Mineralogical and textural discrimination of loess derived from a tephra near Rotorua, New Zealand

Abstract

Grain size parameters and clay mineralogical analyses were used to characterize and compare Okareka Ash and post-Okareka tephric loess sampled at eight sites on a transect in Rotorua district, North Island, New Zealand. Grain size distribution analyses show consistently lower mean size and better sorting of the tephric loess compared with the Okareka Ash. The mean grain size of the loess is strongly influenced by the mean grain size of the tephra. Trends in the distribution of biotite and halloysite support the grain size distribution analyses. Taken with field observations, the analytical evidence allows differentiation between Okareka Ash and overlying associated tephric loess.