Textural and mineralogical characteristics of sediments originated from salt domes in the northern part of the Hormuz Strait

Abstract

In this research, field studies, surface sediment samples, and laboratory studies were used to determine the textural and mineralogical characteristics of the sediments that originated from the salt domes of the northern coastal area of Hormuz Strait. In this way, were studied the texture and mineralogy of sediments. The main minerals of the sediments are quartz, calcite, feldspar, and clay. Pyroxene and Fe-bearing minerals are the main heavy minerals of studied sediments. The abundance of these minerals is determined by the mineralogy and creation of sediment of the source rocks. The presence of stable clay minerals indicates the re-entry into the sedimentary cycle, and unstable minerals indicate the initial diagenesis conditions of their mineralogical transformation in surface sediments. Thus, the presence of salt diapirs is the most important structural-tectonic phenomenon that has caused rock fractures and intensified the effect of weathering. On the other hand, dry weather has weakened the intensity and extent of chemical weathering processes, especially in clay minerals. However, the seasonal flooding hydrological system has caused dissolution and changes in soluble and unstable sediment components and introduced some minerals, such as illite, into the re-sedimentary cycle. In addition, the transport of sedimentary particles in waterways with the mechanism of seasonal flood waters has created a non-continuous transportation system. All these factors have caused the sediments originating from salt domes to be texturally bad sorted, platykurtic, and have to vary kurtosis affected by the presence and extent of source rock units.