Home | Session 4 | Product of Weathering Pg 1, 2, 3, 4
The Products of Weathering and Erosion
Presented
by Lisa White
San Francisco State University
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Next, experiment with diatomaceous earth and test its response to water.
Questions to answer:
- What features of the
diatom microfossil shell structure contribute to its physical
properties?
Answer: The diatom frustule is very porous and in diatomite rocks the packing of the frustules produces a lot of open space, resulting in a very lightweight rock.
- Kaolinite and diatomite
often resemble each other. How could you distinguish the two from
each other in the field?
Answer: You could test the porosity by adding water to the sample. Diatomites are very porous and the water should soak-up very quickly. Kaolinite will take up the water more slowly and a film of wet clay will form on the surface of the sample.
- What features of the
diatom microfossil shell structure contribute to its physical
properties?
updated March 6, 2002
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