Recent sediments from the East Bay, Galveston, Texas.

Date

1957

Authors

Weintritt, D.J.
Fan, P.H.

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

Abstract

Twenty-one samples of recent sediments taken from a traverse made around East Bay, near Galveston, Texas were subjected to mechanical, differential thermal and base exchange analysis. Special x-ray techniques were employed on the clay fraction by treatment with ethylene glycol and by subjecting them to elevated temperatures up to 550 degrees C. The distribution of clay minerals by weight was most heavily concentrated in the natural sedimentary trap north of Hanna Reef and along the northern side of East Bay. Thi suggests that, geologically, the Bay is retaining, hence gaining sediments, more from the north side than on the side facing Bolivar Peninsula (southern shore of East Bay). As regards diagenesis, illite, a typical marine-formed clay, was found in all 21 samples. Though quite variable in quantity, the relative proportion of clay minerals in each sample was quite uniform, as may be expected in a relatively small lagoon area mot directly fed by an important continental stream. Whether the illite is being formed in situ or being derived from the local Tertiary and Quarternary sediments cannot be established without additional sampling of provenance areas.

Description

p. 99-117.

Keywords

sediments, geology, sedimentation, clays, illite, minerals, mineral composition

Citation