Sand dunes are wide spread in the Gaza Strip and are present in its northern, central and southern parts. Thirty sand samples were collected at seven locations along the middle region of the Strip. The coordinates for each sampling site were positioned by GPS and processed by ArcGIS software.
Mechanical and chemical properties were examined to determine the textural parameter and carbonate content of dune sands. The mean grain size is fine to medium, and they are moderate- to well-sorting. The skewness is fine to very fine, and the kurtosis ranges from mesokurtic to very leptokurtic. Also, the results show that the carbonate content range from 1.5% -to 5%.
The high permeability, good porosity, and low carbonate content of the sand dunes in the Gaza Strip have led to more groundwater pollution via leachates percolating from the solid waste landfills and basins of waste water treatments set up above the sand dunes in the Strip. Sand quarries have also changed the natural landscape of the Gaza Strip. These quarries were excavated randomly, used for a short period and then disused. This random and unregulated excavation has led to the destruction of natural habitats for flora and fauna.
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