Stream sediments are pools of weathering rocks and soils in the drainage basin, thus its elemental composition is similar with those rocks and soils. To predict the composition of concentrated elements in stream sediments, you can refer to geochemical background information through reading literature or geological survey reports. Of course, the migration of elements is influenced by the chemical properties of the elements. For instance, some elements are easily dissolved in water and can be moved far away, while some other elements are not easily dissolved. Besides, the migration of elements is also affected by other factors in the by pathway, such as temperature, redox reactions, and clay mineral adsorption. These are relatively complex, therefore, sampling and chemical analysis are given priority when we try to identify the exact information.

Dear Mr. Ngozi-Chika,

your question is not easy to come to grips with. If you want to know what you might expect in the stream sediments you have to take a closer look at the catchment area of the drainage system under consideration. This has to be given priority. If you have ultrabasic rock as potential source rocks you might expect e.g., chromite and PGM as heavy minerals and e.g., elevated Ni, Cr and Mg contents among the element budget. By contrast, in a granitic terrain it might be cassiterite and columbite among the heavy minerals or elevated Li and Be contents. The second issue to be addressed is the (paleo) climate which controls the weathering and the availability of elements and minerals during erosion and transport. It has also an impact on the geomorphological setting.

If you want to know more about this direct your view to my projects on “weathering” and “placer deposits and heavy minerals”. In both projects further literature is cited there under and available on the Researchgate server for download.

I wish you much success

H.G.Dill

At the first hand you should know the lithostratigraphy of the area around the stream, specially the catchment area of the stream  and its course.

Most of the stream sediments are composed of quartz, being most resistant to weathering, and high specific gravity minerals such as garnet, xenotime, monazite, zircon, tourmaline, rutile, magnetite, ilmenite, chromite, Nb-Ta minerals,.

The nature of minerals depends on provinance rock , transportation, extent of weathering, level of water table and any specific geomorphalogical features that control the stream flow.

Based on the above suggestions by Harald G. Dill and Asoori Latha you should pay attention to catchment basin and particularly to upper hand lithologies. Classify these lithologies and check each important branch of streams that are being feeded and affected by these upper hand materials.

best of luck

MJ. Mohammadzadeh