Petrographic analysis of Quaternary ferriferous sand layers in eastern Mediterranean cores reveals distinct mineralogical differences between the Egyptian Shelf-Nile Cone region and the southern part of the Mediterranean Ridge. A compositionally
and texturally immature suite in Ridge cores, mixed with a Nile-derived assemblage, identifies a fresh non recycled mineral component derived from proximal igneous and metamorphic surface or near-surface exposures, probably in the south-central Ridge area rather