Effect of dry-wet cycles on material composition of badlands

Mavinakere E. Raghunandan, Shahid Azam

In the proceedings of: GeoManitoba 2012: 65th Canadian Geotechnical Conference

Session: T1A - Soil Mechanics II

ABSTRACT: Geology and climate govern the evolution of badland sediments at Avonlea, Saskatchewan. Given the recent infrastructure development in the area, there is a need to understand the variation in material composition due to alternating dry-wet cycles. The main objective of this paper was to study the effect of drying and wetting on composition of three typical surface sediments: sandstone, mudrock, and pediment. Based on the laboratory testing, results indicate increase in fines from 17% to 34% in sandstone, 4% to 98% in mudrock, and 21% to 42% in pediment. Mineralogical analysis showed dominance of non-clay minerals including quartz (60 to 75%), feldspar (15 to 20%), and calcite (3 to 6%), whereas smectite, illite, kaolinite and chlorite were the clay minerals. Decrease in amount of illite in sandstone and pediment indicate illite being eroded within the layers as result of washing.

RÉSUMÉ: Géologie et climat régissent l'évolution des sédiments badlands à Avonlea, en Saskatchewan. Étant donné le développement des infrastructures récente dans la région, il est nécessaire de comprendre les variations dans la composition des matériaux due à alternance sec-humide cycles. L'objectif principal de cette étude était d'étudier l'effet de séchage et de mouillage sur la composition de trois sédiments de surface typiques: grès, mudrock, et fronton. Basé sur les tests de laboratoire, les résultats indiquent augmentation des amendes de 17% à 34% en grès, 4% à 98% en mudrock, et 21% à 42% en fronton. L'analyse minéralogique a montré la domination des non-minéraux argileux, y compris le quartz (60 à 75%), le feldspath (15 à 20%), et de la calcite (3 à 6%), tandis que la smectite, l'illite, la kaolinite et de chlorite étaient des minéraux argileux. Diminution de la quantité de l'illite dans les grès et le fronton indique l'illite s'érode dans les couches à la suite de lavage.

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