Characterization of beach sand deposits with heavy minerals using geo-physical techniques

Abstract

Mineralogical analysis through physical concentration and microscopic studies of beach sand is one of the most accurate methods in the determination of percentages of constituent heavy minerals of beach sand. However, in this study a magnetic survey method was tested as a field method to separate magnetic minerals from non-magnetic minerals in beach sand. The main objective of this study is to find out a relationship between magnetic survey data and heavy mineral composition data of beach sand. Beaches at Panadura and Beruwala were selected for the magnetic surveys, owing to their dominance of heavy mineral bearing beach sand. Samples were also taken adequately and systematically from each beach, and were analysed at the mineral laboratory. The iso-dynamic magnetic separator was used to separate the magnetic heavy minerals. ArcGIS software and geo-statistical and normal statistical analyses were used to build the relationship between magnetometer survey data and mineral composition data. analysis was not observed a significant relationship between magnetic survey data and mineral composition data. However, According to the geographically weighted regression (GWR)