Analysis of the surface microtextures and morphologies of beach quartz grains in Japan and implications for provenance research

Abstract

The mineral quartz is highly resistant to weathering, and various surface microtextures are formed and preserved on quartz grains. These microtextures are considered to reflect the sedimentary history of quartz: parent rock, transportation process, and depositional environment. Thus, quartz grain surface textures have been widely studied for applications in provenance research. This study focuses on beach sediments in Japan that contain various quartz morphologies resulting from the region's complex geological and geomorphological settings. The goal of the study was to verify the morphological diversity of these quartz grains and reveal the relationship between the quartz morphological features and the sampling site in tectonically active regions. We collected beach sands from backshores in Japan and observed the 15 microtextures of the quartz surfaces using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The shapes of the quartz grains were also evaluated in terms of roundness parameters based on SEM images. Finally, the particle size distribution and mineral composition of the samples were investigated. The results indicate that quartz roundness can accurately reflect the quartz grain shape and shows a good correlation with the outline observed by SEM. Mechanical features were more frequently observed on the surface of quartz than chemical features. Results show that the coastal areas were under high-energy beach. The coastal sand quartz grains are mainly characterized by (i) v-shaped percussion cracks produced by grain-to-grain collisions in the subaqueous environment and (ii) small holes derived from small inclusion remnants. The v-shaped percussion cracks are related to the sediment source (e.g., a fluvial or marine source), and the holes on the surface are related to the geologic source of the quartz grains. The grain size and mineral composition results support the results of the surface analysis and provide clues regarding sediment provenance. Quartz surface analysis has the potential to show the morphological variation of the coastal sand and provide useful information on the transportation process and parent rock even in areas with complex geological and geomorphological settings such as Japan. The relation between the quartz morphological features and sampling site was based on previous study; however, to develop the analysis, the relation between unweathered quartz shape and parent rock must be clear.

Distinguishing depositional environments in the beach–dune system of Chandipur, India, based on sediment texture and quartz grain surface features

“…The V-shaped percussion marks identified on quartz were most likely formed by considerable subaqueous transport and subsequent movement due to wave and tidal currents. Similar types of tiny percussion mark are observed in some European, American and Japanese coastal sands, which are generated by fluvial processes with limited recycling of grains under prevailing marine subaqueous environments (Costa et al, 2012;Itamiya et al, 2019;Machado et al, 2016). Flat cleavage surfaces are thought to be a product of intra-granular collisions in higher hydrodynamic energy.…”

“…However, identifying the grain size distribution analysis involves homogeneity of the sediment sample, which may obscure the depositional events (Machado et al, 2016). Studying grain shape and surface microtexture using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) can provide a plethora of information on the interacting sedimentary processes in these settings (Itamiya et al, 2019; Krinsley & Doornkamp, 1973; J. Li et al, 2021; Madhavaraju et al, 2006; Mahaney, 2002; Mejía‐Ledezma et al, 2020; Vos et al, 2014; Williams & Morgan, 1988). Quartz is a natural rock‐forming mineral, and due to its resistance to weathering, surface patterns on it can be used for assessing physical and chemical processes in coastal environments (Costa et al, 2012, 2013; Hossain et al, 2020; Kalińska‐Nartiša et al, 2017, 2018; Krinsley & Doornkamp, 1973; Machado et al, 2016; Mahaney et al, 2001, 2002).…”

“…However, identifying the grain size distribution analysis involves homogeneity of the sediment sample, which may obscure the depositional events (Machado et al, 2016). Studying grain shape and surface microtexture using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) can provide a plethora of information on the interacting sedimentary processes in these settings (Itamiya et al, 2019;Krinsley & Doornkamp, 1973;J. Li et al, 2021;Madhavaraju et al, 2006;Mahaney, 2002;Mejía-Ledezma et al, 2020;Vos et al, 2014;Williams & Morgan, 1988).…”

A holistic approach towards characterizing the El-Oued siliceous sand (eastern Algeria) for potential industrial applications

“…High roundness values (> 0.61) for the El-Oued sand grains may be attributed to a long transportation path (Madhavaraju et al 2009;Itamiya et al 2019). However, the sub-angular outline suggests that the sand grains were deposited near their source region.…”

Microtexture and U–Pb geochronology of detrital zircon grains in the Chachalacas beach, Veracruz State, Gulf of Mexico

“…Recently, many authors combined the microtextures on quartz grains with textural parameters to investigate the provenance, medium, and distance of transport (Itamiya, Sugita, & Sugai, 2019;Kali nska-Nartiša, Stivrins, & Grudzinska, 2018;Song et al, 2019). However, surface features, especially on zircon grains were less investigated, which is probably due to their small size and inconvenience in separating zircon grain from sediments and rocks.…”