Geochemistry of sands from the Huatabampo and Altata beaches, Gulf of California, Mexico

Abstract

Grain size, heavy minerals, mineralogical, and geochemical analyses were undertaken on the sand samples from Huatabampo (HB) and Altata (AA) beaches to infer palaeoweathering conditions and source rock characteristics. The mean grain size of HB and AA sands is fine-grained and fine-to medium-grained, respectively.Magnetite and hypersthene are the common heavy minerals identified in HB sands, whereas magnetite and ilmenite are the dominant heavy minerals in AA sands. HB sands have a high proportion of quartz and plagioclase followed by K-feldspar and zeolite. Quartz is the dominant mineral in the AA sands, followed by plagioclase and K-feldspar. Geochemically, the sand samples from HB are classified as wacke, whereas AA sands are classified as wacke and arkose. In chondrite-normalised REE plot, HB and AA sands show LREE enriched and HREE depleted pattern with negative Eu anomaly. Chemical index of alteration (CIA), plagioclase index of alteration (PIA) values and Th/U ratios of HB and AA sands suggest a low intensity of chemical weathering in the source area. The tectonic discriminant function diagram suggestsan arc setting for HB sands, whereas a rift setting for AA sands. The chondrite-normalised REE patterns, Eu anomaly, Al 2 O 3 / TiO 2 ratio, trace elemental ratios, discriminant function, and ternary diagrams suggest that the HB and AA sands were dominantly derived from felsic source rocks.The comparison of REE patterns of HB and AA sands with the source rocks exposed near to the study area suggest that the central granites of Laramide plutonic rocks exposed in Sonora were contributing sediments to the HB beach, whereas AA sands received sediments mainly from the felsic Francisco gneiss in the western Sonobari Complex of Sinaloa.

Petrography and geochemistry of Late Cretaceous clastic rocks in the northern Songliao Basin, north‐eastern China: Implications for provenance and weathering

“…Cullers et al (1997) documented that felsic igneous rocks have a high LREE/HREE ratio with negative Eu anomaly (Eu/Eu* = < 1), while mafic igneous rocks show lower LREE/HREE ratio with little or no negative Eu anomaly. These samples show similar REE patterns, suggesting derivation from a uniform source region (e.g., Cullers, 2000; Hernández‐Hinojosa et al, 2018; Kettanah et al, 2021; Madhavaraju et al, 2021; McLennan, 2001). Obvious negative Eu anomaly and relatively flat HREE pattern in sandstones and mudstones indicate felsic volcanic rocks as their sources (Figure 5c).…”

“…anomaly. These samples show similar REE patterns, suggesting derivation from a uniform source region (e.g., Cullers, 2000;Hernández-Hinojosa et al, 2018;Kettanah et al, 2021;Madhavaraju et al, 2021;McLennan, 2001). Obvious negative Eu anomaly and relatively flat HREE pattern in sandstones and mudstones indicate felsic volcanic rocks as their sources (Figure 5c).…”

Depositional environment of the late Paleocene-early Eocene Sinjar Formation, Iraq: Implications from facies analysis, mineralogical and geochemical proxies

“…Since trace elements remain mostly stable throughout weathering processes, they may be helpful in determining the depositional environments (see, for example, [ 45 , [61] , [62] , [63] , [64] , [65] , [66] , [67] , [68] ]). The relative concentration of certain major and trace elements can also be used to determine paleoclimatic conditions [ 64 , 69 ].…”

Provenance of sediments from Barra del Tordo and Tesoro beaches, Tamaulipas State, northwestern Gulf of Mexico

“…Furthermore, the relative chondrite-normalized REE pattern and the Eu anomaly have also been used to infer the source of clastic sediments (e.g. Cullers 2000;Hernández-Hinojosa et al 2018;Kettanah et al 2021;Madhavaraju et al 2021). The REE patterns of the Tordo and Tesoro beach sediments are both with a significantly negative Eu anomaly, indicating felsic igneous rocks as their sources (Fig.…”