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Tracking Mineralogical Changes in Stream Sediment Composition in the Vicinity of Willis Mountain
Dronfield, Stephen
Dronfield, Stephen
Abstract
The Willis Mountain area features a rare deposit of kyanite quartzite. The unique nature of the sediment provided an opportunity to examine the persistence of kyanite in stream sediment. Additionally, an analysis of local stream sands determined how stream sediment is affected by the introduction of new sediment sources downstream. Three local streams were selected for study. Samples were collected and point-counted. Kyanite was prevalent in the two smaller streams and found in trace amounts in the larger stream. However, kyanite was not very persistent in any stream. A combination of dilution by new sediment sources and weathering of the larger kyanite grains caused the mineral to disappear from every stream around two kilometers from the source. The introduction of new sediment sources was immediately visible in the stream sand. Further research should focus on investigating differing grain-sizes to reveal new characteristics of the stream sediment.
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2012-01-01
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Geology