Investigating the Granulometry and Mineralogical Similarities of Geomorphological Facies with Aeolian Sediments Crossing Yazd-Meybod Road

Dust emission and sand mobilization are the common natural hazards in desert roads of Iran, which originate from geomorphological facies of road margin. In this study, the geomorphological units of Yazd-Meybod road margin were distinguished, and the samples were taken from these facies as origin area while roads sediment as the transition area of sediments. The samples were analyzed using morphometric indices and microscopic mineralogy; then, its results were compared using cluster analysis method. The results showed that the median and mean of road sediment grain is 208 and 224 µm, respectively which according to the relationship between transportation distance and diameter of grains in deposition area prove that the origin area could be close to sedimentation area. The skewness index of grain size distribution tend to show coarser grains and poor sorting for road sediments which revealed the local transportation area of sediment particles. The results of mineralogy between road sediments and geomorphological facies around the road showed that the aeolian sediments crossing the road were more similar to sand sheets and sand dunes which can be introduced as the source area of aeolian sediments on the Yazd- Meybod road.