Mineral Properties of Euphrates and Shatt Al-Arab River Sediments

Abstract

The mineralogical research described in this paper was carried out during 2018, about 30 samples from  twelve river core sediments (from S1 to S12)at six sites in Euphrates and Shatt Al-Arab rivers from  Hilla to Basrah cities . The coordinate number of these cores are between 38°41°32.48′′N– 38°14′24.10′′N latitude and 39°56′4.59′′E–39°8°13.41′′E longitude.The mineralogy is determined by  X- ray diffraction, and reveals that carbonate minerals, quartz, and anorthite feldspar are the main of  light minerals in the different depth intervals, whileKaolinite, palygoreskite and chlorite are the main of  clay minerals. Calcite and dolomite are more abundance than quartz. Calcite is present at high  percentage in Basrah city (S11) compare with the other area.The highest value of dolomite is pointed in  Diwaniya (S4) and Qurna (S9), whereas the lowest in Simawa and Nasiria cities (S5 and S8). The  abundant ratio of quartz reduces to south Euphrates River direction and downward of depth intervals.  Anorthite feldspar is absent inNasiria and Basra, whereas it is present in other sites. Major oxides  represented by SiO2,Al2O3, Fe2O3, CaO, MgO, Na2O, K2O, and TiO2are the main in the sediments, it  detect by Inductively Coupled Plasma – Atomic Emission Spectrometry (ICP-AES) analyses. Silica is  attribute to quartz minerals, while alumina is connect with clay minerals. The domination of calcite  with lack of dolomite reflected in the low content of the MgO. Redox elements (Fe and Ti) contents in  the sediments of studied cores were high within the uppermost part of the profiles, but with increase the  depth it have undergoing some degree of depletion. Sodium is originated from halite, and clay minerals,  while potassium from illite. Micro and nano texture features took place by SEM-EDAX. There are  several of mechanical and chemical features are detected; conchoidal, rounded, pits,and microgranular.  These features resulted from dissolution by river water (chemical) or during long distance of  transportation.