College
Buchtel College of Arts and Sciences
Date of Last Revision
2023-05-04 07:40:34
Major
Geology
Honors Course
3370: 497-003
Number of Credits
6
Degree Name
Bachelor of Science
Date of Expected Graduation
Summer 2021
Abstract
Analyzing the strength of synthetic quartz is essential to understanding the strength of natural milky quartz, which likely controls the strength of Earth’s continental crust. Synthetic quartz is sometimes used for deformation experiments because it has a homogenous water distribution unlike natural milky quartz. The purpose of this study is to determine if annealing synthetic quartz at T = 600°C will convert the water in synthetic quartz to free water, like milky quartz, but with little water loss. Following two annealing experiments at Texas A&M University, I performed four annealing experiments to measure the water content of five synthetic quartz crystals annealed at T = 600°C for several durations for a total annealing time of 5580000 seconds. Then, I measured the water contents after each annealing experiment. Analyses showed that the water loss was very small (~10%), but the water still resembled gel-type water of synthetic quartz, rather than free water in inclusions similar to that found in natural milky quartz.
Research Sponsor
Dr. Caleb Holyoke
First Reader
Dr. David Steer
Second Reader
Dr. John Senko
Honors Faculty Advisor
Dr. John Peck
Recommended Citation
Steward, Andrew, "Analysis of Water Concentration Formed Within Deformed Synthetic Quartz Crystals" (2021). Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects. 1265.
https://ideaexchange.uakron.edu/honors_research_projects/1265
Included in
Geochemistry Commons, Geology Commons, Geophysics and Seismology Commons, Mineral Physics Commons, Tectonics and Structure Commons