This book was first published in 1973. Its authors, David Krinsley and John Doornkamp, have here compiled a comprehensive catalogue of the many presences and absences found within the characteristics of different types of quartz grain sand. Their study was originally designed to fill those gaps which existed in the field of quartz grain surface texture research at the time. The focal point of Krinsley and Doornkamp's work is found in its numerous micrographs, selected specifically for their ability to demonstrate the many variations in the surface textures of quartz grain sand. Although much progress has been made in this field since the book's publication, it will still be of great interest to all researchers with an interest in this topic. The four-page bibliography provided by the authors also makes this book a useful reference point for all scholars wishing to explore the history and development of this fascinating discipline.

Backscattered Scanning Electron Microscopy (BSE) reveals the minerals, textures, and fabrics of sediments and rocks in much greater detail than is possible with conventional optical microscopy. Backscattered Scanning Electron Microscopy provides a concise summary of the BSE technique. This comprehensive guide uses abundant images to illustrate the type of information BSE yields and the application of the technique to the study of sediments and sedimentary rocks. The authors review the use of this petrographic technique on all the major sedimentary rock types, including sediment grains, sandstones, shales, carbonate rocks, rock varnish, and glauconite. They also describe image analysis techniques that allow quantification of backscattered scanning electron microscope images and illustrate the potential applications of these methods. Heavily illustrated and lucidly written, this book will provide researchers and graduate students with the most current research on this important geological tool.