Powder diffraction data for Arabian sands and sandstones

This data set contains powder diffraction data for Arabian sands (surface Quaternary sands from Nafud, Dahna corridor, and the western part of AlRub'AlKhali deserts), and Arabian sandstones (outcrop Paleozoic and Mesozoic sandstones from northern and central Arabia).

Forty sandstone samples were collected from Arabian platform Paleozoic and Mesozoic outcrop successions. These were ground to a powder using a steel vibratory disc mill for 15 seconds. Paleozoic samples were collected from Madinah, AlJawf, and Qasim Provinces, and Mesozoic samples were collected from Riyadh Province.

Thirty-two Quaternary sand samples were collected from Nafud, Dahna corridor, and the western part of AlRub'AlKhali deserts and ground with corundum in a McCrone micronizing mill for 3 minutes. The resulting powder was screened using a 75-μm sieve, and then packed through back loading the specimen holder.

X-ray diffractograms were recorded in a PANalytical Empyrean diffractometer operated at 45 kV and 40 mA using CuKα radiation. Samples were scanned from 10 to 110° 2θ at 0.005° 2θ increments, with 40 s counting time per increment. Clear euhedral quartz (FossilEra Co.) was used as a reference.

Powder diffraction files are given in XRDML format.
Sampling Locations are given in KML format.
IDs, locations, coordinates, and lithostratigraphic units of the samples are given in Table 1.