Study of Clay Minerals of the Sediments of the Jayanti Estuary, Shariatpur-Barisal, Bangladesh

Author(s) Name:

Sudip Saha, Syed Samsuddin Ahmed, Munir Hossain & Mrinal Kanti Roy

Abstract:

The present X-ray diffraction analysis deciphers that the clay sized minerals of the Jayanti estuary are comprised principally of illite in combination with varying amounts of kaolinite, chlorite, quartz and feldspar. The amount of illite is highest in the headward part and lowest in the mouth of the Jayanti estuary. The positive correlation of feldspar with quartz reveals that they originated from the same source. A huge amount of clay size minerals is transported in suspension to the Bay of Bengal by the ebb tide, whereas floodtide owes its suspended load from offshore marine environment. As the velocity of the incoming floodtide is decreased, the clay size minerals deposited in the basin. The clay mineral assemblages suggest their origin from Precambrian metamorphic rocks, acid igneous rocks and sandstones and shales of Paleozoic to Cenozoic age. Minor to trace amounts of calcite and dolomite are indicative of mechanical weathering of limestone in the source area.

 Keywords:

X-ray Diffraction, Jayanti Estuary, Illite, Kaolinite, Chlorite and Mechanical Weathering.

Please cite this article as:

Sudip Saha, Syed Samsuddin Ahmed, Munir Hossain & Mrinal Kanti Roy (2020). Study of Clay Minerals of the Sediments of the Jayanti Estuary, Shariatpur-Barisal, Bangladesh. International Journal of Recent Research and Applied Studies, 7, 4(2), 6-14.