OH defects in quartz as a provenance tool: Application to fluvial and deep marine sediments from SW Japan

Abstract

Abstract Hydrogen-related point defects (OH defects) in the crystal lattice of detrital, monocrystalline quartz have been proposed as an indicator to distinguish different sediment sources, making it a potential tool for provenance analysis. This study tests this novel technique on samples from SW Japan by comparing the results of OH defect analyses with those of “classical” provenance studies. OH defects of 188 detrital, monocrystalline quartz grains from five rivers (Fuji, Tenryu, Nagara, Yoshino, and Shimanto) and four offshore wells drilled in the Nankai Trough area (ODP site 1177; IODP sites C0002, C0007, C0012) are characterized using Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Considerable differences in OH defect concentrations are identified between individual river samples. A general increase of values from east to west is observed. Possible links to the respective source geology are established. Very low OH defect contents (