Preamble Traced from seaward to landward the coastline of Abu
Dhabi consists of a com le!of barrier islands and tidal deltas"
la#oons and tidal $ats and the entire ro%ince is
constant e%ol%in#& The barrier islands east of Al Dhabai'a
lie close to#ether and arese arated b' narrow tidal channels and
deltas& These islands are (T( sha ed" withthe to of the (T(s
l'in# seaward and arallel to the trend of the coast and at
ri#htan#les to the dominant wind direction )E%ans et al& *+,-a"
b.&Here oolites accumulate on the hi#her ener#' inter island
ebb tidal deltas" whilecoral reefs are restricted to small atches
seaward of the islands between them andalon# the tidal channels
)E%ans et al& *+,-a" b.& carbonate muds and ellets
collectsouth of the barrier in the rotected la#oons& The
elon#ate stems of the islandsse arate these la#oons& Tidal
mo%ement within these la#oons tends to be at ri#htan#les to the
coast&
/est of Al Dhabai'a Island" the rotectin# barrier islands are
more widel' se aratedfrom each other than those to the east&
The' occur on e!tensi%e sand' shoals andcoral ban0s cut b' tidal
channels& carbonate muds accumulate onl' in a narrow beltsouth
of the o1shore ban0 and #ra estones and s0eletal debris are the
dominantsediment com onents )2endall 3 S0i with *+,4.& The 2hor
al 5a6am la#oon southof the barrier is a continuous o en bod' of
water& It has less restricted circulationthan the la#oons to
the northeast and its western end is connected to the
Arabian7ulf& At the west end it reaches 89 m of de th&
Eastward" the la#oon shallows" sothat south of the island of Abu al
Aba'ad" it is intertidal" and the circulation of thetidal waters
becomes restricted& The dominant tidal mo%ement in the 2hor al
5a6amis east west& North of the 2hor al 5a6am coral reefs rim
the northern $an0s of mostof the o1shore ban0s& South of the
ban0 and the 2hor al 5a6am" in the rotectedwaters of the eastern
la#oon" su ratidal $ats are encroachin# northward into thela#oon
throu#h the de%elo ment of beach rid#es and c'anobacterial$ats
accumulation & The situation is similar to south of the Abu
Dhabi la#oons: herema!imum rotection from the dominant north
northwest wind has enablede!tensi%e c'anobacterial $ats to form"
accretin# northward in the intertidal 6one&
These $ats are $an0ed b' the su ratidal (sab0ha( )E%ans et
al& *+,-a" b. withoutan' brea0 in slo e&
In contrast" alon# the more e! osed coasts of the western 2hor
al 5a6am" small
beach rid#es are common at the landward ed#e of the intertidal
latform& Here thebeaches on the islands are rotected from wa%es
b' broad coral reefs and shoals"formin# wide frontal intertidal
$ats that are bac0ed b' small subaerial dunes * to 8m in
hei#ht& Di1erences in e! osure to wa%es are re$ected in the
barrier islands tothe east too& Thus the islands around Abu
Dhabi are ositioned on a narrow shelfwith little rotection from
hea%' seas& 5efore the now e!tensi%e industrialde%elo ment of
this coastline these easternmost islands de%elo ed stee beach
< Lower Intertidal Sand Mud Flats and
InduratedHard#rounds
< Man#ro%e Lined Cree0s< C'anobacterial Facies< #' sum
Dunes
EVAPORITES AND CARBONATE FACIES AL"ANATIR
< Lower Intertidal Sand Mud Flats and
InduratedHard#rounds< The C'anobacterial Facies< The #' sum
Mush Facies< The Mid Salt Flat Facies< The B er Salt Flat
Facies Seaward of 5each>id#es< The Stranded 5each >id#e
Facies< The B er Salt Flat Facies Landward of 5each>id#es
< Coastal Dunes< #' sum Dunes of Man#ro%e Swam s<
leistocene Miliolite of the coastal re#ions< carbonate >ich
5archan Fields of Landward ofcoastal sab0has< >ed Stained
uart6 5archan Dunes at mar#into >hub al 2hali
