Which transport medium carries diamonds to the ocean floor or shoreline in a marine deposit?

Which transport medium carries diamonds to the ocean floor or shoreline in a marine deposit?

• A. Glaciers
• B. Rivers or streams
• C. Wind
• D. Tidal waves

Answer: (B)

Diamonds reach marine deposits primarily through rivers and streams. Erosion releases diamonds from diamond-bearing rocks, and flowing water carries them downstream. The dense diamonds settle out when the river slows, especially near mouths and along coastlines, forming placer deposits. In the marine environment, ocean currents and wave action then move and concentrate these sediments on the sea floor or shoreline. Wind lacks the power to move such heavy minerals over long distances, and tidal waves are episodic and not the steady transport that creates these placers. Glaciers can carry diamonds in glacial debris, but for marine deposits the usual contributor is fluvial transport, which explains why rivers or streams are the best answer.

Diamonds reach marine deposits primarily through rivers and streams. Erosion releases diamonds from diamond-bearing rocks, and flowing water carries them downstream. The dense diamonds settle out when the river slows, especially near mouths and along coastlines, forming placer deposits. In the marine environment, ocean currents and wave action then move and concentrate these sediments on the sea floor or shoreline. Wind lacks the power to move such heavy minerals over long distances, and tidal waves are episodic and not the steady transport that creates these placers. Glaciers can carry diamonds in glacial debris, but for marine deposits the usual contributor is fluvial transport, which explains why rivers or streams are the best answer.