Mineralogy of sediment core CRP-1

Quartz, plagioclase feldspars, K-feldspars are the most important non-clay minerals. Amphiboles occur throughout the core in minor amounts.

The composition of the sediments points to an origin in the Transantarctic Mountains for the majority of the detrital components. There, the plutonic and metamorphic rocks of the basement, the sediments of the Beacon Supergroup and the volcanic rocks of the Ferrar Dolerite could serve as possible source lithologies. The quartz abundance is strongly linked to the gain size of the sediments with maxima correlating with coarse gain sizes.