Mineralogy of the Qarain Clay Deposits, Saudi Arabia PDF

Keywords

Saudi Arabia, clay, deposits

Abstract

The Qarain Clay deposits occur in the Qarain area, about 230 km W of Riyadh. The clay deposits lie within the Marrat Formation (Lower Jurassic). Mineralogical and chemical studies of the deposits establish the dominance of kaolinite with a lesser amount of illite in the clay fraction. The non-clay silicate mineral is quartz. The red color of the deposits is due to hematite which has been identified rom X-ray diffractograms. It is suggested that partial laterization of the source rocks, mainly acid igneous rocks of the Arabian shield, is the process through which the clay minerals in the Qarain area were formed. Partial laterization of the source rocks probably operated under humid tropical conditions. The weathered products were transported to the present area and deposited in a shallow and near shore environment in the Toarcian sea