Abstract
Quartzose sand is a major component in the late Quaternary sediment on the East Texas–Louisiana shelf. It had generally been thought that the Colorado, Brazos, and Mississippi Rivers have been the major conduits for sediment transport to this shelf during the late Quaternary, but more recent geological and geophysical studies have suggested that other rivers, particularly the coastal-plain rivers of Texas and Louisiana, have also played an important role in sediment transport to the area. A re-evaluation of the sources of sand on the East Texas–Louisiana shelf confirms these more recent studies. The results indicate that ten rivers, the Guadalupe, Nueces, Brazos, Colorado, Trinity, Sabine, Calcasieu, Red, Atchafalaya, and Mississippi, have been major conduits for sediment transport to the shelf during the late Quaternary. Five sedimentary petrologic provinces, the Guadalupe, Brazos-Colorado, Trinity, Red River, and Mississippi, are herein defined for the sand of the East Texas–Louisiana shelf.
