Petrogenesis of sediments in the absence of chemical weathering: Effects of abrasion and sorting on bulk composition and mineralogy

Comminution in the glaciers that debouch into Guys Eight Basin, followed by selective sorting in the fluvial system, has had little effect on the bulk composition, or on the mineralogy, of the basin sands and muds. Most striking are the feldspar contents, and the feldspar-quartz ratios in sands and muds, both of which remain similar to those of average bedrock. The feldspar contents of sands and muds range from 48 to 52% feldspar whereas average bedrock contains 51.7% feldspar. Feldspar-quartz ratios average 1.58:1 in bedrock and 1.54:1, 1.66:1 and 1.69:1 in the medium to coarse sands, fine sands and muds, respectively, indicating minimal feldspar enrichment in the fine-grained sediments. In the absence of appreciable chemical weathering, extreme abrasion followed by hydraulic sorting has not produced mature sediments such as quartz arenites and clay-mineral-rich muds. There is, however, some chemical differentiation. Preferential accumulation of mafic minerals in fine sands and muds is reflected in bulk compositions by higher abundances of MgO, FeO and TiO2, and in the mineralogy by enrichment of biotite in the fine grades. Bulk compositional studies focused solely on muds and mudstones will result in an overestimate of the mafic contribution from source rocks. This work shows that bulk compositional studies of sediments and sedimentary rocks should include all available granulometric grades.