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Abstract The northwestern coastal plain of Egypt is characterized by a series of at least nine elongated parallel Quaternary beach Ridges, extend along the Mediterranean coast (Shukri et I’ aI., 1956; Butzer, 1960; El Shazly et aI., 1964; Selim, 1974; Hassouba, 1980; El Asmar, 1991; Holail, 1993; Mansour, 1999; Sediek and Rashed, 2004; and Zahran, 2008). They increase in elevation from the most seaward coastal Ridge (which is lowest and border the present coast with altitude of less than ten meters) to the most inland Ridge (which is highest and has altitude of about one hundred meters). These Ridges are dominated by dunal carbonates which differ not only in their primary composition but also in their distinct grades of meteoric water diagenesis. Oolitic facies dominates the younger eolianites of the first and second Ridges. Bioclastic facies with abundant coralline algae, benthonic foraminifers, molluscs, echinodenns and intraclasts represents the major rock type in the older eolianites (El-Shahat, 1995). Therefore, these Quaternary carbonate rocks are excellent examples of the different stages of diagenesis. |