Weathering and Relative Durability of Detrital Minerals in Equatorial Climate: Sand Petrology and Geochemistry in the East African Rift

摘要: AbstractThis article investigates how, where, and to what extent the mineralogical chemical composition of sand-sized sediments is modified by extreme weathering in modern equatorial settings, with ultimate goal learning read climate from sedimentary record. To single out effect, we studied compositional trends fluvial sands along western branch East African Rift between 5°S 5°N. The relative durability different detrital components, as well potential hydraulic-sorting grain-size effects, were assessed comparing samples similar provenances climatic environmental conditions or size classes within same sample. Sands central Africa at headwaters Congo Nile basins display full spectrum petrologic suites characterizing rift-shoulder volcanic rift provenances. Unlike arid Arabia, quartzose are not restricted areas where detritus recycled prerift s...