Annales de la Société géologique de Belgique Annales de la Société géologique de Belgique -  Volume 92 (1969)  Fascicule 2 

Aspects de surface de sables quartzeux au microscope électronique à balayage

Jacques Soyer, 
Laboratoire de Géomorphologie, Université de Louvain, 6, St.-Michielstraat, Louvain, Belgique.

Abstract

The surface texture of quartz splinters and natural sand grains was compared under a scanning electron microscope. The sand grains belong to the rounded-shiny and frosted types of Cailleux’ classification, and were obtained from the intensively rubefied sand-fill of a sink-hole in the Dinant region, Belgium.

Untreated grains are generally covered by an iron oxide crust made out of sub-spherical concretions and/or a uniform film concealing the surface of the grains.

Treatment with HCl reveals varied surface textures, especially shattered or shiny surfaces comparable with that of quartz splinters. Under high magnification the natural sand grains show a very general polygonal pitting which must be ascribed to some form of tropical pedogenetic corrosion.

To cite this article

Jacques Soyer, «Aspects de surface de sables quartzeux au microscope électronique à balayage», Annales de la Société géologique de Belgique [En ligne], Volume 92 (1969), Fascicule 2, 215-227 URL : https://popups.uliege.be/0037-9395/index.php?id=6748.