Heavy Mineral Associations in Quaternary and Late Tertiary Sediments of The Gulf Coast of Louisiana and Texas

Abstract

ABSTRACT A study of the heavy mineral content of the younger Tertiary and Quaternary formations of the Gulf Coast of Texas and Louisiana shows that a considerable variation exists in the composition of the heavy mineral assemblages found in these formations. Mainly on the basis of these variations, it is possible to distinguish several well-characterized heavy mineral zones which are restricted to certain formations, and therefore serve as a means of identifying these formations, particularly in subsurface sections. The study also establishes that there are two mineral provinces present in the Gulf Coast of Texas and Louisiana; one characterizes formations deposited in the Rio Grande embayment, the other, formations of the Mississippi River embayment. Correlation of the heavy mineral zones and their relation to the surface and subsurface formations is shown in two cross-sections.