Depositional processes : their influence on the mineralogy of the Hatteras Abyssal Plain sediments / by Mark W. Ayers.
| Author/creator |
Ayers, Mark W. author. |
| Other author/creator | Tien, Pei-lin, degree supervisor. |
| Other author/creator | East Carolina University. Department of Geology. |
| Format | Theses and dissertations and Archival & Manuscript Material |
| Production Info | 1979. |
| Description | vi, 126 leaves : illustrations, maps ; 28 cm |
| Supplemental Content | Access via ScholarShip |
| Subject(s) |
Click here for more information about this title
| Summary | The Hatteras Abyssal Plain, a major deep-sea basin, is located approximately 500 to 1000 km off the coast of the southeastern United States. Using X-ray diffraction techniques, twenty-six surface samples and seventy-one subsurface samples have been analyzed to determine the mineral content of the clay fraction ( < 2u ) and of the whole sample. The clay mineral assemblage in the < 2u fractions consists of smectite, illite, kaolinite, and chlorite. Illite is always the most abundant mineral, averaging 75%; (by weight) ; smectite averages 10%; chlorite averages 8%; and kaolinite averages 7%. The non-clay minerals, quarts and calcite, are also present in the < 2u fraction of the samples. Mineral composition of the whole sample (as determined by X-ray diffraction of unoriented backpacked powder slides) consists of quartz, chlorite, muscovite, feldspar, calcite, dolomite, and aragonite. Clay mineral suites of the hemipelagic and turbiditic sediment on the plain are identical. To explain the homogeneity of clay mineral assemblages, a model for the behavior of fine sediments in turbidity currents has been hypothesized. In the model, clay sized sediment is constantly being lost from the current and replaced by fine bottom sediment that is commonly incorporated through erosion. In this study, the greater abundance of silt sized VI dolomite in the turbidites served as a tool for distinguishing fine-grained distal turbidites from hemipelagic sequences. |
| Local note | Joyner-"Presented to the faculty of the Department of Geology ... in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Master of Science in Geology." |
| Local note | Joyner-"Presented to the faculty of the Department of Geology ... in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Master of Science in Geology." |
| Local note | Joyner-"Presented to the faculty of the Department of Geology ... in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Master of Science in Geology." |
| General note | Presented to the Faculty of the Department of Geology |
| General note | Advisor: Pei-lin Tien |
| Dissertation note | M.S. East Carolina University |
| Bibliography note | Includes bibliographical references (leaves 122-126). |
| Genre/form | Academic theses. |
| Genre/form | Academic theses. |
| Genre/form | Thèses et écrits académiques. |
Available Items
| Library | Location | Call Number | Status | Item Actions | |
| University Archives | ASK AT SPECIAL COLLECTIONS DESK | ✔ Available | Request Material | ||
| Electronic Resources | Access Content Online | ✔ Available |