Sand Deposits Research Articles

Hydrological and biogeochemical processes controlling riparian groundwater quantity and quality during riverbank filtration

Groundwater exploitation in a riparian zone causes water infiltration from the river into the aquifer. Owing to adsorption and redox reactions along the flow path, the quality of water flowing from the river to groundwater wells is variably altered. The riverbed composition often involves spatiotemporal differences due to frequent changes in hydrological conditions. These changes create uncertainties in the transport and removal of solutes in the river water. In this study, the hydrodynamic field associated with riparian groundwater, changes in the structure of riverbed sediments caused by erosion and deposition, fluctuations in surface water and groundwater levels, and the removal efficiency of pollutants from groundwater through pumping were investigated. This involved in situ monitoring and sample testing of the composition of the river water, riverbed sediments, riverbed pore water, and groundwater during dry and wet seasons. Implementation of field in situ column experiments and molecular biology evidences were conducive to identifying the main biogeochemical processes occurring in the riverbed. The findings indicated that riparian groundwater exploitation alters the natural groundwater flow field, while fine sand deposition and microbial adsorption can reduce river recharge to aquifers by diminishing riverbed hydraulic conductivity. Shallow sediments within 1 m depth mainly involve NO3− reduction and E. coli adsorption. Reductive dissolution of Mn dominates in the deeper sediments. Additionally, reductive dissolution of Fe and dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium (DNRA) drive high Fe2+ and NH4+ concentrations in groundwater. The findings can improve the management of riparian groundwater and aid in the optimization of a plan for its exploitation.

Numerical Modeling of Foam Carrying Sand Transport in Multifactor Horizontal Wells.

The solution of wellbore multiphase flow models has an important position in oil-gas field development. However, the solution of multiphase flow models often involves a series of complicated situations such as interphase mass and energy transfer, surface problems, and so on. Foam carrying sand particles in the wellbore is a solid, liquid, and gas three-phase cylinder flow problem. To solve this problem, we developed a computational fluid dynamics-discrete element method model based on the traditional N-S equations to track the streamline of the foam fluid and sand particles in the wellbore. On this basis, we investigated the influence of three factors, i.e., foam and sand properties and wellbore parameters, on the sand carrying rate of foam. The results show that whether the sand mound at the bottom of wells that can be dispersed is mainly affected by the properties of foam. The location of sand deposition in the wellbore and the effectiveness of foam in sand transportation are mainly influenced by the wellbore parameters and sand properties.

Hurricane Ian Damage Assessment Using Aerial Imagery and LiDAR: A Case Study of Estero Island, Florida

Remote sensing techniques have emerged as an essential tool for conducting damage assessments and are commonly used to improve disaster recovery planning and community resilience policies. The objective of this study was to use aerial imagery data and LiDAR to identify the hardest hit areas, quantify the extent of damages, and compare pre- and post-storm beach morphology conditions in Estero Island, Florida, relating to Hurricane Ian in 2022. This study identified >2400 structures that were impacted by Hurricane Ian, with 170 structures suffering extensive damage. Clustering of heavily damaged buildings was observed on the northern and central portions of the island, with lower levels of damage clustered on the southern part. Among the ‘severely damaged’ and ‘destroyed’ structures were seven mobile home subdivisions. The total assessed value of the heavily damaged structures was estimated at over USD 200 million. The results also indicated substantial post-storm debris and sand deposition across the entire island. Remote sensing provides advanced techniques that can help prioritize emergency response efforts after catastrophic impacts from a natural disaster.

Cordilleran Orogen Arc and Ophiolite-derived sands: Sources, petrology, geochemistry, and downstream evolution in Oregon and California

In a Mediterranean climate, sands in drainages of the composite Cordilleran Orogen in the Sierra Nevada, Klamath Mountains, Cascade Mountains and Coast Ranges of Southern Oregon and Northern California are derived from multiple orogenic source domains as varied as oceanic crust, continental crust and magmatic arc. Quantitative petrographic data shows the carbonate-poor sands commonly contain <25 % quartz; those with greater quartz abundance include admixed detritus from quartzose sedimentary rocks or quartz-rich Sierran alluvium. Geochemistry specifically identifies much of the detritus as mafic to intermediate composition with mg* values of 45 to 55, Th/Sc <0.3 and Cr/Th > 20 with Cr/V > 1, Rb/Ni < 1 and Y/Ni < 1. Within the Klamath area streams, in ultramafic-rich source areas, sands are >50 % ultramafic with mg* > 60. Significant quantities (5–45 %) of ultramafic + mafic grains with high abundances of MgO, Cr and Ni are present in downstream sands. In other cases, downstream, with mixing of various less mafic detritus, ultramafic grains are <5 %, mg* < 50, with some high Cr due to detrital chromite. To the south, sands from several major sources contribute to the Sacramento River. From Coast Ranges streams significant schist-rich siliceous and ophiolite sand are added to volcanic-rich, basalt-andesite (Cascades arc source) upstream Sacramento River sands. Feldspathic sand is contributed from uplifted dissected arc basement Sierra Nevada and Klamath Mountains streams. Along the river course, in a reactive landscape, there is variable mixing of sands from different sources due to river flow levels at normal and flood stages and by erosional reworking of river basin sand deposits.

Marinobacter albus sp. nov., Isolated from Sand Sediment in a Coastal Intertidal Zone.

A Gram-stain-negative bacterium with a rod-to-ovoid shape, named strain M216T, was isolated from sand sediment from the coastal intertidal zone of Huludao, Liaoning Province, China. Growth was observed at 8-40°C (optimal, 30°C), pH 5.5-9.5 (optimal, pH 6.5) and 0.5-14.0% (w/v) NaCl (optimal, 6%). Strain M216T possessed ubiquinone-9 as its sole respiratory quinone and phosphatidylethanolamine, diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, one unidentified aminophosphoglycolipid, one unidentified aminophospholipid, two unidentified phosphoglycolipids, three unidentified phospholipids and three unidentified glycolipids as the main polar lipids. C12:0, C16:0, C12:0 3-OH, C16:1 ω9c, C18:1 ω9c and summed features 3 (C16:1 ω7c and/or C16:1 ω6c) were the major fatty acids (>5%). The 16S rRNA gene sequence of strain M216T exhibited high similarity to those of 'Marinobacter arenosus' CAU 1620T and Marinobacter adhaerens HP15T (99.3% and 98.5%, respectively) and less than 98.5% similarity to those of the other type strains. The ANI and dDDH values between the strain M216T and 'Marinobacter arenosus' CAU 1620T were 87.4% and 33.3%, respectively; these values were the highest among the other type strains but lower than thespecies threshold. The G+C content of strain M216T was 58.3%. Genomic analysis revealed that strain M216T harbors the major CAZymes of GH13, GH23, GH73, and PL5, which are responsible for polysaccharide degradation and the potential ability to reduce nitrate to ammonia. Through phenotypic, genotypic, and chemotaxonomic analyses, we proposed the name Marinobacter albus sp. nov., a novel species in the genus Marinobacter, with its type strain M216T (=MCCC 1K08600T=KCTC 82894T).

Managing Extreme Climatic Variability: A Study of Rice Based Farming in Assam, India

Assam has been experiencing the adverse effects of climate change and its most common manifestation is the increasing frequency of extreme flood in the pre-monsoon, monsoon and post-monsoon seasons. Lakhimpur and Dhemaji are the two districts that have been subjected to severe flood every year and in recent years have been experiencing soil erosion, sand-silt deposition in rice growing areas. The present study was therefore attempted in these two districts to find out the impact of extreme events in agriculture and social activities of the farmers in flood affected areas and to find out their responses and coping mechanisms during extreme climate variability. The result of the study revealed that both men and women farmers have been experiencing changes in the weather patterns with longer duration of hotter days and shorter duration of cold days. They have been experiencing frequent drought and frequent flood accompanied by soil erosion, sand and silt deposition in their rice fields affecting their farming activities. The area and production of rice/pulses/oilseeds had decreased to a great extent due to sand-silt deposition. During extreme flood livestock and fish production also decreased due to diseases and decreasing swampy areas/ponds. Availability of food, fodder and fuel had been affected for which the time taken for collecting fodder and fuel has increased. The impact of extreme climate events resulted in increasing indebtedness, wage labour, migration of young men in search of employment and school dropout of children. In response to such extreme climate events farmers had learned to adapt themselves through diversified farming by branching out into livestock production, change in cropping pattern, increasing the area of rabi crops cultivation, adopting non-farm activities such as wage labour in neighbouring districts/states, shop keeping, fishing and selling dry fish etc. women have adopted non-farm activities such as weaving, fishing and selling local brew. The priority adaptation needs of these men and women farmers are stress tolerant varieties of rice in flood affected areas, stress tolerant crops in sand deposited areas, training on scientific crop and livestock production, poultry etc. Women need training on improved techniques of loom and designing so as to fetch good price of their products as well as livestock and poultry production.

A novel hybrid beachgrass is invading U.S. Pacific Northwest dunes with potential ecosystem consequences

AbstractInvasive plants formed via hybridization, especially those that modify the structure and function of their ecosystems, are of particular concern given the potential for hybrid vigor. In the U.S. Pacific Northwest, two invasive, dune‐building beachgrasses, Ammophila arenaria (European beachgrass) and A. breviligulata (American beachgrass), have hybridized and formed a new beachgrass taxa (Ammophila arenaria × A. breviligulata), but little is known about its distribution, spread, and ecological consequences. Here, we report on surveys of the hybrid beachgrass conducted across a 250‐km range from Moclips, Washington to Pacific City, Oregon, in 2021 and 2022. We detected nearly 300 hybrid individuals, or an average of 8–14 hybrid individuals per km of surveyed foredune. The hybrid was more common at sites within southern Washington and northern Oregon where A. breviligulata is abundant (75%–90% cover) and A. arenaria is sparse and patchy. The hybrid displayed morphological traits such as shoot density and height that typically exceeded its parent species suggesting hybrid vigor. We measured an average growth rate of 30% over one year, with individuals growing faster at the leading edge of the foredune, nearest to the beach. We also found a positive relationship between hybrid abundance and A. arenaria abundance, suggesting that A. arenaria density may be a controlling factor for hybridization rate. The hybrid showed similar sand deposition and associated plant species richness patterns compared with its parent species, although longer term studies are needed. Finally, we found hybrid individuals within and near conservation habitat of two Endangered Species Act‐listed, threatened bird species, the western snowy plover (Charadrius alexandrinus nivosus) and the streaked horned lark (Eremophila alpestris strigata), a concern for conservation management. Documenting this emerging hybrid beachgrass provides insights into how hybridization affects the spread of novel species and the consequences for communities in which they invade.

Analysis of Sediment Characteristics and Depositional Environment of Beach Sediment along the Pulmoddai Mineral Sand Deposit in Eastern Coast of Sri Lanka

Abstract Pulmoddai mineral sand deposit which extends about 800,000m2 is located in the Northeast coastal zone of Sri Lanka. It is the largest and well known heavy mineral sand deposit in Sri Lanka. High-quality Zirconium-bearing minerals like Rutile, Zircon, and Ilmenite are concentrated in this deposit. This study focuses to analyse the spatial distribution of the heavy minerals abundance and sedimentlogical characteristics of the deposit. Five miles (8 km) long stretch along the coast of this deposit was selected as the study area. Ten traverses representing two traverses within each mile are demarcated across the coastline and are running from inshore to backshore. Forty sand samples representing inshore, swash zone, berm, and backshore region were collected. These samples were analysed using a dry sieve and heavy liquid separation methods. According to statistical analysis, sediments in the Pulmoddai mineral sand deposit are mostly fine-grained, moderately to moderately well sorted. Also, these are negatively skewed to nearly symmetrical and mesokurtic in nature. According to the linear discrimination function, these sediments are shallow marine agitated depositions controlled by aeolian, fluvial and marine depositional environments under the high impact of turbidity currents. The average heavy mineral concentration at the inshore, swash zone, berm region, and backshore (dune) region is 5.95%, 10.87%, 12.82%, and 23.5% respectively. The concentration of the heavy minerals increases towards the backshore and also increases towards the southern part of the study area.

Geophysical and Sedimentological Characterization of Oil Sand Deposit in Part of Eastern Dahomey Basin Southwestern Nigeria

Unconventional oil is the group name given to unconventional petroleum deposits such as oil sands and heavy oils. Oil sand, commonly referred to as tar sand or bituminous sand is a sandstone formation impregnated with viscous bitumen. This study utilized the two-dimensional electrical resistivity imaging technique to characterize oil sand and validate its true resistivity value and sedimentological analysis to evaluate the physical properties of the oil sand deposit. The two-dimension electrical resistivity imaging data acquisition was done along seven profiles systematically in a grid format using dipole-dipole electrode configuration and processed using the RES2DINV software. Fresh samples were collected from three points within the study area for grain sizes and textural properties analysis. The result of the 2-D ERI in the study area showed two to three geoelectric layers and the oil sand being the second layer as evident in the 3-D model obtained from the systemic data acquisition procedure. The resistivity obtained for oil sand in the study area range between 2,500 Ωm to 105 Ωm which validates the report of high resistivity value of oil sand in the study area. The sedimentological analysis showed that the sediments in the study area are of medium sand moderately sorted sand grain and leptokurtic to mesokurtic sand suggesting unimodal and bimodal parent source.

Recovery of Total Heavy Minerals Using Judicious Combinations of Spiral Concentrators from a lean Grade Bramhagiri Beach Sand Deposit

Recovery of Total Heavy Minerals Using Judicious Combinations of Spiral Concentrators from a lean Grade Bramhagiri Beach Sand Deposit

Geochemical and microbiological variability of aerobic and anaerobic sediments along a bifurcated sulphate‐saturated brine spring in western Canada

AbstractA tufa mound developed at La Saline Lake, an oxbow of the Athabasca River in the Athabasca Oil Sands deposit of north‐east Alberta, is characterised by an unusual emplacement of a gypsum caprock. This two‐tiered architecture resulted from the bicarbonate‐saturated groundwater flow along Upper Devonian limestone being redirected deeper and encountering the halite–anhydrite dissolution trend within the underlying Middle Devonian Prairie Evaporite Formation, 175 to 200 m below. Migrations up‐section of sulphate‐saturated brine resulted in the gypsum caprock on the tufa mound and discharge of a sulphate‐saturated brine spring with total dissolved solids of ca 80,000 mg/L. The brine spring is bifurcated with flows to the south‐west and north‐west. Calcite–gypsum thrombolytic bottom sediments along the south‐western branch were covered by a halite deposit and subsequently a gypsum crust with a microbial community dominated by the cyanobacteria Coleofasciculus chthonoplastes. The thrombolite contact zone with the halite–gypsum encrustation has a more diversified community with the cyanobacteria Dactylococcopsis. Cyanobacterial mats that wrap around the bulbous gypsum crust protuberances distributed along the brine pool bottom surfaces have significant eukaryotic diversity, represented by the heterotrophic Ochrophyte Paraphysomonas. In contrast, sediments accumulated along the adjacent spring branch flow to the north‐west were thicker and clogged by abundant decomposed and fermented floral debris, unlike the deposit accumulated along the south‐western branch. This resulted in an oxygen‐depleted anaerobic environment dominated by sulphate‐reducing bacteria resulting in a calcite‐rich and sulphate‐starved anaerobic sediment with ca 20% elemental sulphur and emanation of H2S gas.

Effect of oceanographic fluctuations on geo-acoustic inversions and source localization using ships of opportunity

Several merchant ship-radiated noise events were recorded in two separate seabed characterization experiments in the New England Mudpatch region in 2017 (SBCEX17) and 2022 (SBCEX22). These shallow water acoustic experiments were conducted under different oceanographic conditions, resulting in fluctuations in sound propagation. Several statistical inference approaches are used to invert geo-acoustic parameters such as sound speed and density in a mud over sand sediment (See https://doi.org/10.1121/10.0008419). In this work, we explore the effect of sound speed profile fluctuations in the water column on geo-acoustic inversions in the 360–1100 Hz frequency band. Inversions based on measured and simulated data using acoustic models are provided to support our findings. The results demonstrate that sediment parameters become more sensitive to oceanographic variations as the frequency increases and, therefore, sound speed profile fluctuations in the water column need to be taken into close consideration for more accurate geo-acoustic inversions. [Work supported by ONR].

Practical 2DV Modeling of Deposition and Erosion of Sand and Mud in Dredged Channels due to Currents and Waves

Practical 2DV Modeling of Deposition and Erosion of Sand and Mud in Dredged Channels due to Currents and Waves

How does rapid burial work? New insights from experiments with echinoderms

AbstractThis research explores the significance of rapid burial in preserving fossils, with a particular focus on free‐living echinoderms. Experiments were based on ophiuroids to simulate burial under different turbiditic flows. The results showed that a bed thickness of around 10 cm is a limit for the preservation of whole skeletons in most cases. The type of sediment can affect the integrity of the buried skeletons, with sand deposition resulting in higher rates of autotomy. However, mud deposition did not show any numbing effect, as previously believed for echinoderms. In contrast, freshwater‐rich sediments can play a critical role, paralysing specimens and preventing escape postures through rapid changes in salinity. From this, the study highlights the importance of extrabasinal turbidites, generated outside the marine basin, in the fossilization of marine invertebrates. Such sediments are rich in fresh water and can be more efficient burial traps compared to other intrabasinal deposits generated by storm waves or submarine landslides.

Assessing regressive erosion effects: Unveiling riverside land use land cover changes post hydroelectric project construction

In Ecuador, the Coca Codo Sinclair Hydroelectric Project (CCSHP) provides 34 % of the country's energy demand. However, since its inauguration in 2016, regressive erosion in the Coca River has accelerated, causing the collapse of the San Rafael waterfall in 2020 and damage to oil and electricity infrastructure. This study aimed to assess the effects of regressive erosion along the Coca River through changes in land use and land cover (LULC) to identify the impact of CCSHP operations on migration, deposition, and river channel erosion during 2017–2021. The methodology includes: i) Creation of cloud-free mosaics with Sentinel-2 satellite imagery; ii) LULC classification LULC classification post-operation of the CCSHP (2017), before (2019) and after (2021) the San Rafael waterfall collapse, using the Random Forest algorithm; iii) Estimation of variations in the fluvial dynamics of the Coca River. The results showed that between 2017 and 2019, the extent of water bodies and bare soil increased by 258.58 ha (25 %) and 5195.45 ha (71 %), respectively. Meanwhile, between 2019 and 2021, the extent of sand deposits increased by 387.71 ha (42 %). These changes reflect an acceleration of regressive erosion since the construction and implementation of the CCSHP, information that can be used as an initial tool to analyze the impact of hydropower in the upper Amazon and strengthen environmental protection and risk management policies.

Geogas prospecting for igneous ore deposits covered by regolith: the Zijinshan high-sulfidation epithermal Cu–Au deposit in the Cathaysia Block

The mining industry faces a challenge due to the scarcity of outcrop or near-surface mineral deposits, necessitating the development of low-cost and efficient prospecting methods to explore through cover. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry has been applied to geological sample analysis, and scientists have gradually improved the method of geogas prospecting. As a result, geogas prospecting has shown promising results in detecting underlying concealed Au, U and Cu–Ni deposits covered by Gobi sand and Quaternary sediments. To verify the effectiveness of this method for exploring underlying concealed mineral deposits developed in igneous covered areas, the Zijinshan high-sulfidation epithermal Cu–Au deposit, a concealed mineral deposit in southeastern China, was selected as the experimental field. Our experiments revealed nanoscale particles composed of Au, Cu–Fe and Cu–other elements in the geogas captured above the ore bodies of the deposit. Furthermore, Cu–nanoscale particles retain the isotopic composition of copper found in both the oxidation zone and deep copper ores. The geogas samples exhibited similar C1-chondrite normalized REE distributions, with REE patterns indicating significant enrichment of LREE relative to HREE and similar (La)N/(Sm)N and (Gd)N/(Yb)N ratios. These characteristics are similar to those of the gold ores, copper ores, altered rock and bedrock near the ore bodies. These findings suggest that deep-penetration geochemical methods using geogas can be a valuable tool for uncovering underlying concealed mineral deposits in igneous covered areas.

Occurrence, distribution, and composition of black sand along the Red Sea, Egypt

Black sand along the Red Sea is often composed of volcanic minerals and heavy minerals. The Red Sea region is known for its unique geological features, and black sand beaches can be found in various areas along its shores. The study presents a comprehensive semi-quantitative chemical analysis of black sand samples collected from various locations along the red sea, revealing significant variations in their elemental compositions. The main oxides were identified in each sample, determined through X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analyses, indicate diverse mineralogical compositions. The spatial distribution of minerals at each site is depicted through mapping. Additionally, Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectra offer information on the functional groups present in the samples, revealing the existence of hydroxyl groups, aliphatic compounds, and adsorbed water molecules. For Qusier-Elsharm Alqbly, Safaga, Marsa Alam, Gabal Alrosass, Hurghada Titanic, Hurghada Elahiaa, Gemsa, and Ras Elbehar samples, the results highlight the presence of various minerals, such as Quartz, Calcite, Titanium Dioxide, Magnetite, Hematite, Aluminum Oxide, Zirconium Dioxide, Chromium (III) Oxide, and others, providing insights into the geological characteristics of each location. The differences in mineral content among the examined sites are linked to the geological and mineralogical makeup of the source rocks upstream and midstream in the basins that discharge into the surveyed regions. So, variations in black sand concentrations among different locations offer insights into the geological and mineralogical diversity of the studied areas along the Red Sea coast. This study addresses the existing knowledge gap by focusing on the preliminary exploration and description of the occurrence, distribution, and composition of black sand along the Red Sea in Egypt. whereas the results provide valuable insights into the geological diversity of black sand deposits in the surveyed areas, underscoring the need for additional research and interpretation of these variations. Therefore, the in-depth examination of mineralogical composition and crystal structures establishes a foundation for future investigations in the field of geology and earth sciences.

Time-averaged flow characterisations in a bimodal gravel-bed stream and relative role of sediment depositions on near-bed coherent flow structures

Abstract The present study aims to quantify experimentally the relative role of sediment depositions on near-bed flows and turbulence in a gravel-bed stream. Time-averaged velocity was measured over a sand-filled gravel-bed stream with four cases of sediment depositions and compared with those over a gravel-bed stream without sediment depositions. An acoustic Doppler velocimeter was used to measure the instantaneous velocity of flows. The progressive infilling of void spaces in the gravel-bed stream forms distinct bimodal depositions that alter the mean flows characterised by increasing zero-velocity levels and massive damping in the bed shear stresses. The data plots of turbulent intensity depict enhancement of streamwise turbulent intensity in the near-bed flow region with increasing sand depositions. Moreover, the opposite nature of streamwise and vertical turbulent kinetic energy fluxes in the interfacial sublayer leads to slowing down the time-average Reynolds shear stresses at the vicinity of the gravel-bed surface. At the vicinity of the crest, the ejection and sweep events contributed approximately 86 and 56%, respectively, to the total Reynolds shear stress production in the case of gravel bed under clear-water flow conditions. By contrast, the contributions of turbulent sweep events increased over the sand-filled gravel bed at the same location.

Land use and land cover mapping using Landsat-8 and Sentinel-2 data in Al Qunfudhah coast, western Saudi Arabia: A comparative study

Al Qunfudhah Governorate has assumed a tourist status in the strip of Saudi coastal cities on the Red Sea coast. Agriculture, food industries, and engineering industries are among the most important economic activities in the city. As a result, Land use and land cover (LULC) detection is essential for several reasons: urban planning, sustainability, resource management and environmental preservation. This research aims to identify the LULC of the Al Qunfudhah area in western Saudi Arabia by comparing Landsat-8 and Sentinel-2 data outputs and evaluating their accuracy results. Various methods are used to process satellite image data to enhance the contrast between surface features. Some of these techniques are true colour composite (TCC) images, enhanced true colour composite (ETCC) images, false colour composite (FCC) images, principal component analysis (PCA), band ratios and Maximum Likelihood Algorithm (MLA) Supervised Classification. By utilising band combination methods, PCA methods, and band ratio methods, we were able to map a variety of features, including vegetation cover, mangroves, Sabkha and non-Sabkha deposits, wadi basins, shallow and deep shelf areas, islands, sand and mud sediments, rocky reefs and urban areas. As part of the study, ArcGIS 10.8's supervised classification tool was employed to categorise the study region's features and calculate the percentage of each class. In both Landat-8 and Sentinel-2 classification images, the same classes were identified (i.e. sand and mud sediments, sabkhas, wadi basins, aeolian sand and loess sediments, islands, urban areas, vegetation, and mangroves). The accuracy of the classification results was determined using a reliable statistical approach. The accuracy assessments of Landsat-8 and Sentinel-2 revealed accuracy rates of 87% and 89.1% respectively, along with kappa coefficients of 84.9% and 87.3%. For the investigated area, the Landsat-8 and Sentinel-2 satellites were effective in producing LULC maps.

Provenance of the Copi North heavy mineral sands deposit, Murray Basin, Australia, based on the geochronology and geochemistry of detrital zircon, rutile and monazite

The Murray Basin hosts one of the world’s largest strandplain systems and has enormous potential for heavy mineral sand resources of titanium, zircon and rare earth elements. Further discovery of heavy mineral sand deposits can be aided via improved understanding of the source and transport of detrital heavy minerals of the basin. In this study, the provenance of two heavy mineral sand units of the Copi North deposit (western NSW) was determined using U–Pb geochronology and geochemistry of detrital zircon, rutile and monazite. Results from the two units are similar, indicating they derive from the same sources. Approximately 42% of the zircon population is aged <470 Ma and is interpreted to have been derived from the Tasmanides. Older zircon populations, up to ca 2.5 Ga, were largely derived from the Adelaide Superbasin and Delamerian Orogen, or from metasedimentary rocks of the Lachlan Orogen. Over 90% of rutile U–Pb ages are between 570 and 450 Ma, correlating either to Delamerian metamorphism or to detrital rutile from the Darling Basin; both sources are supported by rutile geochemistry that is indicative of a metasedimentary source. Most monazites have U–Pb ages of ca 600 Ma, which is consistent with an ultimate source from the Mt Arrowsmith Volcanics and/or Antarctica. A minor proportion of the monazite was sourced from igneous rocks of the New England Orogen. Temporal changes in sediment source regions can be inferred when considering the detrital mineral record for Copi North with other mineral sand deposits of the basin. Older (>ca 6.7 Ma) deposits such as Copi North feature a significant proportion of post-350 Ma detritus, reflecting the important role of the ancestral Darling River in supplying sediment from the north at the earliest stages of Murray Basin development. Post-6.7 Ma deposits lack a major component of detritus for far northern sources, and instead consist of sediment derived dominantly from western (Adelaide Superbasin) and eastern (Lachlan Orogen) sources, the latter delivered via the Murray River.