Mineralogy of parent rock and peaty-podzolic soil of Iremel Ridge,Southern Urals

The mineralogy of soils and parent rocks of the Iremel Ridge has been studied by the methods of micromorphology, laser diffraction, computed X-ray microtomography, and X-ray fluorescence analysis. In hard rock and soil, the major minerals have been identified: quartz, illite, and a chlorite-group mineral (Fe analogue of sudoite), as well as accessory minerals: monazite, xenotime, rutile, zircon, and florencite. It has been found that chlorite, illite, and quartz are present in all horizons of the studied peaty-podzolic soil. Insignificant amounts of mixed-layered mineral and kaolinite could be suggested in the T and EL horizons of peaty-podzolic soil. The mixed-layered mineral is most probably of soil origin, which is related to the transformation of illites inherited from the parent rock under acidic conditions.     

CH4 flux in an alas ecosystem formed by forest disturbance near Yakutsk,Eastern Siberia,Russia

Abstract

Quartz and mica contents were determined as a function of particle size of soils over quartz and mica-free basalts in northwestern Kyushu and San-in. The contents of both minerals were much higher in the surface soil horizons than in the lower horizons. Quartz particle size distribution (predominantly 2 to 53 μm) and surface morphology (chip or shard, not euhedral) which are similar to those in the north central Pacific pelagic sediments and Hawaiian soils, indicated that quartz is added as aerosolic dust and loess carried by the circumpolar Westerly Winds from Asian semi-arid and arid regions. Close proximity to the eolian sources was deduced by somewhat coarser texture of the present soil quartz. Lower surface soil quartz content, relative to that in the Hawaiian soils was interpreted as indicating a younger landscape age caused by intensive denudation. The covariant relation between the quartz and miea eontents of soils may suggest that at least a portion of the micaceous minerals and quartz in Ando soils of Japan also has a tropospheric origin.     

Mineral Composition and Weathering of Soils Derived from Xiashu Loess

Mineralogical, physical and chemical analyses of the soils derived from Xiashu loess were carried out. The primary minerals of these soils were found to be mainly composed of light minerals, such as quartz, feldspar and mica, with traces of heavy minerals. Clay minerals, more complicate in composition, were dominated by hydromica, accompanied by smectite, vermiculite, chlorite, kaolinite, 2:1/1:1 randomly interstratified minerals and small amounts of quartz, goethite, lepidocrocite and hematite, Clay minerals were characterized by low crystallinity and fine particle size. In light of the quartz/feldspars ratio of the 0.01-0.05mm silt fraction, and the clay mineral composition, the freeness of iron oxide, and the silica/sesquioxide and silica/alumina ratios in < 0.002mm clay fraction, it is concluded that the weathering intensity of these soils was lower than those of red soil and yellow earth, but higher than that of brown earth, and that the soil allitization, depotassication and hydroxylation of cl     

Clay mineralogy of some volcanic ash soils in which cristobalite predominates

The clay mineralogical composition of soils on volcanic ashes from Mashū and Kamuinupuri-dake volcanoes, Hokkaido, which are rich in cristobalite, was determined using petrological, X-ray diffraction, differential thermal, and selective dissolution and differential infrared spectroscopic methods.

The cristobalite occurred in abundance in every size of fraction from coarse sand to clay and every soli from approximately 1,700 to 8,400 years old, and was concluded to be of igneous origin. The major clay minerals were allophanelike constituents and allophane with some layer silicates as the minor clay mineral, being similar to those of andesitic ash soils and different from those of volcanic ash soils containing abundant quartz. The quartz of volcanic ashes was presumed to bederived from the groundmass-equivalent portion of the ashes which had been formed from magma at a low temperature.     

豫北第四纪沉积物的矿物特征

豫北平原属于黄淮海平原的一部分,位于太行山洪积-冲积扇以东的黄河、漳河之间,是河南新乡和安阳两地区的主要粮棉产地。豫北平原除部分地区是黄土缓丘和山前洪积冲积物外,大部分由黄河、漳河、沁河等现代河流沉积物所组成,其中沁河沉积物、黄土、次生黄土分布在豫北平原西部,漳河沉积物分布在豫北平原北部,而中部和东部则为大面积的黄河河流沉积物。为配合黄淮海平原中豫北平原的治理及南水北调工程中线的选线间题,我们曾对豫北地区各种沉积物上所发育的土壤进行分析,有关华北平原的土壤已有详细专著(熊毅等1965),本文仅就豫北平原地区土壤的矿物性质作简要讨论。     

THE MODIFICATION AND APPLICATION OF THE QUANTITATIVE X-RAY DIFFRACTION METHOD OF SCHULTZ (1964) TO THE MINERALOGICAL STUDY OF LONDON CLAY SAMPLES

Over 300 samples of London Clay from twenty-one widely scattered sample locations in the London and Hampshire Basins were to be examined in detail by X-ray diffraction techniques. The quantitative method of Schultz (1964) was chosen as being most suited for the analysis of the samples. Series of tests designed to investigate the reproducibility characteristics of the method were conducted. These showed that the sampling, sample preparation, and interpretation procedures used all introduced cumulative reproducibility errors of roughly equal magnitude which completely overshadowed errors introduced by machine-response variation. It was also established that minerals whose contents were below 10 percent of whole sample failed to be consistently quantitatively estimated. The accuracy of this method of analysis depended heavily on Schultz's quoted ‘intensity factors’ which were involved in the calculation of individual mineral contents. The authenticity of these factors with regard to the London Clay suite of minerals was checked by comparing accurately determined mineral percentages of six standard London Clay samples with the results obtained by use of the Schultz procedure and factors. The method was found to be basically sound although the intensity factors for quartz, total clay minerals, carbonates, and illite had all to be slightly adjusted. The accurate quartz percentages were established by three different X-ray diffraction techniques and the carbonate percentage checks were accomplished by specially designed wet chemical methods. The total clay mineral and illite contents checks were carried out by back-calculation of the Al₂O₃, and K₂O percentages as determined from full wet chemical analysis. Using the adjusted factors, quartz percentages are estimated accurate to ±6 percent, total clay minerals to ±7 percent, carbonate percentages to ±1.5 percent, and illite contents to ±4 percent of the whole rock.     

Sand mineralogy and related properties of some soils in South‐Western Nigeria

Abstract

Five representative soil profiles were excavated along a toposequence selected in the Itagunmodi area of South‐Western Nigeria. The soils were subjected to physical, chemical, and mineralogical analyses. The results indicated soils with high fine sand and clay contents, but low silt content. The soils were found to vary from slightly acid to strongly acid (pHH₂O = 4.0 to 6.2). Organic C, available P, and Kjeldahl N contents decreased with increasing depth. Cation exchange capacity (CEC) ranged from 3.11 to 28.75 cmol(+)/kg soil. Base saturation was low (<51%). From a total elemental analysis, Si was found to be the dominant element, followed by Al, and then Fe. Extractable P, and exchangeable K, Mg, and Ca were quite low. The dominant minerals in the fine sand fraction were quartz, feldspar, zircon, hornblende, tourmaline, and opaque ores. The variation in the zircon/tourmaline (two resistant minerals) ratios with depth suggests a stratification of the parent material. The change in the quartz/feldspar ratios was an indication that the degree of weathering in the soil profile is not uniform.     

CLAY MINERAL DISTRIBUTION AND ORIGIN IN THE SOIL TYPES OF ISRAEL

The mineralogical composition of clays (< 2μm) in representative profiles of all soil types of Israel was investigated. The soils were classified according to their clay mineral assemblages into three groups. I. Montmorillonitic soils. Montmorillonite is the dominant mineral and exceeds 65 per cent of the total minerals found; each of the other minerals comprises less than 15 per cent. 2. Montmorillonitic-kaolinitic soils. The soil clay fractions contain 50-60 per cent montmorillonite and 15-25 per cent kaolinite, generally adding up to more than 75 per cent of the clay fraction. 3. Montmorillonitic-calcitic soils. The clays contain more than 10 per cent calcite. Montmorillonite is the dominant clay mineral (except for one soil type, mountain rendzina, where calcite is dominant). The first and second assemblages are typical of the soils of the Mediterranean zone, whereas the soils of the desert zone are characterized by the third assemblage. The origin of montmorillonite, kaolinite, and illite, the three main clay minerals, was found to be detritic, as was the origin of palygorskite which was mainly found in the calcite rich soils of the desert zone. The cation exchange capacity of montmorillonite seems to be higher under higher precipitation. Montmorillonite content and cation exchange capacity of the clays were found to be highly correlated. The carbonate content of the clay fraction and the amount of carbonate in the soil were also highly correlated.     

Mineralogy of some Italian andosols with special reference to the origin of the clay fraction

The mineralogy of four Italian Andosols - derived from volcanic material either oversaturated or undersaturated with respect to silica - has been investigated by XRD, EM and IR. The crystalline clay minerals in all four profiles are essentially similar, consisting of abundant halloysite with moderate illite and 14A intergrade material, minor kaolinite and occasional gibbsite. The soils also contain large amounts of imogolite and proto-imogolite allophane. With the exception of illite all these clay minerals are believed to be of pedogenic origin. Halloysite occurs in the dehydrated form in the surface horizons but becomes progressively more hydrated with depth. At depths of > 1.4 m the clay fraction consists almost entirely of fully hydrated halloysite, supporting the suggestion that halloysite forms best in a stagnant moisture regime where there is a depositional overburden acting as a silica source. EM observations show that the halloysite may have spherical morphology and may be intimately associated with gas vesicles in pumice grains where it probably forms by the transformation of allophanic material. It seems likely that dehydrated halloysite slowly converts to poorly crystallized kaolinite in the upper horizons of these profiles. The origin of the 2/1 minerals is more problematical. Illite is probably inherited from mica in the parent material but the 14A intergrade material is so poorly ordered that a pedogenic origin seems more likely than formation by inheritance or by transformation of pre-existing 2/1 silicates.     

Soils in the semi-arid area of the El Melah Lagoon (NE Tunisia) — Variability associated with a closing evolution

Soils of the semi-arid area of the El Melah coastal lagoon (NE Tunisia), with a closing evolution dynamic, were studied aiming: (1) the chemical and mineralogical characterization of surface and subsurface layers of soil profiles from locations previously submerged and of soils developed on dunes; (2) to evaluate the dependence on the environment conditions of the geochemical patterns of the soils; and (3) to determine chemical and mineralogical variations with the emersion of the sediments resulting from the decrease in the extent of the area permanently covered by water in the lagoon. The compositional results obtained showed significant differences depending on the environment (littoral plain, old dunes and sandy spit), but soils of the different environmental zones studied do not appear to be significantly polluted as far as trace elements are concerned. Among the elements studied, high element/Sc ratios and variations were found for As, Sb and Zn. Antimony is more concentrated in coarser samples suggesting its adsorption in Fe or Mn oxides coating quartz grain surfaces. Arsenic and zinc may be incorporated into the carbonates structure, as well as adsorbed on, or coprecipitated with, iron oxides. Zinc may also be significantly incorporated in clay minerals. Iron was found to be more oxidized in the cultivated soil from the old dune strand; and more reduced in the sandy spit where ankerite occurs suggesting the reduction of Fe³⁺ in oxide/hydroxides by microorganisms and incorporation of Fe²⁺ in carbonates. REE patterns, particularly the HREE/LREE are correlated with carbonates, indicating preferential incorporation of the HREE in carbonates, and of the LREE in clay minerals/iron oxides. High Ga contents were found in soils and sediments rich in clay minerals/Al, suggesting its incorporation in clay minerals structure. Therefore, Ga may be used as an indicator of the clay minerals proportion in sediments and soils. Carbonates, sulphates, besides Fe and/or Mn oxides and clay minerals, appear to play an important role on the trace elements distribution.     

Platy Quartz Phytoliths found in the Fossil Forest Deposits,Axel Heiberg Island,Northwest Territories,Canada

The occurrence of quartz particles having a platy morphology found in the white layers within the fossil forest deposits of Axel Heiberg Island, was further confirmed by optical and electron microscopic examinations. The platy quartz crystals were concentrated in the finer fractions. The δ ₁₈O values of fractions enriched in platy quartz crystals ranged from +13.7 to +16.6 %₀. These values were higher than those obtained for coarser fractions. The platy morphology and crystallographic character of the quartz particles concentrated in the finer size fractions are uncharacteristic both of aerosol derived material and of secondary silica. These findings and information available for the paleoenvironment of the study area favor a biogenic origin for the platy quartz. The oxygen-isotope data are consistent with this hypothesis.     

Intensive kaolinization during a lateritic weathering event in South-West Spain: Mineralogical and geochemical inferences from a relict paleosol

This study documents the mineralogical and geochemical record of a lateritic weathering event during the Pliocene in South-west Spain. The paleoweathering profile derived from arkosic sands and comprises a white sandy clayey saprolite, a red mottled clay zone overlain by a thick soft layer, and a ferruginous pisolitic hardcap partially dismantled by erosive processes. Kaolinite, quartz and degraded K-feldspars are the major minerals forming the saprolite, along with Al-goethite (mottled zone) as well as gibbsite and boehmite (soft layer), while the pisolitic duricrust is essentially composed of quartz grains embedded in a matrix of Fe oxy-hydroxides (hematite, goethite, and/or maghemite). Besides quartz, the phases most resistant to alteration were a variety of heavy minerals (mostly titanium oxides) that are present as minor impurities in the residual kaolin deposit.     

AEOLIAN ADDITIONS TO SOILS AND SEDIMENTS IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC AREA

The particle-size distribution of the whole sample and the content, particle-size distribution, and oxygen-isotope abundance (δ¹⁸O) in quartz were employed to determine the extent to which aeolian materials such as aerosolic dust (10 to I /μm) from Australia, loess (50 to 10μm) in New Zealand, and flöttsand (250 to 20 μm) in Australia have been accreted into soils and sediments in the South Pacific area. Although aeolian material from both local and more distant sources has been deposited on the Franz Josef, Fox, and Tasman glaciers, the extent to which aeolian materials have been added to soils in South Westland, New Zealand, could not be determined because the oxygen-isotope abundance (12.9 to 13.5 0/00 in quartz from the soils was similar to that (13.1 to 13.9 0/00) in quartz from the dust samples. The quartz from loess added to two basaltic soils in North Auckland, New Zealand, had an oxygen-isotope abundance (12.9 to 13.9 0/00) slightly lower than that (15.0 to 15.4 0/00) in quartz from a greywacke-derived soil and the underlying rock also in North Auckland. The oxygen-isotope abundance (13.6 to 15.4 0/00) in quartz from a chronosequence of soils developed in basalt in Victoria, Australia, indicates that the quartz did not originate from the parent basalt, but probably was transported by aeolian processes from stranded beach ridges and dunes and added to the soils in the form of flöttsand, an aeolian material coarser than loess and finer than dune sand. Most particles of the pelagic sediments fell within the aerosolic dust size range. The oxygen-isotope abundance (12.1 to 15.1 0/00) in quartz isolated from several pelagic sediments between latitudes 35 and 45° S. was similar to that (12.9 to 15.4 0/00) in quartz from New Zealand and Australian soils located between these latitudes. An aeolian source of quartz explains the above relationship and also the decreasing delta values of quartz from sediments and soils with increasing latitude in the South Pacific area. Oxygen-isotope abundance in quartz refutes a volcanic origin of quartz in pelagic sediments but supports the deduction of Griffin et al. (1968) from mineralogical analyses that the quartz and associated minerals were transported from lands to seas.     

Investigation of lichens using molecular techniques and associated mineral accumulations on a basaltic flow in a Mediterranean environment

The role of lichens in the breakdown of rocks in various environments is well documented. We investigated the formation of secondary minerals under 13 different fungal species growing on a basaltic flow in Sanliurfa (Turkey) to understand the influence of lichen species on the transformation of minerals in a Mediterranean environment. We used molecular technique (rDNA sequence) to identify 13 different species of lichens (7 crustose, 5 foliose and 1 pathogenic). X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy were used to determine the composition of mineral accumulations. The formation of quartz and 2:1 phyllosilicates in various layers (top, brown and white) of the weathered basaltic flows under all the lichen colonies may be the result of precipitated silica alone (quartz) or in combination with aluminum (2:1 clays) released as a by-product during the breakdown/weathering of primary silicate minerals present in the basalt. However, aeolian deposition may also be a possible source of these mineral species. Whewellite, a calcium oxalate mineral, accumulates in the weathered basalt underneath all the species of lichens. We believe that the formation of whewellite was due to organic acids excreted by fungal hyphae to dissolve primary minerals (e.g., olivine and feldspars); this lichen-mediated process released enough calcium and generated oxalate necessary for the formation of whewellite.     

Sorption of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons to mineral surfaces

Minerals contribute crucially to the retention of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in subsurface environments. To investigate the sorption behaviour to mineral surfaces batch sorption experiments were conducted using three PAHs (phenanthrene, pyrene, benzo(a)pyrene) and three mineral sorbents that were representative of subsurface materials (quartz, goethite‐coated quartz, quartz‐montmorillonite mixture). Sorption kinetics showed an instantaneous, considerable PAH sorption to all minerals, except for phenanthrene sorption to quartz at small aqueous‐phase concentrations. Apparent sorption equilibrium was achieved after 4 hours of contact time. The sorption characteristics were fitted to six isotherm models by applying Monte Carlo simulation and nonlinear regression. Best‐fit models were obtained by a model discrimination approach. Phenanthrene and pyrene sorption were best described by the Freundlich isotherm model, with the exception of phenanthrene sorption to quartz (linear isotherm). Good fit results for quartz were also obtained for the combined linear‐Freundlich isotherm. Benzo(a)pyrene sorption to all minerals followed linear high‐affinity isotherms. In the case of phenanthrene and pyrene, the Monte Carlo simulations resulted in mean values with small standard deviations for the isotherm parameters, indicating a negligible influence of the experimental uncertainties on the accuracy of the fitted parameters. For phenanthrene, (i) linear isotherms to quartz and goethite‐coated quartz and (ii) a nonlinear concave‐shaped isotherm to quartz–montmorillonite, assuming a pore‐filling process to micropores formed by clay aggregates, were confirmed. For pyrene, nonlinear convex‐shaped isotherms to the mineral surfaces were assessed. A specific sorption affinity of pyrene to the goethite surface indicated a non‐covalent cation‐π interaction. Small sorption affinities to quartz–montmorillonite support an unfavourable partitioning into the adjacent water.     

Genesis of a Xeralf on feldspathic sandstone, South Australia

A Xeralf on feldspathic sandstone was sampled from a hillslope in the Mount Lofty Ranges in order to study its genesis and, in particular, the origin of the strong texture contrast. Micromorphological study demonstrated that the clay present in void argillans and papules in the B2 horizon accounted for only a small amount of the clay present. Elemental analysis of the whole soil (< 2 mm) and sand, silt and clay fractions showed that there had been considerable weathering of both quartz and microcline, which were the dominant minerals present. Kaolinite is the dominant clay mineral weathering product. Illite appears to be forming from vermiculite in the A horizon. Using zircon as an internal standard, it was shown that elemental losses of SiO₂ and reductions in weight and volume were similar in A and B horizons. Losses of aluminium and potassium were greatest in the A horizon, least in the B3. There has been an absolute increase in the amount of iron. A possible source is iron from heavy mineral bands upslope. It was concluded from the similarity of the quartz particle-size distributions of the A2, B2 and B3 horizons that the intensity of weathering of quartz was the same in A and B horizons. In the case of feldspar (mostly microcline), there is a greater proportion of feldspar in the fine sand and silt fractions of the A2 horizon than in the B horizon. Weathering of feldspar is greatest in the A horizon. The texture profile is principally a function of greater lateral loss of clay from the A horizons compared to the B horizons.     

氧化石墨烯和五价砷在改性多孔介质中的共迁移特征

砷是农田土壤重金属污染的主要元素之一,在砷污染农田土壤的修复过程中往往忽视纳米颗粒能够使结合态的砷重新释放,导致有效态砷浓度升高,探究土壤中黏土矿物对氧化石墨烯(Graphene Oxide,GO)和五价砷(As(V))在多孔介质中迁移行为的影响,对进一步完善农田土壤砷修复理论以及提高农作物产量、保护人体健康具有重要意义。该研究利用蒙脱石和高岭石改性石英砂,通过砂柱迁移试验系统地研究了GO、As(V)和GO-As(V)在填加0%、10%、30%和50%的蒙脱石和高岭石改性石英砂柱中的迁移行为。研究结果表明,随着高岭石和蒙脱石改性石英砂填加比例的增加,GO和As(V)的迁移能力均呈降低趋势,且GO和As(V)在不同条件下的迁移曲线均存在显著差异(P0.05);GO在50%高岭石和蒙脱石改性石英砂柱中的回收率相对于石英砂柱分别下降了14%和17%,As(V)分别下降了15%和12%;在共迁移试验中,GO和As(V)在石英砂柱中回收率分别上升至99%和100%。分析表明,As(V)在蒙脱石改性石英砂柱中的迁移能力大于高岭石改性石英砂,而GO与之相反;当GO和与As(V)共迁移时,二者在介质中的迁移能力均大于其单独迁移。本研究表明GO、As(V)释放到土壤后,能够加速As(V)的迁移,造成土壤砷污染的扩大化。     

Desorption and Transformation of Nitroaromatic (TNT) and Nitramine (RDX and HMX) Explosive Residues on Detonated Pure Mineral Phases

Explosive compounds, including known toxicants 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) and hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine (RDX), are loaded to soils during military training. Their fate in soils is ultimately controlled by soil mineralogical and biogeochemical processes. We detonated pure mineral phases with Composition B, a mixture of TNT and RDX, and investigated the fate of detonation residues in aqueous slurries constructed from the detonated minerals. The pure minerals included Ottawa sand (quartz and calcite), microcline feldspar, phlogopite mica, muscovite mica, vermiculite clay, beidellite (a representative of the smectite clay group), and nontronite clay. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry, X-ray diffraction, and gas adsorption surface area measurements were made of the pristine and detonated minerals. Batch slurries of detonated minerals and deionized water were sampled for 141?days and TNT, RDX, and TNT transformation products were measured from the aqueous samples and from the mineral substrates at day?141. Detonated samples generally exhibited lower gas adsorption surface areas than pristine ones, likely from residue coating, shock-induced compaction, sintering, and/or partial fusion. TNT and RDX exhibited analyte loss in almost all batch solutions over time but loss was greater in vermiculite, beidellite, and phlogopite than in muscovite and quartz. This suggests common phyllosilicate mineral substrates could be used on military training ranges to minimize off-site migration of explosive residues. We present a conceptual model to represent the physical and chemical processes that occurred in our aqueous batches over time.     

Potassium release on drying of soil samples from a variety of weathering regimes and c clay mineralogy in China

Thirty two soil samples from China were analyzed for exchangeable K before and after drying. Most soil samples were higher in exchangeable K after air-drying and ovendrying (60°C) than when wet. Soil clay minerals, especially clay-size mica, affected K released in air-dry and oven-dry samples. According to composition of clay minerals of air-dried samples, five classes were recognized. Soil samples with high mica and montmorillonite have the highest exchangeable K. Samples that contained higher kaolinite than mica had lower exchangeable K. Samples with higher kaolinite than quartz and mica had still lower exchangeable K. Samples of sandy soils contained very low exchangeable K. When quartz was the main mineral, the samples that had kaolinite and gibbsite as the main clay minerals had very low exchangeable K. The degree of weathering (weathering mean) bore an inverse relationship to the amount of K released on drying in air or at 60°C. Udults and Udalfs (Red Earths) of southeastern China, because of their high K release on being dried, are inferred to have received fine mica from the Western Desert dust rainout, reported to Liu et al. (1981).     

Mineralogical composition of the clay fraction in acid brown forest soils under tea plantations subjected to the long-term mineral fertilization in Russian subtropics

Swelling minerals of the montmorillonite group predominate in the clay fraction of acid brown forest soils under tea plantations; illite and quartz are present in smaller amounts; small amounts of chlorite-like structures are also found. A decrease in the content of swelling mineral and a deterioration of their crystallization degree (especially in the upper horizons) take place upon the long-term application of mineral fertilizers at high rates; also, the accumulation of illite takes place. These processes attest to the beginning of degradation and/or removal of montmorillonite minerals (the most finely dispersed and hydrophilic clay minerals) under the impact of a significant decrease in pH because of the high rates of physiologically acid fertilizers in combination with illitization under the impact of potassium application.