genera Elphidium,
Ammonia, Spirillina, Bolivina and Rosalina are also common together with Miliolidae in
nearshore shelf and beach front settings. Agglutinated foraminifera (Clavulina, Textularia,
Ammobaculites and Reophax) are present at low percentages. Among the agglutinated
foraminifera the species belonging to the genera Ammobaculites and Reophax are present
only in the finest grained samples and have not previously been reported in the studied area.
The coarser sediments (oolith shoal and the coarser beach front facies) do not contain living
(stained) foraminifera and the dead assemblage is mostly composed of coarse sized
Miliolidae (mainly Peneroplis spp.) with fragmented or abraded tests, probably transported
from nearby environments.
The analysis of the foraminiferal and sedimentary facies distribution can be used in
paleoenvironemtnal reconstruction of Quaternary sequences from this area. The foraminiferal
record constitutes a taxonomical data bank on shallow-marine benthic foraminifera
from the Arabian Gulf. Moreover, a comparison between our results and previous
works conducted in the 1960’s at the same locations shows significant changes
in facies distribution, in some areas with sites formerly in lagoons now being on
land. |
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