Sediment deposition from flocculated suspensions

Suspended sediment in coastal environments with high inorganic content have characteristic broad size distributions and are composed of both single grains and flocculated aggregates. These flocculated suspensions have stable size distributions the modal size of which is dependent on the modal size of the deflocculated single grain distributions. Comparison between theoretical settling speeds of quartz grains and the settling speed of particles in natural suspensions indicates that most grains smaller than the deflocculated single grain mode settle as part of flocs, whereas the particles larger than the mode settle as single grains. As a result the size distribution curves of sediment populations which settle out during consecutive intervals are composed of a modal peak of larger grains and a low flat portion of smaller grains and resemble the asymmetrical non-normal curves common for muddy sediments.     

Particulate matter grain-size characteristics and flocculation in a partially mixed estuary

The concentration and grain size of the natural and deflocculated inorganic suspended particulate matter were measured along the length of the Miramichi Estuary and interpreted with respect to flocculation and transport properties. Changes in particulate matter concentration are associated with regular changes in grain-size characteristics. In the turbidity maximum region of the estuary the suspended matter occurs mostly as large flocculated particles whereas, in the waters with lower particle concentrations, a larger proportion of the material occurs as fine material. At higher concentrations natural floc modes and inorganic grain modes vary simultaneously but at low concentrations the two modes vary inversely. This modal relationship and the variation in organic matter within the estuary is proposed to result from variation in inorganic—organic composition of flocs. Increase in settling rates due to flocculation is believed to increase the trapping effect of the estuarine circulation that produces the turbidity maximum.     

A Study of Phase Equilibria in a Metamorphic Iron Formation

The paper is based on a study of minerl assemblages in metamorphiciron formations in northere Quebec. Thirty-four mineral analyseshave been performed, using photometric methods of silicate analysis. Three facies of iron formation are represented, namely, quartz-speculariteiron formation, quartz-magnetite iron formation, and quartz-silicateiron formation. The silicate iron formation is made up mainlyof quartz, ferrohypersthene, ferroaugite, cummingtonite, andcalcite. Arfvedsonite and aegirine-hedenbergite occur in magnetite-richrocks. The analysed coexisting minerals are from the silicate ironformation and from overlying mafic rocks of igneous origin.The analysed assemblages include ferrohypersthene-ferro-augite-cummingtonite,ferrohypersthen-ferroaugite, cummingtonite-ferroaugite, diopside-hornblende,anthophyllite-hornblende, hypersthene-diopside-hornblende-garnet,and olivine-hypersthene-chlorite. The analyses show that (1) the minerals are nearly in equilibriumas shown by parallel tie lines, (2) cummingtonite generallyhas a higher MgO/FeO ratio than coexisting ferrohypersthene,(3) the phase higher in calcium has the higher MgO/FeO ratio,(4) the solubility gap between ferrohypersthene and ferroaugiteis 43 mole percent. The stability relationships of pyroxenes and amphiboles arediscussed in view of the new data. It is shown that FeO-CaO-SiO₂systems often behave differently from MgO-CaO-SiO₂ systems.Hedenbergite is probably not stable in the presence of excessCO₂ in the area. The low variance ferrohypersthene-ferroaugite-cummingtonite-calcite-quartzassemblage indicates that the rocks were closed to H₂O and CO₂.The behaviour of the volatile components is discussed in viewof this fact. The source of the silicate minerals is assumed to be hydrousiron silicates and carbonates. A model of the sequence of chemicalreactions taking place in carbonate-silicate iron formationsduring metamorphism is suggested. ¹Present address: Bolidens Gruvaktiebolag, Boliden, Sweden.