Sand Microtextures as Indicators of Depositional Environment – a Comparison of Fluvial, Marine and Aeolian Sediments

Abstract

The Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) has been used to examine sediment surfaces since the late 1960’s. More recently, results of SEM analyses of grains have been used to link depositional environments and modes of transport for sediments and sandstones (Krinsely and Trusty, 1986; Mahaney and Kalm 2000; Mahaney et al., 2001). This technique has been considered to be a viable, though time consuming, option for researchers interpreting depositional environments. V-pits are a microfeature which is claimed to indicate a littoral deposition environment (Krinsley and Trusty, 1986; Middleton and Kassera, 1987), while others claim it is a result of fluvial processes and deposition (Mahaney and Kalm, 2000; Mahaney et al., 2001; Mahaney, 2002; Strand et al., 2003; Itamiya et al., 2019). The focus of this study was to determine if there was statistical support for the claims that V-pits are indicative of specific depositional environments. To evaluate this claim, sediment samples from differing contemporary environments (littoral, fluvial and aeolian) were taken and subjected to analyses. The results indicated that neither littoral nor fluvial environments effectively produced V-pits. Aeolian deposits, however, showed more V-pits than any other sample.