A quartz arenite or quartzarenite is a sandstone composed of greater than 90% detrital quartz. Quartz arenites are the most mature sedimentary rocks possible, and are often referred to as ultra- or super-mature, and are usually cemented by silica. They often exhibit both textural and compositional maturity. The two primary sedimentary depositional environments that produce quartz arenites are beaches/upper shoreface and aeolian processes.
See also
- Arkose – Type of sandstone containing at least 25% feldspar
- Lithic sandstone – Sandstone with fragments of other rocks
References
- Blatt, Harvey and Robert J. Tracy, Petrology: Igneous, Sedimentary, and Metamorphic, Freeman 2nd ed., 1996, p. 518 ISBN 0-7167-2438-3
- Prothero, D. R. and Schwab, F., 1996, Sedimentary Geology, pg. 96-98, ISBN 0-7167-2726-9
Further reading
- Cook, Jennie E.; Goodwin, Laurel B.; Boutt, David F. (June 2011). "Systematic diagenetic changes in the grain-scale morphology and permeability of a quartz-cemented quartz arenite". AAPG Bulletin. 95 (6): 1067–1088. Bibcode:2011BAAPG..95.1067C. doi:10.1306/11151010009.
- Smith, P.S.; Browne, S.V.; Heinz, T.J.; Wise, W.V. (6 October 1996). "Drilling Fluid Design to Prevent Formation Damage in High Permeability Quartz Arenite Sandstones". All Days: SPE–36430–MS. doi:10.2118/36430-MS.
- Makowitz, A.; Sibley, D. (1 September 2001). "Crystal Growth Mechanisms of Quartz Overgrowths in a Cambrian Quartz Arenite". Journal of Sedimentary Research. 71 (5): 809–816. Bibcode:2001JSedR..71..809M. doi:10.1306/2DC4096A-0E47-11D7-8643000102C1865D.
- Soegaard, Kristian; Eriksson, Kenneth A. (April 1989). "Origin of thick, first-cycle quartz arenite successions: Evidence from the 1.7 Ga Ortega Group, northern New Mexico". Precambrian Research. 43 (1–2): 129–141. Bibcode:1989PreR...43..129S. doi:10.1016/0301-9268(89)90008-9.
- Onasch, Charles M (January 1990). "Microfractures and their role in deformation of a quartz arenite from the central Appalachian foreland". Journal of Structural Geology. 12 (7): 883–894. Bibcode:1990JSG....12..883O. doi:10.1016/0191-8141(90)90061-3.
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