Index Note: page numbers in italics refer to figures, those in bold refer to tables Abu Al Abyad (Abu Dhabi, UAE) cyanobacterial mats 22–3, 47–8, evaporative-pumping barrier island 71 85 model 245–6, 252 coral reefs 65–6 depositional environments 93, geomorphology 209 Abu Dhabi (UAE) 1–2, 3, 4–8 209–12 Holocene age sediments 247 algal mangrove flats 224 dolomite 27 Holocene age sediments barrier islands 20, 21, 22–3, 46, dunes 223 organic matter 48–9, 50, 51, 52, 208 early Holocene sediments 48 distribution 277–97 sabkha 71 evaporite distribution 177 Holocene barriers 271–2 sediment accumulation facies 93 Holocene coastal gypsum and 222–3 geology 222–4 anhydrite 268, 269 beaches 223 gypsum 29 Holocene coastal halite carbonate muds 22, 47–8 Holocene 101–2, 103, 104–5, accumulations/ carbonate sediment engineering 106, 107 salinas 267–8 properties 221–40 carbonates 205–17 hydrogeological chemical 229–32, 233, 234–9 geomorphology 45–86 framework 246–53 engineering intertidal flats 224 microbial mats 295–6 considerations 239–40 intertidal sediment organic mixing with aquifer 251, 252 engineering description/ matter accumulation organic matter classification 224–5, 296 distribution 294–6 226–7, 227–9 lagoons 21, 22–3, 46, 48–9, 50, rainfall events 251 geotechnical 229–32, 233, 51, 52, 92, 208–9 sea-level change impact on 234–9 carbonate sediment ramp margin site data 231–2, 233, 234–9 accumulation 222–3, deposition 89–108 terminology 241–2 223–4 seawater flooding model 245 carbonates mainland coastal plain 209 seawater trapping 246 cementation 23–4 marine shelf 208 sediment transport 136 coastal Holocene 205–17 modern expansion 278 siliciclastic deposits 247 channels 208 nearshore shelf 223 solute fluxes 249–51 climate 205 offshore bank-shoal 208 solute origins 245–53 coastal geomorphology 20, 21, sabkha 20, 21, 28–30, 201 storm beaches 266–7 22–33 aerial view 100 topographic slope 248 features 48–9, 50, 51–2 Al-Qanatir Island 149–80 transgressive sequence 294–5 coastal Holocene ascending brine model 246, vuggy porosity 272–3 carbonates 205–17 252 water fluxes 248–9 components 209 banded anhydrite 269, 270, sediments cyanobacterially-induced COPYRIGHTED271–2 MATERIALcomponents 78–85 alteration 213–17 carbonate sediment distribution 177, 209–12 exposed settings 210, accumulation 224 early Holocene 48 211–12 Chloride Plateau 252 grain-size distribution 77–8 grapestone lump coastal 245–53, 265–75 Holocene age 247 formation 209, 210, 213 composition 266 organic matter moderately exposed composition below water distribution 277–97 settings 210, 211, 212 table 247–8 size 77–8 morphology 206, 208–9 continental source subtidal coastal plain 277 protected settings 209–11 solutes 245–6 types 78 coastal plain 209 engineering properties of stratigraphic sections 225 coastal regions 265–75 sediments 235–6 subtidal coastal plain coastal terrace 49, 50, 51, 209 evaporation 248–9 sediments 277 465 466 Index Abu Dhabi (UAE) (Continued) producers in brine columns 362 coastline 115 tidal delta 223 red calcareous 213 coral reefs 92 tidal flats 222–3 shallow water indicators 217 current conditions 90–2, 93, Upper Jurassic Hanifa Arab see also green algae 94–8, 99, 100–1 Formation 421–8 algal blooms, Dead Sea 351 dessication events 154 see also Mussafah channel; Umm algal mangrove flats, (Abu Dhabi, diapirs 27 al Nar channel UAE) 224 facies patterns 20, 21, 22–33, 91 accelerator-mass- alkaliphile bacteria 332 fauna and flora 30 spectrometry 156–7 n-alkanes 337–8 flooding 154 aeolian sands 34–5 n-alkanoic acids 353 foraminifera 30 UAE 32, 33 alluvial fans gas seeps 19 aeolianites 31, 33 Arabian desert 33 limestones 31–2 over gypsum bed 274 coastal 76–7 map 3 aggregates 82–4 Oman 33 marine biology 30 cement 82–3 UAE 22 morphological provinces 152, cyanobacterial mucilage 83 anhydrite 98 153 Al Dhabaiyah (Abu Dhabi, UAE), aridity impact 137, 139 organic matter 23 coral reefs 63, 65–6 authigenic 248 platform 152, 153 Al-Khiran (Kuwait), Pleistocene– banded 269, 270, 271–2 Pleistocene deposits 30–3 Holocene carbonate- facies 446 Plio-Pleistocene tectonic evaporite sediment organic Mussafah channel 272 events 5 matter 255–63 chicken-wire 28, 248, 268, Quaternary sea level depositional microfacies 257–9 272–3, 307 changes 118–19, 128 diagenetic processes 259, 260 formation from gypsum 29, 100, Quaternary sedimentology inorganic geochemistry 259, 126 13–35 261, 262 gypsum inversion 98 sabkha 23–5, 34 mineralogy 259, 261, 262 Holocene coastal 268, 269 comparison 116–18 organic matter characterization/ Mussafah channel supratidal water movement 25–7 classification 261–3 sediments 286 salinity 92, 94, 123–4 stratigraphy 256 nodules 268, 269, 272 sea level changes study area 256, 257 selenite facies Quaternary 118–19, 128 study methods 256–7 association 444 rise 247 Al Khusaifah (Abu Dhabi, UAE), organic matter 166–7 sediment distribution 206, 207 cyanobacterial flats 61 polygons 73, 75, 77, 167–8 sedimentary facies 3, 4, 5, 17 Al-Qanatir Island (Abu Dhabi, UAE) radiocarbon dating 166–7 siliciclastics 91 149–80 replacive 438 submarine cementation 23–4, facies belt widths 176 sabkha 114, 116, 118 34, 134–6, 138 facies stacking patterns 149–80 Abu Dhabi (UAE) 248, 251 vegetation 92 lowermost intertidal to sabkha plain 28–9, 34, 73, 74–5 whitings 78, 92, 209 shallow-subtidal salina origin 274 Arabian Peninsula, Quaternary environment 173–4, 175, Upper Jurassic Hanifa Arab climatic history 119–20 176 Formation 423 Arabian platform, oil/gas microbial mat intertidal Anhydrite Zone (Spain) 445 reserves 105 environments 169–73 anoxic environments, Arabian Shelf 19–20 supratidal coastal sabkha biomarkers 337 calcium carbonate environments Arabian desert 32–3 precipitations 19–20 chronostratigraphic alluvial fans 33 submarine cementation of surface correlations 178, 179 lake deposits 33 sediment 20, 23–4, 34 inner sabkha 157–9 sand supply 32–3 whitings 19–20, 34 stranded beach ridges 159–69 Shamal wind 32, 91 aragonite algae 66, 67, 85 Arabian Gulf 1–2, 3, 4–8 Abu Dhabi (UAE) protected boring 216 bathymetry 46, 150, 151–2, 153 settings 209–10 calcareous 81 carbonate cementation 23–4, acicular crystals 83 green filamentous 66 34, 134–6, 138 Arabian Gulf 23–4 mesohaline 330 carbonate ramp sequence 91 crystal radiations 308 preservation of hydrogen-rich coastal geomorphology 20, 21, diagenetic alteration 126–7 debris 363 22–33 intact properties of rock 230 Index 467 Mussafah channel sulphate concentrations in storm 266–7 sediments 283 ephemeral lakes 310 see also chenier beaches pelletized needles 283 bacteriophages 326–7 beach ridges precipitation 19–20, 78, 216 Badenian selenite facies of Barr Al Hikman (Oman) 202 rim-cement 169 Poland 432, 437, 447–50 oolitic beach-dune ridges in selenite domes 440 gypsum succession 449 Kuwait 117 selenite facies 441 Badenian selenite facies of west sabkha 72 stromatolite associations 92 Ukraine, selenite facies stranded 159–69 archaea 321, 322 lateral changes 449–50 beach sediments biomarkers 338 bar(s) 56–7 organic matter characterization/ blooms in Dead Sea 351 angled 57 classification 262 halophilic 330 break-point 55–6, 159 Pleistocene–Holocene carbonate- charged amino acids 334 Barr Al Hikman (Oman) evaporite sediment organic Dead Sea 351 beach ridges 202 matter 258, 260 heterotrophic mode 334 climate 188–9 beach springs, lower salinity at Barr membrane adaptations 334 coastal salt ponds 199 Al Hikman (Oman) osmotic gradient dolomite 202 199–200 defences 334–5 evaporites 198, 199, 201, 202 beachrock 140–5 halotolerant in Dead Sea 351 free-water level beach erosion 143 hot spring dwellers 322–3 measurement 186 chenier beaches 140–1 methanogenic 332 geology 192–3 Ras Umm Said (Qatar) 140–5 salinity tolerance 329 geomorphology 183–4, 185, spits 141 sulphur-dependent 322–3 187, 188, 189, 190–2 tidal channel thermal stability 338 ground truthing 185 downcutting 142–5 Archaean oceans 308–10 gypsum 202 outer bends 140, 141 aridity, sabkha 153 halite crust 199, 202 bioclasts, Mussafah channel ascending brine model of sabkha hydrology 187 washover fans 286 origin 246, 252 lag deposits 190–1 biomarkers Atlas system 409–10 location 183, 184 lipid 338, 339 Avicennia see mangal/mangrove lower salinity beach salinity 336–41, 353 springs 199–200 bioremediation, industrial 301 bacteria meteorology 187, 188–9 biota, salinity tolerance 329 alkaliphile 332 microbial mats 194, 196 bittern salts 318–19 fermenter 324–6 monsoon influence 189 black shales 375 halophilic 322–7, 330, 332–3 sabkhas 183–203 bladder wrack 66, 81, 85 halotolerant 323 coastal 193–4, 195, 196–7, blooms heterotrophic metabolism 323 201 archaea in Dead Sea 351 lithotrophic 322 continental 195, 197–9, 201 cyanobacteria 211 methanogen 300–1, 322, 324–6, hydrology 201–2 green sulphur bacteria 323–4 353 older 200, 201 plankton/phytoplankton 211, halophilic 332, 336 salinity 186 330 photosynthetic 320, 321, 322–7 satellite images 185, 186, 187, purple sulphur bacteria 323–4 preservation of hydrogen-rich 191–2 blue-green algae see cyanobacteria debris 363 sediment sampling 185–6 blue holes 62 square-shaped 330, 331–2 sedimentology 184–5 botryoidal lumps 84 thermophile 322 topography 183–4, 187–8 break-point bars 55–6, 159 see also cyanobacteria; green wadi flow 189, 202 brine(s) sulphur bacteria; purple zonation 183–4 biological responses to layered sulphur bacteria; sulphate- barrier islands, (Abu Dhabi, UAE) hydrologies 349–54 reducing bacteria (SRB); 20, 21, 22–3, 46, 48–9, 50, carbon dioxide levels 344–5 sulphur-oxidizing bacteria 51, 52, 208 convective flow 343 bacterial sulphate reduction sabkha