SPATIAL VARIABILITY OF HEAVY SAND MINERALS IN AL-KARMA REGION, AL-ANBAR GOVERNORATE, IRAQ
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.36103/se82k705Keywords:
inverse distance method IDW, mineral composition, polarized microscopeAbstract
This study aims to analyze the mineral composition in the AL-Karmah area in the Anbar Governorate in western Iraq, within the flood plain of the Euphrates River, bounded between 33°23'00" and 33°25'00" north, and 43°53'00" and 43°56'00" East, with an area of 54451.14 hectares. 25 surface samples with a depth of 0-30 cm were collected. Bromoform was used to separate heavy minerals from light minerals. The mineral composition was using diagnosis polarized microscope. The ArcMap GIS software analyzed the spatial distribution and produced maps using IDW method. The results of the geographical analysis of the distribution of heavy minerals in the soils of the Karma area showed the dominance of specific ratios of several minerals. Iron oxides (45.76–48.17%) covered the largest area, amounting to 59.04%. While chlorite percentage was (7-10%) in 87.72% of the whole area. Garnet (5-8%) dominated 86.91%, and zircon (3-6%) dominated 96.34%. Pyroxene (5-8%) covered 63.08%, and amphibole (3-5%) scored 93.08%. As for the epidote (4-6%), it amounted to 97.64%. Muscovite (3-6%) was found in 92.39%, while biotite (4-6%) dominated 96.82% of the area.
Received: 22/3/2025
Accepted: 25/6/2025
Published: 30/5/2026
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Copyright (c) 2026 Shireen Mudhafar Ali Alkhalil , Bilal Majeed Kareem Almashhadani, Abdulghafour Ibrahim Hamad, Sawsan Ahmed Mohammed
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