OICC Press Iranian Journal of Earth Sciences 2228-785X 18 3 2026 09 30 Mineralogical Characteristics and Surface Texture of Quartz Grains in Coastal Sabkha Deposits on the Southern Red Sea 10.57647/j.ijes.2025.17008 EN Saeed Omar Wasel Marine Geology Department, Faculty of Marine Science and Environment, Hodeidah University, Yemen Talha Ahmed Al-Dubai Marine Geology Department, Faculty of Marine Science and Environment, Hodeidah University, Yemen https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7808-5620 Aaid Al-Zubieri Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah. Saudi Arabia Aziz Al Thabiani Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Tabuk, Tabuk, Saudi Arabia Journal Article 2026 09 30 Surface sediment samples from Yakhtul sabkha, located within a local depression east of the Red Sea in Yemen, were analyzed by X-ray diffraction analysis and scanning electron microscopy to determine the mineralogical composition and microtextures of quartz grain surfaces of recent coastal sabkha sediments. Eleven surface sediment samples were collected from the sabkha for this study. The results revealed that X-ray diffraction analysis identified the mineral components in the sabkha sediments, including evaporate minerals such as gypsum, anhydrite, and halite. These minerals indicate the arid conditions prevalent in this coastal environment. Carbonate minerals such as calcite, aragonite, and dolomite were also identified. Conversely, non-evaporite minerals were also identified, including quartz, plagioclase, and orthoclase. The microtextural features of the quartz grains were characterized by a dominance of surface-chemical features generally developed by precipitation and dissolution of recent silica in the near-surface diagenetic environment. In Addition, surface features such as upturned plates, V-shaped pits, elongated depressions, conchoidal fractures, and straight-curved grooves indicate prevailing mechanical processes. Analyzing the surface features of quartz grains using a scanning electron microscope provides significant interpretations of the environmental conditions the grains encountered, allowing inferences about the sediment source.