Grain size and heavy mineral distribution as related to hinterland and environmental conditions for modern beach sediments from the Gulfs of Antalya and Finike, eastern Mediterranean

Abstract

Backshore sediment samples from 22 beaches along the Antalya and Finike Gulfs have been studied for their grain size, chemical and heavy mineral composition. Data presented here suggest that well- to moderately-sorted (0.41 Φ–0.92 Φ) medium sand (1 Φ–2 Φ) represents dominant mean grain size in most beaches. In contrast, some beaches from the western part of the Gulf of Antalya (Göynük, Kemer-Kiriş and Beldibi) are composed of pebble- to boulder-size grained beaches which are located close to mouths of short and steep-gradient ephemeral rivers entering the sea from the Western Taurus Mountains. The heavy mineral assemblages are dominated by detrital opaque minerals (14–58% magnetite, chromite, and hematite), pyroxene (8–65% augite), amphibole (3–15% tremolite and actinolite), epidote (3–25%), garnet (2–9% pyrope and almandine) and micas (3–20 biotite, muscovite and chlorite). The very high concentrations of heavy minerals (up to 86% of bulk sediment) together with the significant concentrations of some elements found in beach sediments from the Gulf of Finike and western Gulf of Antalya (Fe: 18.40%; Cr: 10.00%; and Ti: 1.32%) are indicative of ultramafic origin, mainly derived from the ophiolitic rocks of the Antalya–Tekirova nappe on coastal hinterland.