Sedimentological investigation of the potential origin and provenance of sand deposits in an arid area: a case study of the Ksour Mountains Region in Algeria

The phenomenon of aeolian sand deposit is a major concern in arid and semi-arid areas with great land abandonment issues, which cause serious social and economic problems. This study explores the said phenomenon in the Ksour Mountains in Algeria. In particular, to assess the textural properties of sands and to investigate the origin of aeolian sand deposits in the study area, 11 samples were collected from the sands of Ain Sefra. The granulometry, calcimetric analysis, and morphoscopy of the samples were examined. Granulometric testing of samples from 11 locations showed that sand size was very fine to fine-grained, with a mean grain value of 226.5 μm. The sorting of samples ranged from 1.22 to 1.90, indicating well sorting of the sands. Skewness values ranged from − 0.4 to 0.66, which are mainly negative with an average of − 0.06, indicating symmetrical to fine-skewed values. The values of kurtosis range from 0.79 to 1.5, with an average of 0.93, where 64% of samples are mesokurtotic and 36% of samples are platikurtotic. Calcimetric results show a very low percentage of carbonate, which ranges from 1.85 to 7.4% and illustrate a very low content of fine fraction and organic matter. The preliminary examinations of the sands in our study area by using morphoscopy showed that 73% of sand is in the rounded and mat category, and 19% is in the rounded and shiny category. Hence, the influence of prevailing wind directions on the study area is evident: the NW–SE bearing and the sedimentary structures are influenced by prevailing and local wind directions. The outcome of various experiments led to the conclusion that the aeolian sand deposit in the study area is linked to the wind transport. This research is of particular relevance as it fits into the current research trend related to understanding the origin and provenance of dune systems in the region of Ain Sefra and could be applicable to other dune systems in other parts the world.