Determining contribution of sand dune potential sources using radionuclides, trace and major elements in central Iran

The present research describes a first attempt to use quantitative fingerprinting to quantify source contributions of sand dunes. Forty-nine surface samples from the main potential sources within Yazd-Ardekan Plain in the central Iran were collected and compared with eight samples of sand dunes, collected on various sites of Ashkzar erg. Three major categories of sand dune source were identified: young terraces and gravel fans (Qt(2)), clay flat (Qc), and gypsiferous marl (Egm). After sample preparation, concentrations of geochemical elements such as rare earth element (REE), major and trace elements, and isotopes of strontium (Sr-87 and Sr-86) and neodymium (Nd-143 and Nd-144) were measured. The results indicated, based on discriminant function analysis, 81.6% of the samples to be correctly assigned to their source areas. The mean contributions from Qt(2), Qc, and Egm sources in the study area were estimated as 59, 30, and 11%, respectively. The efficiency coefficient for mixing model was calculated to be 0.99, which represents that the fingerprinting technique has a great potential for apportionment of sand dune sources.