H. M. Zakir HOSSAIN^1*, Mostafa TAREK¹, John S. ARMSTRONG-ALTRIN², Md. Minhaj Uddin MONIR¹, Mohammad Tofayal AHMED¹, Syed Istiyak AHMED¹ & Claudia Janete HERNANDEZ-CORONADO^2
1Department of Petroleum and Mining Engineering, Jessore University of Science and Technology, Jessore-7408, Bangladesh, *e-mail: zakirgsd@yahoo.com
²Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Unidad de Procesos Oceánicos y Costeros, Instituto de Ciencias del Mar y Limnología, Circuito Exterior s/n, 04510, México DF., México, e-mail: john_arms@yahoo.com

MICROTEXTURES OF DETRITAL SAND GRAINS FROM THE COX’S BAZAR BEACH, BANGLADESH: IMPLICATIONS FOR PROVENANCE AND DEPOSITIONAL ENVIRONMENT

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Surface features on detrital sand grains were studied by a scanning electron microscope (SEM) to infer the provenance, depositional environment and paleoclimate. Twelve sand samples were collected from Laboni, Sugandha and Himchori points along the Cox’s Bazar beach, Bangladesh. Twenty six microtextures were identified and classified as mechanical (16 features), mechanical/chemical (5 features) and chemical (5 features) origins. The microtextural features of sand grains were characterized by straight scratches, v-shaped patterns (Vs), smooth surfaces with sub-angular to sub-rounded outlines. Conchoidal fractures, Vs and sub-angular to sub-rounded grains indicate mechanical origin. The sub-rounded to rounded grains suggesting long-distance transportation under fluvial environment (e.g. Himalaya). The abundance of sand grains with angular to sub-angular outlines revealed a short transportation and derived from the nearby Chittagong-Tripura folded belt and/or Indo-Burman Ranges. Etching in the sand grains represents chemical origin under the influence of sea-water.