Provenance and recycling of Sahara Desert sand

We here present the first comprehensive provenance study of Sahara Desert using a combination multiple proxies and state-of-the-art statistical analysis. Our dataset comprises 44 aeolian-dune samples, collected across region from 12°N (Nigeria) to 34°N (Tunisia) 33°E (Egypt) 16°W (Mauritania) characterized by bulk-petrography, heavy-mineral, detrital-zircon UPb geochronology analyses. A set tools including Multidimensional Scaling, Correspondence Analysis, Individual Difference General Procrustes Analysis was applied discriminate among sample groups with purpose reveal meaningful compositional patterns infer sediment transport pathways on geological scale. The overall homogenity sand however, precluded detailed narrative. Saharan dune fields are, few local exceptions, composed pure quartzose very poor heavy-mineral suites dominated durable zircon, tourmaline, rutile. Some feldspars, amphibole, epidote, garnet, or staurolite occur closer basement exposures, carbonate grains, clinopyroxene olivine near basaltic field in Libya. Relatively varied compositions also characterize along Nile Valley southern front Anti-Atlas fold belt Morocco. Otherwise, Sahel Mediterranean Sea River Atlantic Ocean, consists nearly exclusively quartz minerals. These have been concentrated through cycles erosion, deposition, diagenesis Phanerozoic siliciclastic rocks during long period relative tectonic quiescence that followed Neoproterozoic Pan-African orogeny, last episode major crustal growth region. principal ultimate source recycled is held be represented thick blanket quartz-rich sandstones were deposited Cambro-Ordovician newly formed Arabian-Nubian Shield east Mauritania west. Durability zircon grains their likelihood older sedimentary argues against assumption, too often implicitly taken for granted studies based ages, age distribution reflects existing at time deposition rather than inheritance remote landscapes past.