Mineralogical study of Kemaman coastal sediment

Abstract

The study was conducted to determine the mineral contents and also the textural classes of the Kemaman coastal sediments (from Dungun River to Kemaman River). The sediments were collected from 12 stations by using Smith Mc Intyre grab. The sediments were analyzed using three methods: (i) X-Ray Diffractometer (XRD), for silt and clay fractions, (ii) Quantitative Mineral Estimation (QME), for heavy mineral analysis, and (iii) Textural class analysis using Hydrometer method. The result of XRD analysis showed that quartz is the dominant mineral in most of the stations, while other minerals such as feldspar, illite, kaolinite, montmorillonite, chlorite and vermiculite were found in trace amounts. The QME analysis also showed that quartz is the dominant mineral in every station. The other 10 minerals obtained which are listed in a decreasing abundance are: andalusite, ilmenite, iron oxide, siderite, tourmaline, hydroilmenite, magnetite, rutile and zircon. According to the result of textural class analysis, there were two classes of sediment that were identified: (i) sand, and (ii) sandy loam. The group of sand texture are mostly found at nearshore area (Stations 2, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10 and 11 ), while sandy loam texture are found at offshore area (Stations I, 3, 4, 8 and 12).