ELEMENTAL GEOCHEMISTRY OF SOME RECENT MARINE SEDIMENTS FROM NORTH RED SEA.

ELEMENTAL GEOCHEMISTRY OF SOME RECENT MARINE
SEDIMENTS FROM NORTH RED SEA.
A.I.BELTAGY
Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries
Kayet Bey. Alexandria. Egypt.
ABSTRACT
Sediment samples from northern Red Sea were analysed for the
elements: Ca. Co. Cu. Fe. Mg. Mn. Pb and In. The carbonate content
was also determined. The: ‘concen’tration of different elements
varied with location. however. on the average. the sediments
had 32.31 Ca. 48 ppm Co. 16 ppm Cu. 0.1321 Fe. 1.461 Mg. 55 ppm
Mn. 75 ppm Pb and 70 ppm In. Carbonate constituted ca. 951 of
total sample.
Carbonate are mostly magnesian calcite and aragonite. Sa!”ples
from the Gulf of Aqa~a contained relatively high Mg I Ca mole
ratios. Dolomite was also detected in some samples. The Mg I
Ca mole ratios in the sediments showed regular decrease in both
the N S direction and the E – Wdirection.
Carbonate phases seem to be the· host of other elements. Iron
and Mn are mainly associated with carbonate phases. probably
substituting for Ca in the calcite crystal lattice. Lead and In
are both present in relatively high co~centrations. Sediments
of the Afri can side of the Red Sea have hi gher Pb content than
sediments from the Arabian side. linc showed random distribution.
The Cu content of the Red Sea sediments is well below the average
content of sediments from other environments; Co content is higher.
It is sugge’sted that temperature may exert some effect on the
process of concentrating these elements from sea water.