Fingerprinting of The Lake Urmia Sand Dunes Sediments

Aeolian sand dunes are always being found in inner dry lands and coastal areas, most of which have been made over the Last Glacial Maximum. However, nowadays due to some natural and anthropogenic implications on earth, newly-born sand dunes are quickly being arisen. The Lake Urmia, the world’s second largest permanent hypersaline lake started shrinking, vast lands of sand dunes over the western shore of which were appeared and all its neighbouring dwellers were excited with one question: Where are these sand dunes coming from? What there was not 15 years ago. In the present study, determination of the source of the Lake Urmia sand dunes in terms of quantifying relative contribution of each upstream lithological and geomorphological unit were performed using geochemical fingerprinting techniques which play a key role in risk assessment programmes and soil and water conservation proceedings. The findings demonstrated that the alluvial and fluvial sediments of the western upstream catchment (i.e. Qal, Qt, Qmf and gr lithological/geomorphological units) were transported by water erosion and accumulated in lower reaches of the Kahriz River. The wind erosion as a secondary agent carried the aeolian sand-sized sediments to the sand dune area (Sd geomorphological unit). Hence, The Lake Urmia sand dunes are originating from simultaneous and joint actions of alluvial, fluvial and aeolian processes