Scientific Quarterly Journal of Geosciences

Scientific Quarterly Journal of Geosciences

Application of surface texture of garnet and quartz grains in environmental interpretation: An example from the Permian glacial deposits of southern Australia

Document Type : Original Research Paper

Authors
1 Department of Geology and Geophysics, Adelaide University, Australia
2 Department of Geology, Shahid Beheshti University, Teheran, Iran
3 Department of Geology, Mashhad University, Mashhad, Iran
Abstract
Morphology of detrital grains, particularly surface texture, can give some information about depositional environment. Scanning electron microscope is one of the best tools that can be used to observe different features on surface of sand size grains. Surface of sand size garnet and quartz within the Permian sediments of the southern Australia were studied by S. E. M. Features on the surface of these grains were used, as indicator, for environmental interpretation. Chatter mark trails on the surface of garnet and arc- shaped, steplike fractures, parallel and subparallel striations and conchoidal fractures on the surface of quartz grains indicate that these grains were transported and deposited in glacial environment. Therefore, based on these information and comparison of the surface features of garnet and quartz from the Permian sands with other recent and ancient glacial deposits from other parts of the world, it can be concluded that the Permian sediments of southern Australia were deposited in glacial environment.
Subjects

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