Heavy minerals from the Siwalik formations of the northwestern Himalayas

The heavy-mineral assemblage of the Siwalik sequence consists of zircon, tourmaline, rutile, garnet, chlorite/chloritoid, staurolite, epidote, biotite, kyanite and sillimanite. The opaque fraction constitutes a sizable proportion of the heavies and includes magnetite, hematite, limonite, ilmenite, rarely pyrite and sporadic chromite. Staurolite is the marker for the Lower Siwaliks, the appearance of kyanite marks the base of the Middle Siwaliks while the Upper Siwaliks are characterized by the presence of sillimanite in addition to the heavy-mineral assemblage encountered in the Lower and Middle Siwaliks.     

Genesis and clay mineralogy of soils on different geomorphic surfaces in Mahan-Joupar area, central Iran

Soil genesis and clay mineralogy studies play an important role in sustainable soil and agriculture management. Soil properties are highly affected by geomorphic position. To study the physicochemical soil properties and clay mineralogy related to geomorphic surfaces, 12 representative pedons on different landforms in the Mahan-Joupar area, central Iran, were selected. Soil moisture and temperature regimes of the area were aridic and mesic, respectively. Rock and mantled pediments, alluvial fan, inselberg, plain, and transitional surfaces were among the different landforms studied. Alluvial fan was also divided into stable and unstable surfaces according to detailed field studies. Argillic horizon found in stable alluvial fan surfaces was attributed to the presence of a more humid paleoclimate in the history of the area. Coating of calcite on clay films observed by SEM showed that clay was illuviated in more humid periods of the past and then followed by calcium carbonate illuviation during arid climates. Smectite, kaolinite, chlorite, illite, and palygorskite clay minerals were identified by X-ray and SEM observations. Finally, a close relationship between the geomorphology and soil genesis and clay mineralogy was found in the area.     

The clay mineralogy of the Scottish Dalradian meta-limestones

The clay mineralogy of the Scottish Dalradian meta-limestones has been studied mainly by X-ray diffraction. In the samples from the north-east part of the Dalradian outcrop, which often show evidence of intense metamorphism, clay minerals found include saponite, regularly and irregularly interstratified smectite-chlorite, swelling chlorite, normal chlorite, illite and kaolinite. Limestones from the weakly metamorphosed South-West Highlands area contain only kaolinite, illite and chlorite. The genesis of the clay minerals is considered, particular attention being paid to the swelling minerals from the north-east region.     

不同气候带森林土壤粘粒矿物XRD物相分析

以我国7个不同气候带下的森林土壤为研究对象,从不同温度及降水对森林土壤的影响方面入手,通过野外取样和室内分析相结合的方法,测定其阳离子交换量、土壤颗粒组成、化学组成特征情况,进行选择性溶解分析,并使用X射线衍射分析方法,分析不同森林土壤粘粒矿物XRD物相特征,深入探讨在不同气候带下、受不同温度及降水影响的森林土壤的粘粒矿物的组成特点及含量变化.结果 表明,7种供试森林土壤除雾灵山外,其他森林土壤粘粒含量均达到30％以上,雾灵山为壤土,西双版纳为砂质粘壤土,其他森林土壤为粘壤土.7种供试森林土壤粘粒化学组成以SiO2、Al2O3和Fe2O3为主,Sa值大小顺序为蛟河＞漠河＞太白山＞雾灵山＞天童山＞西双版纳＞黄连山.由北到南随着温度及降水的增加,森林土壤的Sa值、Saf值呈逐渐减少的趋势,土壤风化程度增加.寒温带漠河、中温带蛟河、暖温带雾灵山、北亚热带太白山的粘粒矿物以2:1型伊利石为主,中亚热带天童山、南亚热带黄连山、热带西双版纳的粘粒矿物以1:1型高岭石为主.随着温度及降水的升高,伊利石含量呈现逐渐减少的趋势,蒙脱石有所下降,高岭石有所上升,供试土壤粘粒矿物随着气候的变化表现出一定的规律性.     

Palaeogeography and clay mineralogy of mid-Cretaceous flysches in the Gibraltar Arc area

A combined sedimentological and mineralogical study of several mid-Cretaceous sequences of the western Betic Cordillera and northern Rif has lead to the distinction of three main palaeogeographic areas. The basins of these areas received influxes of terrigenous sediments from different source areas. The southern Iberian margin was fed from the Iberian palaeocontinent and its clay-mineral association is characterized by a high content of well crystallized illite and kaolinite; the distal part of this margin was locally starved of continental sedimentation, but contains a considerable clayey contribution, probably oceanic in origin, made up mainly of smectites, illite and palygorskite. The sediments in the North African margin and the southern part of the North African Flysch Trough came from the African continent, the typical Aptian-Albian clay-mineral association being well crystallized illite, illite-smectite mixed layers, kaolinite, chlorite and lesser quantities of vermiculite. The terrigenous supply to the Mauritanian Realm of the North African Flysch Trough came from the Meso-Mediterranean terrane, and its usual Aptian-Albian clay association is illite, vermiculite, illite-smectite mixed layers and kaolinite. A significant change in the clay mineralogy occurred during the late Albian-early Cenomanian in the two former areas, consisting of a decrease in the detrital supply and a concomitant increase in smectites and palygorskite.The sedimentological and mineralogical evolution of this area was controlled by a combination of tectonic, eustatic and climatic changes in the westernmost Tethys during the mid-Cretaceous.     

纳米科技与粘土矿物学研究的思考

纳米科技已在地学领域取得了重要研究成果。粘土矿物学在材料科学中占有重要的地位,有必要建立“纳米粘土矿物学”这一学科,其研究手段与纳米科技一致,研究内容主要包括：纳米粘土矿物微粒矿物学、纳米粘土矿物体系物理学、纳米粘土矿物化学、纳米粘土矿物材料学和纳米粘土矿物加工学。本文进一步对纳米粘土矿物的检测方法和检测标准、聚合物／纳米粘土矿物复合材料的产业化提出了思考。     

Radiation and energy balance dynamics over young chir pine (Pinus roxburghii) system in Doon of western Himalayas

The regional impacts of future climate changes are principally driven by changes in energy fluxes. In this study, measurements on micrometeorological and biophysical variables along with surface energy exchange were made over a coniferous subtropical chir pine (Pinus roxburghii) plantation ecosystem at Forest Research Institute, Doon valley, India. The energy balance components were analyzed for two years to understand the variability of surface energy fluxes, their drivers, and closure pattern. The period covered two growth cycles of pine in the years 2010 and 2011 without and with understory growth. Net short wave and long wave radiative fluxes substantially varied with cloud dynamics, season, rainfall induced surface wetness, and green growth. The study clearly brought out the intimate link of albedo dynamics in chir pine system with dynamics of leaf area index (LAI), soil moisture, and changes in understory background. Rainfall was found to have tight linear coupling with latent heat fluxes. Latent heat flux during monsoon period was found to be higher in higher rainfall year (2010) than in lower rainfall year (2011). Higher or lower pre-monsoon sensible heat fluxes were succeeded by noticeably higher or lower monsoon rainfall respectively. Proportion of latent heat flux to net radiation typically followed the growth curve of green vegetation fraction, but with time lag. The analysis of energy balance closure (EBC) showed that the residual energy varied largely within ±30% of net available energy and the non-closure periods were marked by higher rainspells or forced clearance of understory growths.     

Insight into the effects of clay mineralogy on the cyclic behavior of silt–clay mixtures

Results of a systematic testing program showed that the cyclic behavior of silt–clay mixtures is greatly influenced by the dominant clay minerals in the mixture. In particular, it was demonstrated that given the same amount of clay/clay mineral and/or same value of plasticity index, the montmorillonitic soils have the highest cyclic strength, followed by the illitic soils, and then by the kaolinitic soils. Moreover, the rate of increase in cyclic strength with increasing % clay mineral and PI is again the highest in the montmorillonitic soil, lowest in the kaolinitic soil and intermediate in the illitic soil. Therefore, without considering clay mineralogy, the % clay fraction, % clay mineral and plasticity index are unreliable indicators of the liquefaction susceptibility of fine-grained soils. The differing adhesive bond strength each clay mineral develops with the silt particles is deemed to largely explain the observed differences in the response of the three different soil mixtures to cyclic loading.     

Lime stabilization of clay minerals and soils

Clay soil can be stabilized by the addition of small percentages, by weight, of lime, thereby enhancing many of the engineering properties of the soil and producing an improved construction material. In order to illustrate such improvements, three of the most frequently occurring minerals in clay deposits, namely, kaolinite, montmorillonite and quartz were subjected to a series of tests. As lime stabilization is most often used in relation to road construction, the tests were chosen with this in mind. Till and laminated clay were treated in similar fashion. With the addition of lime, the plasticity of montmorillonite was reduced whilst that of kaolinite and quartz was increased somewhat. However, the addition of lime to the till had little influence on its plasticity but a significant reduction occurred in that of the laminated clay. All materials experienced an increase in their optimum moisture content and a decrease in their maximum dry density, as well as enhanced California bearing ratio, on addition of lime. Some notable increases in strength and Young's Modulus occurred in these materials when they were treated with lime. Length of time curing and temperature at which curing took place had an important influence on the amount of strength developed.     

Heavy metal distribution and environmental status of Doon Valley soils, Outer Himalaya, India

 Doon Valley is surrounded by two major river systems (Ganga and Yamuna) on either side, with a water divide passing nearly across the centre of the valley, and is sandwiched between two mountain ranges in the fragile ecological systems of the Himalayan foothills. In total 398 soil samples were collected from the valley in a grid pattern (∼1 sample per 2 km²) and investigated for their heavy metal (Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn) abundances that are environmentally sensitive. Comparison of the heavy metal abundances with the contamination threshold values (CTV) revealed that most of these elemental abundances in Doon Valley soils fall well within the range of the uncontaminated to slightly contaminated category. In the case of Cr and Ni, a sizeable number of samples exceeded the CTV (250 and 100 mg kg^–1 respectively) with an overall background value of 109 and 52 mg kg^–1 respectively. Sites of high Cr and Ni mostly occur in the Ganga Catchment (GC) sector that includes even relatively undisturbed forestland. The source of this contamination is attributed to geological factors which indicate contribution from the mafic volcanics of the Lesser Himalaya. This is also consistent with the distribution pattern of Mn and Fe, though their abundance levels are not alarming. The background concentration of Pb is low (22 mg kg^–1) in Doon Valley soils; however, signs of gradual Pb contamination are palpable in and around the centre of the Dehra Dun city and along the highways. Aluminium normalized heavy metal ratios were found to exhibit narrow variability in the case of Cu, Ni and Cr and had good correlation with Al, indicating their affinity and association with the clay minerals. On the other hand, Pb and Zn seem to be associated with non-silicate sources. Received: 7 January 2000 · Accepted: 30 July 2000     

Effect of diagenesis on clay mineralogy and organic matter in the Tunisian southern subsurface

This study aims to follow the effect of the diagenetic transformations on the clayey fraction and the organic matter of the Tunisian southern sub-surface. 61 samples from oil well named NWA-1 were recuperated for series of analyses. This study follows a comparative approach between the mineralogical, geochemical and petrographic studies. To discuss results from a statistical viewpoint, the Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was applied in order to find out any correlation between different components. The associated minerals quartz, feldspar, calcite, pyrite, anhydrite, gypsum, dolomite and olivine are also detected. These associated minerals remove by-products by the illitization reaction. The Index of Crystallinity (IC) of illite shows that, except some anomalies, the studied samples are between the epizone and the anchizone. Downward, samples show the effect of diagenetic processes and weak signs of low-grade metamorphism. As regards to the organic matter, values of Tmax range between 333°C and 463°C. On the other hand, potential hydrocarbon compounds (S2) show low values compared to those of (S1); but they maintain a similar variability from 0.63 to 21.12. SEM observations and X-ray microanalyses supported the formation of authigenic micro-quartz. The PCA of clay minerals, chemical components, and the depth shows three different populations. Feldspar, chlorite and quartz make up a population positively correlated with the depth. The second population seems to be indifferent to depth variation; it is made up of two sub-populations: the population of illite, gypsum and anhydrite, which is obtained by a counter clock rotation of depth population; and the population of pyrite, kaolinite, olivine phyllosilicate, which is obtained by an anticlockwise rotation of depth population. Third, the population of smectite, calcite and dolomite is inversely proportional to the depth variation. On the other hand, the PCA of TOC, Tmax, HI, S1, S2 and the depth make up a homogenous statistical population following the depth evolution.     

The chemistry and mineralogy of the clay fraction of sediments from the southern Barents Sea

The separated clay fraction (material <μ) of surface and sub-surface sediment samples from the southwestern Barents Sea is described. The partitioning of the major and minor elements within the different grain-size fractions of the sediment and between detrital and non-detrital phases demonstrates that the clay chemistry of these oxic shelf sediments is terrigenous in origin.The clays are a variable mixture of micaceous debris and illite with chloritic material, minor expandable clay and occasional kaolinite. Carbonate debris and amphibole occur locally. The semi-quantitative analysis suggests the existence of a considerable variation in the relative content of the principal mineralogical components and this is confirmed by the investigation of the major and minor elements. The terrigenous chemistry provides a more sensitive index of clay variability and allows the recognition of three distinct petrographic provinces.     

The mineralogy and origin of interbedded clay wayboards in the Lower Carboniferous of the Derbyshire Dome

Interbedded clays, or clay wayboards, from the Lower Carboniferous Limestones of Derbyshire and Staffordshire, are discussed in terms of their geological relationships, textural features and mineralogy, and comparison is made between these clays and other interbedded argillaceous materials from the area. It is concluded that the clay wayboards are the argillation products of contemporaneous volcanic ashfalls, and lie within the definition of K-bentonites. Stratigraphical and palaeogeographical aspects of clay wayboard distribution are briefly discussed, and it is shown that despite the probable widespread extent of individual clay horizons they are only of limited value for the purposes of correlation.     

Micromorphology and mineralogy of gullied soils in Anambra State,Nigeria

Detailed studies on the micromorphology and mineralogy of two guillied soils in Anambra State of Nigeria were carried out. Thin sections were prepared and point counting technique used in investigating the pedological features. Micromorphological analysis indicates that the S-matrix of the soil have mainly sepic and inundulic with few asepic plasmic fabric. Distribution patterns are agglomeroplasmic to porphyroskelic and granular.Clay mineralogy was determined by x-ray diffractometry and the result reveals that the soils are mostly dominated by kaolinite and quartz.Macromorphologically, the soils are very deep, well drained and coarse to medium textured with granular and medium subangular structures.The occurrence of ferriargillans in the B-horizon is a strong indication of pedotranslocation. Other contemporary processes or regrouping phenomena are pedotranslocation, pedoturbation, pedocompaction and pedotransformation of minerals. The role of clay mineralogy type in soil erosion problems is discussed.     

Soil genesis and clay mineralogy on Aliabbas River Alluvial Fan, Kerman Province

Alluvial fan is among the important geomorphic positions in arid and semi-arid environments, and the history of settlement in central parts of Iran plateau has significantly been related to this landform. Soil properties are also related to the stability and the position of geomorphic surfaces. To study and compare clay mineralogy and soil physicochemical responses to geomorphic positions, 11 representative pedons on stable and unstable alluvial fan surfaces and plain geomorphic position in a transect from Sarcheshmeh Mountains toward Rafsanjan Plain were studied. Soil moisture and temperature regimes of the area were aridic and mesic, respectively. Smectite, kaolinite, chlorite, illite, and palygorskite clay minerals were found in almost all the studied soils. More salinity was investigated in stable alluvial fan surfaces than unstable positions. Evidence of a more humid paleoclimate shown by buried Bt horizons in plain surface was observed. Transformation of palygorskite to smectite in surface horizon of unstable alluvial fan position and preservation of palygorskite associated by gypsum crystals in By horizon of stable fan surfaces were among the important findings of the research. There was a significant and mutual relationship between geomorphology and physicochemical and mineralogical properties of soils under study.