Abstract
Sand glass deposits was located in the mid of the Western Desert of Iraq. It is situated within Rutba Formation (Ceno-manian). Ancient traditional mining method is still used in exploitation the unconsolidated white glass sand from glass sand quarry. The overburden thickness ranges from 2 to 4 m in average. Termite hills were observed around the glass sand quarry extending far from the quarry area. Termites could burrows down and penetrate the sand glass bringing it up to the surface. The depth of penetration reaches more than 35 m. The field observation of the white color of termite hills which are built up by sand glass gave a good indicator for the hidden subsurface deposit and it appears to be a surface signature for finding glass sand directly under the termite hills. The scattered white hills of glass sand on the surface with high content of SiO2, concordant Zr/Hf and Th/U ratios and heavy mineral distribution in both of quarry and termite hills provide a strong evidence of that those termite hills could be an effective tool for exploring subsurface hidden glass sand up to 35 m depth.
Highlights
Glass sand and unconsolidated sand stone scatter in the Iraqi Western Desert within many geological formations like Rutba, Msaad, Nahr Umar and Najma Formations
A reconnaissance study had done by [1] who was expressed a pioneer in investigation of sand glass in Iraq; he had found a white glass sand in Wadi Amij in the mid of the Iraqi Western Desert and he mentioned to its unsuitability for glass industry
Erindus which is a Belgian Company had achieved detailed classic study in 1959 for glass sand investigating and determined pure white glass sand near Al-Rutba city. These actions were followed by the Soviiet geologists who found that the glass sand which is located near Al-Rutba city (Rutba Formation) is suitable for glass manufacturing; and they concluded the delta was a depositional environment
Summary
Glass sand and unconsolidated sand stone scatter in the Iraqi Western Desert within many geological formations like Rutba, Msaad, Nahr Umar and Najma Formations. Erindus which is a Belgian Company had achieved detailed classic study in 1959 for glass sand investigating and determined pure white glass sand near Al-Rutba city These actions were followed by the Soviiet geologists who found that the glass sand which is located near Al-Rutba city (Rutba Formation) is suitable for glass manufacturing; and they concluded the delta was a depositional environment [2] The depositional environment described as continental and fluviatile in most [3,4,5]. The quarry of glass sand which is a part of the study area located south west of Al-Rutba city in the mid of the Iraqi Western desert (Figure 1) which was discovered by Erindus in 1959 is industrially evaluated by Soviiet geologists in 1961. Termite able to penetrate down the water table at the depth between of 5 to 25 m bringing excavated uraniferous material up to the surface [6]
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