Statistical comparisons of grain size characteristics, hydraulic conductivity, and porosity of barchan desert dunes to coastal dunes

Ancient dune sand environments in deserts and coasts are aquifers and hydrocarbon reservoirs that commonly have preserved high permeability (hydraulic conductivity). A paucity of research has been performed on variations in the distribution of permeability associated with the positions within the dunes and the differences between these patterns in desert and coastal dunes. A comparison of dune sand grain size and hydraulic properties of a desert barchan dune field in Saudi Arabia to a coastal dune field in Uruguay has revealed some important differences and similarities. The grain size characteristics show that the mean grain diameter was significantly lower in the barchan dune field compared to the coastal dune field (1.95–2.79 phi) and the sorting was better in the coastal dune field (0.40–0.66 phi). The skewness and kurtosis of the dune sands were not significantly different with the skewness