Distribution and Genesis of Quartz in a Piedmont-Coastal Plain Environment

Abstract

Research Article| October 01, 1971 Distribution and Genesis of Quartz in a Piedmont-Coastal Plain Environment W.J CLEARY; W.J CLEARY Geology Department, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina 29208 Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar J.R CONOLLY J.R CONOLLY Geology Department, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina 29208 Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar GSA Bulletin (1971) 82 (10): 2755–2766. https://doi.org/10.1130/0016-7606(1971)82[2755:DAGOQI]2.0.CO;2 Article history received: 14 Jan 1971 rev-recd: 22 Mar 1971 first online: 02 Mar 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share MailTo Twitter LinkedIn Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation W.J CLEARY, J.R CONOLLY; Distribution and Genesis of Quartz in a Piedmont-Coastal Plain Environment. GSA Bulletin 1971;; 82 (10): 2755–2766. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/0016-7606(1971)82[2755:DAGOQI]2.0.CO;2 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyGSA Bulletin Search Advanced Search Abstract River sands in the piedmont province of the southern Appalachians are derived mainly from saprolitic soils on granite, gneiss, and schist and consist mainly of quartz (60 to 80 percent) with minor microcline, orthoclase, and rock fragments. The quartz grains have embayed boundaries representing intense weathering and corrosion within saprolitic soils. When the particles of these soils are sampled, they show embayments on almost every grain. Skeletal-like grains are characteristic of the uppermost soil horizons. With transportation downstream, large (greater than 0 to 5 mm) rock fragments and polycrystalline quartz grains are broken. On entering the coastal plain, the river sands become highly quartzose (90 to 95 percent) within 1 to 5 mi by enrichment from the local coastal plain sediments. The dilution of piedmont-derived sand with Cretaceous and Tertiary coastal plain sand is observed by reduction in feldspar, rock fragments, and polycrystalline quartz, and by the decrease in the amount of embayed quartz grains, and the appearance of locally reworked quartzose sand fragments.Studies of several soil profiles show that quartz grains in soils of the piedmont are always embayed but that the degree of corrosion is greatest in the uppermost part of the soil horizon. A similar increase in quartz grain solution upward occurs in soils and coastal plain sediments, but many of these grains have been rounded during prior transportation and the degree of corrosion is small. This study suggests that the relative amount of sand-sized embayed quartz is a measure of in situ weathering in a soil profile, but that such quartz is slowly destroyed during subsequent transportation. The presence of embayed quartz in sands does not necessarily indicate a volcanic source terrain as is commonly thought by many petrographers. This content is PDF only. Please click on the PDF icon to access. First Page Preview Close Modal You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.