Arab J Geosci (2013) 6:519–527
DOI 10.1007/s12517-011-0353-0
ORIGINAL PAPER
Physical properties of aeolian sediments within major dune
corridor in Kuwait
Ali M. Al-Dousari & Abdusalam Al-Hazza
Received: 16 February 2011 / Accepted: 17 May 2011 / Published online: 24 June 2011
# Saudi Society for Geosciences 2011
Abstract A total of 212 sand samples were collected from
aeolian surface sediments in a major dune corridor,
northwestern Kuwait. Five main physical properties were
taken into consideration in analyzing aeolian samples,
namely color, shape, roundness, particle morphometry,
and surface area. The analysis of quartz particles by the
scanning electron microscope shows the influence of
transportation on the microfeatures of individual particles.
The surface deposits are dominantly unimodal and occasionally bimodal. It is obvious that coarse and medium sand
are the dominant size fractions within aeolian deposits. The
results according to the Munsell color system between
downwind and upwind values show no variations. Also, the
average percentages of roundness subclasses for upwind
and downwind samples are similar (6.7%). The average
values (area, equivalent diameter, perimeter, and elongation) for aeolian samples in downwind are slightly higher
than in upwind and Al-Dibdibba Formation samples, but
the values overlap at 1 standard deviation. The interrelationship diagrams show that the shapes of the particles
within samples in the three groups are running in the same
trend. In general, the northwestern (upwind) particles show
more mechanical and chemical features compared with
southeastern particles (downwind). The slight variation
between aeolian (upwind and downwind) samples is
attributed to the transportation effect of these particles.
This led to a conclusion, based on the overall results of
physical properties, that the coarse and medium particles
(about 80% of the whole aeolian sample) are dominantly
derived from local sources.
A. M. Al-Dousari (*) : A. Al-Hazza
Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research,
P.O. Box 24885, Safat 13109, Kuwait
e-mail: adousari@kisr.edu.kw
Keywords Aeolian sediments . Munsell color system .
Al-Dibdibba Formation
Introduction
Studies of individual microscopic images of sand particles
show that color variations of the particles are achieved by
the presence of iron oxides deposits on pits and other
surface irregularities on clear or frosted quartz particles
(Lancaster 1995). Wells (2002) used three-dimensional
stereoscopic scatter plots to plot the three parameters of
Munsell colors (hue, value, and chroma). Particle color
studies were also applied to dune sand in the Strzelecki
dune field of Australia (Wasson 1983), the Simpson Desert
(Pell et al. 2000), the Namib sand sea (Walden et al. 1996),
and Portuguese beach dunes (Guedes et al. 2009). White
and Bullard (2009) claimed that dune sand become lighter
in color at downwind from source area.
The shape of sand particles is determined by their
composition, origin, and transport history (Pye and Tsoar
1990). Experimental work done by Kuenen (1960) suggests
that wind rounds 100–1,000 times faster than fluvial action.
The supposedly superior rounding of aeolian sand particles
results from the fact that particles transported in water
possess a tightly adherent film of water which serves to
protect them from impact (Goudie and Watson 1981).
Krinsley and Doornkamp (1973) briefly described various
mechanical and chemical features on quartz particles from
different environments. Microfeatures on sand particles,
including microfractures, abrasion, etching, and coating,
may provide important information on paleoenvironmental
history, including aeolian activity and severity of weathering
inferred from etching and dissolution features. Culver et al.
(1983) stated that scanning electron microscope (SEM)
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Arab J Geosci (2013) 6:519–527
Fig. 1 The study area (box) showing the major dune corridor where sampling took place
analysis performed on quartz particle surface features appears
to be a reliable and statistically valid means of discriminating
between samples from different environments, but the use of
one microfeature to determine paleoenvironment is an invalid
approach. A series of events representing a succession of
environments may be recorded on a single sand particle or
group of particles (Krinsley and Funnell 1965).
The Brunauer, Emmett, and Teller (BET) surface area is
expressed as values for a certain weight of loose sand in
terms of square meter per gram measured by using isotherm
Table 1 Summary of methods and number of samples
Property
Color
Shape
Particle morphometry
Roundness
Surface area
Instrument used
Minolta handheld
spectrophotometer
Color range
(400–700 nm)
All
10
10
–
Eclipse Net Imaging
System
Area, elongation
diameter, perimeter
Medium sand
5 (50)a
5 (50)a
14
JEOL super prob
JXA-860MX SEM
26 particles
Microfeatures
Coarse sand
10 (21)a
9 (21)a
–
Modified from
Powers (1953)
Roundness
Coulter (SA3100)
Measured items
Analyzed fraction
Upwind samples
Downwind samples
Al-Dibdibba Formation
a
Average number of studied particles between two brackets
Coarse sand
10 (21)a
9 (21)a
–
Surface
area (m2/gm)
Medium sand
20
19
10
Arab J Geosci (2013) 6:519–527
521
Fig. 2 Modified particle shape
visual comparator scheme of
Powers (1953), showing
numerical indices and associated
descriptive terminology
plot diagrams of volume against pressure and using the
BET equation devised by Brunauer et al. (1938).
Previous studies on aeolian sediments in the region such as
Kuwait and elsewhere have focused on sedimentimophic
features (Khalaf et al. 1995, Al-Dousari and Pye 2005,
Al-Dousari et al. 2008), Saudi Arabia (Al-Fredan 2008), Iraq
(Al-Janabi et al. 1988), Jordan (Saqqa and Attallah 2004),
Qatar (Embabi and Ashour 1993), Emirates (El-Sayed 2000),
and Oman (Pease et al. 1999). The physical properties of
aeolian sand particles were however not been investigated.
Therefore, this study aims to fill this gap of knowledge in
order to model sand transport for industrial and environmental
planning purposes.
Study area
The study area (the Huwamiliyah–Nimritayn zone) is
defined by longitudes 47° and 47° 30′E, and latitudes 29° N
and 29°50′ N. The study area represents a major
thoroughfare for hundred of dunes and aeolian deposits
from Huwamiliyah toward the southeast (Fig. 1). The total
area of this zone is about 5,000 km2, representing 28.1% of
the total area of Kuwait. The surface of the study area is
generally slightly undulating which slopes gradually northeast with an average gradient of 2 m km−1. It comprises a
relatively well articulated terrain characterized by a set of
low elongated ridges trending in the northeast direction.
The ridges are low, wide, with flat surfaces and are gently
sloping toward the northeast. They are separated by
subparallel, shallow, wide valleys and elongated depressions following the general direction of the ridges. While
the maximum relief is about 8 m, the valleys cut through
the Al-Dibdibba Formation which is composed of calcretic
pebbly sandstone. The thickness of the Al-Dibdibba
Formation increases toward the north and northwest, from
a few meters in the Mutla area to a few hundreds of meters
in the Huwamiliyah area.
Methodology
45
40
Weight %
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
V.C.S
C.S
M.S.
F.S
V.F.S
S
Clay
Grain size
Fig. 3 Histograms showing the weight percentages of all aeolian
samples
A total of 212 sand samples were randomly collected from top
5 cm of the surface of sand drifts, nabkhas, and sand dunes
within north and northwest of Kuwait. The sampling locations
were determined using a global positioning system. Particle
size analyses of all samples were carried out using standard
sieving and sedimentation techniques (Blott and Pye 2001).
There are five main physical properties which were taken
into consideration in analyzing some of these samples,
namely color, shape, roundness, particles morphometry, and
surface area. Some of these properties were compared with
Al-Dibdibba Formation (as expected source of aeolian
sediments) in Mutla area where it is fully exposed. Table 1
contains a summary for the methods.
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Arab J Geosci (2013) 6:519–527
Fig. 4 Reflectance percentage
curves of upwind and downwind
aeolian samples
A total of 26 separate microfeatures were considered using
the SEM. It was selected to represent the best overall method
of analysis for describing the surface features, and derives
from the early work of Krinsley and Doornkamp (1973), Bull
(1981), and Culver et al. (1983). The tabulation of surface
features on the quartz particles using numerical numbers or
percentages was found appropriate in distinguishing between
samples. Also, the roundness and angularity descriptive
system of Powers (1953) was also developed in this study in
order to provide more precision (Fig. 2).
Results and discussion
The recent aeolian deposits are dominantly unimodal (Fig. 3)
and occasionally bimodal. It is obvious that coarse and
medium sand are the dominant size fractions (about 80%).
Particle color
The average Munsell hue, value, and chroma notations
upwind are approximately similar to the downwind samples,
being 9.6 YR 5.77/3.9 and 9.51 YR .75/3.7, respectively. The
close similarity in color between upwind and downwind
samples within local scale indicates a similar origin (Fig. 4).
This indication was also supported by other particle physical
property results.
Particle shape
The average values of the four main particle shape parameters
(area, equivalent diameter, elongation, and perimeter) are
slightly higher in downwind with comparison to the upwind
samples and Al-Dibdibba Formation samples. On the other
hand, the interrelationship diagram shows that these three
groups of samples are following a similar trend (Fig. 5a, b).
The diagrams of area and perimeter show a high correlation
between aeolian and Al-Dibdibba samples (R2 =0.95 and
0.91, respectively), and a high correlation between upwind
and downwind (R2 =0.95 and 0.96, respectively). The
variability between the two groups of samples is only observed
within the larger range of aeolian samples between 253 and
356 μm, while it is smaller within Al-Dibdibba Formation,
between 258 and 304 μm. This variability is due to the high
values of Al-Dibdibba Formation samples in comparison to the
aeolian samples. This data may yield important affects of wind
action in modifying the aeolian samples.
Quartz particle morphology
The surface microfeatures of the quartz particles show that
quartz has been subjected to both mechanical and chemical
action (Table 2).
Mechanical microfeatures
Mechanical microfeatures are mainly V-shaped pits, rounded
pits, crescentic pits, coalescing pits, dish-shaped depressions,
sutures (curved and straight), grooves, upturned plates,
meandering ridges, conchoidal fractures, striations, and
stepped cleavage planes.
The dish-shaped depressions and V-shaped pits are the
most widely distributed features on the surfaces of the
quartz particles (Fig. 6a). They are distributed on the
surface of most of the studied particles in all of the samples.
The particle to particle contact due to saltation gives some
quartz particles a dotted surface. The size of the rounded
and V-shaped pits varies from 5 to approximately 50 μm.
Arab J Geosci (2013) 6:519–527
523
Fig. 5 Diagrams of area versus
perimeter for Al-Dibdibba and
aeolian samples (a) and for
upwind and downwind (b)
Quartz particles when exposed on the surface suffer from
weathering and abrasion during transportation. As a result,
the crescentic, rounded, and V-shaped pits dominate the
surface of the chemically smoothed particles. The weathering
produces adhering particles on the surface of the quartz
particles and dissolution and precipitation features. Also,
grooves and etching appear in the surface of some particles
(Fig. 6b). Some of the quartz particles show extensive
fracturing and abrasion as well as weathering (Fig. 6c). Other
particles show a very distinctive smooth surface texture.
Sutures and grooves appear mostly without any regularity in
orientation, but some particles show great regularity. The
angular quartz particles are usually rich in microfeatures such
as sutures, cracks, and fractures, either linear or conchoidal.
They are suppressed in visual observation due to the
dominance by other microfeatures such as dish-shaped
depressions and mechanical pits (Fig. 6d). Upturned plates
are abundant on most of the particles. Adhering particles are
rare on most of the quartz particles, but the rounded quartz
particles with smooth surfaces show none or very few particles
compared with those angular particles rich in microfeatures. It
is concluded that some particles originally have a paleoenvir-
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Arab J Geosci (2013) 6:519–527
Table 2 Summary for the mean occurrence of 26 surface textural
features on quartz sand particles from upwind and downwind aeolian
samples
Microfeatures
surface of some quartz particles. The deep grooving and
etching take place more commonly in sutures or pits or
around corners of quartz particles (Fig. 6f).
Mean occurrence
Upwind
Downwind
V-shaped pits
Rounded and crescentic pits
Coalescing pits
Meandering ridges
Curved sutures
Straight suture
Dish-shaped depression
Conchoidal fractures
Small striations
Stepped cleavage planes
Upturned plates
Adhering particles
Rounded particles
Straight/curved grooves
Smooth precipitation surface
5.91
5.98
0.68
2.97
3.09
2.91
6.20
2.17
1.09
1.69
7.31
1.25
7.44
5.96
1.90
5.12
5.80
0.27
2.01
2.15
2.91
3.36
1.99
0.80
1.39
6.25
1.15
6.81
5.46
1.54
Silica plastering
Chemically etched V-forms
Deep surface solution
Dulled solution surface
Oriented V-shaped pits
Capping layer
Quartz crystal growth
Silica coating structure
Irregular solution–precipitation
Disintegration by solution
Large-scale decomposition
4.85
1.61
3.96
0.37
3.16
0.06
0.15
1.21
6.07
2.96
2.51
3.15
1.45
3.96
0.28
2.80
0.03
0.00
0.73
5.98
4.16
2.29
Upwind and downwind variations
In general, the northwestern (upwind) particles show more
mechanical and chemical features compared with southeastern particles (downwind). This might indicate that the
coarse quartz particles are dominantly derived from local
sources (Fig. 6a). Upturned plates, dish-shaped depressions,
V-shaped pits, and rounded and crescentic pits, respectively,
are the dominant features in the upwind samples, while
upturned plates, irregular solution precipitation, rounded
and crescentic pits, and V-shaped pits, respectively, are the
dominant features in the downwind samples. The dishshaped depressions were much less frequent in the
downwind samples compared to the upwind samples.
Roundness
The wind is the most active agent shaping the particles and
abrasion, especially through the impact of particle to
particle contact. It usually causes the removal of corners
and tends to round particles. The average percentages of
roundness subclasses for upwind and downwind samples
are similar (6.7%). The subrounded (34%), rounded (24%),
and well-rounded (19%) particles are the most dominant
within the studies samples. On the other hand, there were
appreciable numbers of angular and subangular particles
within both upwind (22%) and downwind (20%) aeolian
sediments (Table 3). This may give evidence to the effect of
local sources and a lesser effect of regional sources.
BET surface area
onmental history longer than other quartz particles. It is worth
mentioning that the pits, either V-shaped or crescentic and
rounded, cover most of the particles and other microfeatures,
indicating they are younger than other surface microfeatures.
Chemical microfeatures
Irregular solution and silica precipitation represent the only
abundant chemical microfeature within the studied samples.
Other microfeatures such as silica plastering, deep surface
solution, oriented V-shaped pits, disintegration by solution,
and large-scale decomposition, respectively, occur to a limited
extent. Chemical surface features are present with sporadic
distribution and vary in extent from one particle to another.
Deep grooves are present, sometimes deeply etched, and are
commonly overlapped by mechanical features such as
conchoidal fractures and deep triangular pits (Fig. 6e). A
frosted appearance with large depressions is common on the
The surface area values of all the Kuwait aeolian and the
Al-Dibdibba Formation samples are presented in Fig. 7.
The surface area values range from 1.479 to 4.505 m2 g−1,
but the majority of the samples range between 2.5 and
3 m2 g−1. The average surface area for all aeolian sediments
is 3.03 m2 g−1. The Al-Dibdibba Formation shows a similar
average surface area of 3.1 m2 g−1.
Upwind samples surface areas
The upwind samples show little difference compared with the
downwind samples. The general trend for upwind samples
shows slight decrease downwind. The average surface area for
the first, second, and third groups of samples is 3.485, 2.750,
and 2.446 m2 g−1, respectively. The upwind samples have a
larger range and a higher standard deviation (0.69) compared
to the downwind samples.
Arab J Geosci (2013) 6:519–527
Fig. 6 Scanning electron micrographs of representative quartz sand
particles. a Smoothed well-rounded quartz particle with mechanical Vshaped and rounded and crescentic pits, and dish-shaped depressions. b
Quartz particle with deep chemical pitting. c Angular particle with
several mature conchoidal fractures. d Particle with medium outline
525
relief containing varieties of microfeatures including meandering ridges
(1), upturned plates (2), capping layers (3), conchoidal fractures (4), and
adhering particles (5). e Deep grooves, cracks, and deep chemically
etched V-forms. f Generalized etching pattern, disintegration by solution
and V-shaped sutures (1) and weathered feldspar-inclusion (2)
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Table 3 Number of particles and percentages for each roundness subclass
Roundness class
Angular
Subangular
Subrounded
Rounded
Well-rounded
Subclass
Aeolian samples (366)
Upwind (166)
Downwind (200)
No. of particles
%
No. of particles
%
No. of particles
%
High
Medium
Low
High
Medium
1
35
2
8
21
0.3
9.6
0.5
2.2
5.7
0
16
1
5
9
0
9.6
0.6
3
5.4
1
19
1
3
12
0.5
9.5
0.5
1.5
6.0
Low
Low
Medium
High
Low
Medium
High
Low
Medium
High
9
12
70
42
26
47
25
29
19
20
366
24
2.5
3.3
19.1
11.5
7.1
12.8
6.8
7.9
5.2
5.5
100
6.7
5
6
38
18
12
21
11
10
7
7
166
11
3.0
3.6
22.9
10.8
7.2
12.7
6.6
6.0
4.2
4.2
100
6.7
4
6
32
24
14
26
14
19
12
13
200
13
2.0
3.0
16.0
12.0
7.0
13.0
7.0
9.5
6.0
6.5
100
6.7
Total
Average
Total number of particles is shown in brackets
Downwind samples surface areas
Summary and conclusions
The average surface area of the downwind samples is
3.124 m2 g−1 and slightly higher than upwind samples. But
the values overlap at 1 standard deviation. The sample
surface area ranged between 1.955 and 4.317 m2 g−1. There
is considerable variation between one sample and another,
but the variation is much less than the upwind samples. The
samples are scattered without any significant trend. The
scattering of samples is more evident toward the downwind
side.
The physical properties of particles within dominant aeolian
deposits show unique characteristics. Variations within these
properties are absent or limited. There is a close similarity in
particle color between upwind and downwind samples within
local scale. Also, a strong similarity in the four main particle
shape parameters (area, equivalent diameter, elongation, and
perimeter) is observed between upwind, downwind, and AlDibdibba Formation samples. The analysis of quartz particle
in the SEM shows the influence of transportation on the
Fig. 7 Variability of average
surface area of medium sand
size fraction from different
aeolian deposits and the
Al-Dibdibba Formation
Arab J Geosci (2013) 6:519–527
microfeatures of individual particles. The aeolian environment
provides the dominant fingerprint on the surface of the quartz
particles, although the overall particle shape appears to have
been modified only to a limited extent. Wind abrasion and
impact between particles remove corners and produce
upturned plates around fractures and cracks. As a result, the
quartz particles located downwind in the southeast tend to be
more rounded and smooth compared with those upwind in the
northwest. It was observed that mechanical surface features on
the surfaces of quartz particles occur mostly in the form of dishshaped depressions, V-shaped pits, upturned plates, rounded, and
crescentic pits, respectively. This indicates the high influence of
particle to particle contact when saltation takes place within the
aeolian environment. The surface area variability between
upwind and downwind areas was very small, indicating that
the change in three-dimensional particle texture over a small
distance is limited. The similarity in physical properties indicates
a common origin for aeolian (upwind and downwind) and AlDibdibba Formation samples. It also indicates that these samples
have experienced the same environmental conditions.
Acknowledgments This work was funded by two foundations.
These are Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Science
(KFAS) for project (2008-1505-03) and the Kuwait Institute for
Scientific Research (KISR) for (ECO77C). Thanks also to Mr. I.
Ibrahim for helping in drafting some of the figures.
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