Analysis of Perth Sands

Part 2
The Investigation

JOHN CURTIN COLLEGE OF

THE ARTS
Year 9 AEP
WORKING SCIENTIFICALLY
THE EARTH AND BEYOND
Analysis of the Sands of Perth to
interpret their Geological origins

Examine Figure 1, a LandSat image

of the Perth Basin.
What types of information does a
LandSat image give?

Figure 1 Perth Basin

http://geology.com/worldcities/perth-australia.jp
g

Today if we look at a satellite image

of the land around Perth this is what
we see.
Label the geological and geographic
features.

Figure 1 Perth Basin

http://geology.com/worldcities/perth-australia.jp
g

Describe any geological features

that you observe in Figure 1.

The line N-S is a fault a huge

crack along the land.
The eastern side of the fault is
higher relative to the western side.
Today it is called the Darling Scarp.
River gets wider around city of
Perth.

Brief Geological history of the

Perth Basin

Millions of years ago the land on both

sides of the Darling Scarp was at the
one level. It consisted of a rock called
granite which was formed 600 million
to 200 million years ago.

Describe how granite is formed.

Ganite was once molten magma

formed deep in earths crust.

Cooled slowly there

this explains the large

interlocking crystals

Explain how granite could have

got to the surface of the earth.

Large seismic earth movements

could have pushed it up.

Over several millions of years

movements continued in the earth s
crust causing the western side of the
fault to drop about 1km until it was
well below sea level.

At this time the Darling Scarp was a

500m high cliff with the ocean
crashing onto it.

Figure 2 The Darling Scarp as it would have

appeared after the earth movements ceased.
http://www.marpnet.com/landscape/img/GreatAu
stralian.jpg

Explain what would have

happened to the granite cliffs

over
the next- breaks
few million
Weathering
down years.
some

minerals in the granite and

releases hard mineral crystals
Erosion - these minerals get
washed or carried away from the
cliff.
Deposition - these loose materials
are deposited in rivers, lakes and
oceans.

What must have happened to the

sea level to get it to the level it is
today?

The sea level decreased,

receded.

Describe two ways this could

have happened.
The sea level fell.
The land rose.

Suggest an explanation for

each of the above changes.
The

sea level fell - ice ages freezing and

holding water in glaciers and ice sheets
The land rose earth movements, such
as uplift, folding, faulting

The Indian Ocean sea level receded

westward beyond where Rottnest
and Garden Islands are today.
Sediments such as sand were
deposited.
7000 years ago the Ice Age ended.
Describe the effect this would have
had on sea levels.

Figure 3 Rottnest Island as it would have

appeared during the last Ice Age
http://www.zabid.com/images/zabid-sand-dunes-in-desert.jpg

As the Indian Ocean level rose

what effect did this have on the
land surface around Rottnest
Water covered the land around
Island?
Rottnest.

What happened to all of the sand

that was around Rottnest Island?

It was further weathered, eroded

and deposited around Perth.

Analysis of Perth Sands for

Carbonate percentage

Analysing sand from different areas

around Perth gives us clues to their
formation;
From where were they were
weathered? and How were they were
eroded?
Each pair of students will analyse their
sand sample for carbonate percentage
composition.

Sequence the steps involved in doing

this. Record these in your work book
and construct a suitable results
table. Each group will start with
________ g of sand.

Calculating the percentage of

calcium carbonate (Calcite) in sands
of Perth

21st March 2009

C Morritt

 Use an
electronic
balance to
weigh about
100g sample
of sand
Record the
actual mass
in your work
book

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Put the
weighed
sample of
sand in a
beaker and
cover the
sand with
acid to react
with the
carbonate.
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 When
fizzing
stops
carefully
decant the
liquid and
cover the
sand again
with acid.
Leave
overnight.

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The next day;

Decant the
liquid and keep
the sand.
Cover the sand
with acid again.

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Leave
overnight.

The next day;

Filter the washed
sand and water
Keep washing
water through the
sand.
Discard the filtrate
and keep the sand
Open the filter
paper and let sand
dry overnight.
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Analysis of Perth soils

First task is to find the mass of
your washed filtered and dried
sand sample.
Before you do this;
Describe how you will find the mass of
the sand alone.

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The next day;

Use an
electronic
balance to
weigh the dried
sample of sand.
Record the
mass in your
science work
book.

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Record of Results
Sand Sample ______________________
Mass before adding acid =
Mass after reacting acid and drying =
Difference in mass =

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Explain why the mass decreased.

The carbonates reacted with the
acid to form CO2, water and a
soluble salt.
All this was washed away leaving
the insoluble minerals such as;
Quartz, feldspar, haematite and
biotite.
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Calculate the percentage of

carbonates in the sand

Explain how you will do this.

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Calculate the percentage of

carbonates in the sand
% Carbonate = difference in mass of sand
original mass of sand

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Make a table comparing the

carbonates in sands from the
three locations.
Soil % Carbonate
Behind the
Curtin Theatre
Garden
John Curtin
COA Cliff
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Analysing the Data

Some sands had a high percentage
of calcite (calcium carbonate).
Explain how calcite (calcium
carbonate) gets into these sands.
Other sands had a high percentage
of quartz. Describe how quartz gets
into these sands.
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Make a time-line of the

Geological history of the Perth
Basin from 600 million years ago
until
years
ago.
On it7000
describe
what
was happening
to the rocks and minerals at each
stage.
Use your handout that is glued into
your work book as a reference.
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21st March 2009

C Morritt