Marine Lithifacies and Depositional Zones Analysis Along Coastal Ridge in Gaza Strip, Palestine

The coastal plain of Gaza Strip is composed of an alternated kurkar and hamra deposits of Pleistocene to Holocene age. The hamra deposits consists of reddish brown sandy loam soils. The kurkar is mainly made of calcareous sandstones of marine and continental origin. Five marine lithofacies were identified along the coastal ridge within Gaza Strip which extends up to the current coastline of the Mediterranean Sea. These lithofacies are: (1) laminated medium- to very coarse-grained sandstones; (2) medium- to very coarse-grained cross-bedded sandstones; (3) graded coarse-grained sandstones; (4) massive coarse-grained sandstones; (5) bioclastic sandstones (calcarenite). The marine lithofacies identified in the study area belong to one the two sedimentation zones: (1) the upper shoreface, represented by biogenic activities and marine fauna contents in sandy cross-stratification; (2) the upper and lower foreshore, characterized by laminated with low-angle cross-stratification and channel deposits with low contents of marine fauna