The beach and shoreface sediments in the Maltese Islands have accumulated in under-filled accommodation space conditions like many temperate and tropical island carbonate beach and shelf environments. Nevertheless, Maltese beach sediments show anomalously low biogenic carbonate content compared to other carbonate beaches. Fourteen carbonate sandy beaches in the Maltese Islands were sampled to examine the relationships between geological controls on both coastal lithology and configurations of bays and beaches and, grain characteristics described by granulometry and mineralogy. The provenance of the medium to coarse-grained beach sand is mainly from the erosion of coastal and shelf Cenozoic limestone that produces lithoclasts of low-magnesium calcite, with an additional 20 ± 10% biogenic grains derived from marine carbonate productivity. The relationships between geological controls and beach sediments are used to establish a general model of sedimentation along the Maltese shelf area. Mean beach sand size is controlled by the degree of embayment, decreasing where bays are narrower and longer, whereas sediment provenance affects granulometry by the contribution of biogenic grains to the coarse and fine grain size fractions. The mineralogy of the biogenic sediment fraction in beaches is mainly high-magnesium calcite and aragonite, with the latter decreasing significantly where coastal clay is found within or close to bays.

马耳他群岛的海滩和海岸沉积物堆积在未充分填充的居住空间条件下，例如许多温带和热带岛屿碳酸盐海滩和陆架环境。然而，与其他碳酸盐海滩相比，马耳他海滩沉积物显示出异常低的生物碳酸盐含量。对马耳他群岛的14个碳酸盐沙滩进行了采样，以研究沿海岩性的地质控制与海湾和海滩构造之间的关系，以及通过粒度分析和矿物学描述的谷物特征之间的关系。中至粗粒沙滩砂的来源主要来自沿海和陆架新生代石灰岩的侵蚀，产生低镁方解石的碎石碎屑，另外20％至10％的生物成因颗粒来自海洋碳酸盐生产力。地质控制与海滩沉积物之间的关系被用来建立马尔他大陆架地区沉积的一般模型。平均海滩沙粒大小由浮游度控制，在海湾变窄和变长的情况下减小，而沉积物出处则通过生物成因颗粒对粗粒度和细粒度组分的贡献来影响粒度。海滩上生物成因沉积物组分的矿物学主要是高镁方解石和文石，在海湾内或海湾附近发现沿海粘土的地方，后者的含量显着下降。反之，沉积物的来源则通过生物成因颗粒对粗粒度和细粒度成分的贡献来影响粒度。海滩上生物成因沉积物组分的矿物学主要是高镁方解石和文石，在海湾内或海湾附近发现沿海粘土的地方，后者的含量显着下降。反之，沉积物的来源则通过生物成因颗粒对粗粒度和细粒度成分的贡献来影响粒度。海滩上生物成因沉积物组分的矿物学主要是高镁方解石和文石，在海湾内或海湾附近发现沿海粘土的地方，后者的含量显着下降。