| Abstract: | Two groups of fresh crushed Brazilian quartz grains (0.4–0.6 mm) were placed in 10 ml of various saturated salt solutions (sodium sulphate, sodium chloride, magnesium sulphate, sodium carbonate, and sodium carbonate and soil). One group was placed in an environmental cabinet programmed to simulate summer diurnal temperature and relative humidity values recorded in Wheeler Valley, a dry valley in southern Victoria Land, Antarctica. The other group was allowed to remain at normal laboratory conditions. Quartz grains from both groups were removed at pre-selected intervals for examination using the scanning electron microscope. After 50 hours chemical surface textures were formed on the quartz grains in all but the sodium sulphate solution. At the 140 hour interval all the salt solutions used were producing chemical surface textures on the quartz grains. This paper demonstrates that chemical surface textures can be produced on quartz grain surfaces by saturated salt solutions in a short period of time and may prove to be representative of chemical surface textures produced in a saturated saline environment. |
