A study of clay mineralogy and particle size

1957 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 45 ◽  
Author(s):  
JS Hosking ◽  
ME Neilson ◽  
AR Carthew
Keyword(s):  
Particle Size ◽  
Clay Minerals ◽  
Clay Mineral ◽  
Mineral Content ◽  
Clay Fraction ◽  
Clay Mineralogy ◽  
Coarse Sand ◽  
Reverse Effect ◽  
Chemical Alteration ◽  
Intermediate Particle

A study of the mineralogy of the clay, silt, and sand fractions of 24 soils has shown that the clay minerals are distributed through all fractions of the soils. In granitic and other soils which are characterized by kaolinite, with mica, illite, or montmorillonoids sometimes present though subsidiary, the clay mineral content of the silts may be as high as in the clay fraction though on the average it is about 50 per cent.; in the sands, however, clay minerals are negligible. In basaltic or basic soils which are characterized by halloysite or nontronite or both, with other types subsidiary, the clay mineral content of the silts is somewhat less than that in granitic soils, but persists a t an average of 20 per cent, in the sands. The higher concentration of kaolinite in the silt fractions reflects the larger particle size of this mineral. The concentration of halloysite or nontronite in the sand fractions, and even the concentrations reached in the silts of soils containing these minerals, reflect their fibrous nature which allows the formation of stable interlaced aggregates. Overall the two types of mineral, altered (authigenic) and residual (allogenic), vary continuously with particle size; the former, constituting the bulk of the colloids, decrease to small amounts in the coarse sand, while the latter necessarily show the reverse effect. The silts contain both types of mineral in about equal amounts and thus represent the intermediate particle size of mechanical breakdown and chemical alteration.

scholarly journals Quantitative clay mineralogy as a tool for lithostratigraphy of Neogene Formations in Belgium: a reconnaissance study

2020 ◽  
Vol 23 (3-4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rieko ADRIAENS ◽  
Noël VANDENBERGHE
Keyword(s):  
Detailed Analysis ◽  
Clay Minerals ◽  
Clay Mineral ◽  
Natural Radioactivity ◽  
Mineral Content ◽  
Clay Fraction ◽  
Clay Mineralogy ◽  
Soil Material ◽  
Lithostratigraphic Units ◽  
Borehole Logs

Although the main stratigraphic frame of the Neogene in North Belgium is well established still several issues remain. This is in particular the case at the boundaries of lithostratigraphic units and where lateral facies have developed. Not only are more biostratigraphic data needed but also the commonly used geophysical well logging needs a better information on the precise influence of the variable mineralogy in the sediments. In particular glauconite, muscovite and clay mineralogy need a detailed analysis. Such an analysis is carried out on the Antwerp Member of the Berchem Formation, the Diest Formation, the Kasterlee Formation and the Mol Formation with particular emphasis on the boundary intervals between these units. Clay minerals, glauconite, feldspars and muscovite are analyzed. Interstratified glauconite/smectite appears to be common in the low abundant dispersed clay fraction of sand rich in glauconite pellets. Marine units generally consist of detrital smectite-rich assemblages while kaolinite becomes more abundant in units under more continental influence. The presence of Fe-rich vermiculite in a clayey top facies of the Diest Formation indicates the influx of soil material containing weathered glauconite. It is common to find that the basal sediments of a new unit contain the mineralogical heritage of the underlying unit. The clay mineral content has helped to differentiate between units, to locate the boundaries between units and to understand the reworking that occurred at the base of new stratigraphic units. The mineralogical information can also be used to interpret the natural radioactivity and resistivity signals in the borehole logs.

Complex permittivity and clay mineralogy of grain-size fractions in a wet silt soil

Geophysics ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 73 (3) ◽  
pp. J1-J13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven Arcone ◽  
Steven Grant ◽  
Ginger Boitnott ◽  
Benjamin Bostick
Keyword(s):  
Grain Size ◽  
Clay Minerals ◽  
Clay Mineral ◽  
Complex Permittivity ◽  
Mineral Content ◽  
Size Fraction ◽  
Clay Mineralogy ◽  
Free Water ◽  
Size Fractions ◽  
Grain Size Fractions

We determined the complex permittivity and clay mineralogy of grain-size fractions in a wet silt soil. We used one clay-size fraction and three silt-size fractions, measured permittivity with low error from [Formula: see text] with time-domain spectroscopy, and estimated mineral weight percentages using X-ray diffraction (XRD). The volumetric water contents were near 30%, and the temperature was [Formula: see text]. For the whole soil, standard fractionation procedures yielded 2.4% clay-size particles by weight, but XRD showed that the phyllosilicate clay minerals kaolinite, illite, and smectite made up 17% and were significantly present in all fractions. Above approximately [Formula: see text], all real parts were similar. Below approximately [Formula: see text], the real and imaginary permittivities increased with decreasing grain size as frequency decreased, and the imaginary parts became dominated by direct-current conduction. Similarly, below approximately [Formula: see text], the measured permittivity of montmorillonite, a common smectite, dominated that of the other clay minerals. Total clay mineral and smectite mass fractions consistently increased with decreasing grain size. Below [Formula: see text], a model with progressively increasing amounts of water and parameters characteristic of montmorillonite matches the data well for all fractions, predicts permittivities characteristic of free water in smectite structural galleries, and shows that the similar real parts above [Formula: see text] are caused by a small suppression of the high-frequency static value of water permittivity by the smectite. We conclude that the clay mineral content, particularly smectite, appears to be responsible for permittivity variations between grain-size fractions. Small model mismatches in real permittivity near the low-frequency end and the greater fractions of kaolinite and illite suggest that the total clay mineral content might have been important for the coarser fractions.

Clay mineral-grain size-calcite cement relationships in the Upper Cretaceous Chalk, UK: a preliminary investigation

Clay Minerals ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 49 (2) ◽  
pp. 299-325 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. V. Jeans ◽  
N. J . Tosca ◽  
X. F. Hu ◽  
S. Boreham
Keyword(s):  
Particle Size ◽  
Particle Size Distribution ◽  
Trace Element ◽  
Size Distribution ◽  
Clay Mineral ◽  
Preliminary Investigation ◽  
Clay Mineralogy ◽  
Minor Amount ◽  
Dioctahedral Smectite ◽  
Calcite Cement

AbstractThe idea is tested that the evolution of the Chalk’s clay mineral assemblage during diagenesis can be deduced by examining the relationships between its clay mineralogy, particle size distribution pattern, and the timing and trace element chemistry of the calcite cement. The preliminary results from five different examples of cementation developed at different stages of diagenesis in chalks with smectite-dominated clay assemblages suggest that this is a promising line of investigation. Soft chalks with minor amount of anoxic series calcite cement poor in Mg, Fe and Mn are associated with neoformed trioctahedral smectite and/or dioctahedral nontronite and talc. Hard ground chalk with extensive anoxic series calcite cement enriched in Mg and relatively high Fe, Mn and Sr are associated with neoformed glauconite sensu lato, berthierine and dioctahedral smectite, possibly enriched in Fe. The chalk associated with large ammonites shows extensive suboxic series calcite cement enriched in Mg, Mn and Fe that show no obvious correlation with its clay mineralogy. Nodular chalks with patchy suboxic series calcite cement enriched in Fe are associated with neoformed dioctahedral smectite, possibly enriched in Al, and berthierine. Regionally hardened chalk with extensive suboxic calcite cement and relatively high trace element contents contain pressure dissolution seams enriched in kaolin and berthierine. Laser-based particle-size distribution patterns suggest that each type of lithification has a typical complex clay mineral population, indicating that subtleties in mineralogy are not being identified and that there could be some control on the size and shape of the clay crystals by the different types of cementation.

Evaluating the paleoclimatic significance of clay mineral records from a late Pleistocene loess-paleosol section of the Ili Basin, Central Asia

2017 ◽  
Vol 89 (3) ◽  
pp. 660-673 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yue Li ◽  
Yougui Song ◽  
Mengxiu Zeng ◽  
Weiwei Lin ◽  
Rustam Orozbaev ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Central Asia ◽  
Clay Mineral ◽  
Late Pleistocene ◽  
Sedimentary Rocks ◽  
Clay Fraction ◽  
Clay Mineralogy ◽  
Metamorphic Rocks ◽  
Paleoclimatic Reconstruction ◽  
Paleoclimatic Significance ◽  
Wind Intensity

AbstractIn this study, we present clay mineral records from a late Pleistocene loess-paleosol sequence in the Ili Basin, Central Asia, and assess their significance for paleoclimatic reconstruction. The results show that the clay minerals are mainly illite (average 60%) and chlorite (28%), with minor kaolinite (9%) and smectite (3%). Illite was of detrital origin with no obvious modification to its crystal structure. Increases in illite content in the loess are ascribed to wind intensity rather than pedogenesis. High proportions of illite in the clay fraction, and of muscovite in the bulk samples of the paleosol units, may lead to an overestimation of the weathering intensity. Kaolinite was likely inherited from the sedimentary rocks, while chlorite might have been inherited from both sedimentary and metamorphic rocks. The paleoclimatic signals of kaolinite and chlorite were unclear, due to reworking by both fluvial and eolian systems. Smectite was more likely formed by the transformation of biotite and illite, and its variation in the loess sequence was also controlled by wind intensity; this was largely due to aggregation and is unlikely to reflect moisture changes. Although the interpretation of paleoclimate evolution may contain some uncertainties, clay mineralogy does provide the possibility of tracing dust provenance.

A mineralogical and geochemical study of turbidite sandstones and interbedded shales, Mam Tor, Derbyshire, UK

Clay Minerals ◽  
1981 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 333-345 ◽  
Author(s):  
D.A. Spears ◽  
M.A. Amin
Keyword(s):  
Particle Size ◽  
Grain Size ◽  
Clay Mineral ◽  
Mixed Layer ◽  
Clay Mineralogy ◽  
Lateral Variation ◽  
Size Fractions ◽  
Shore Line ◽  
Geochemical Study ◽  
Size Sorting

AbstractEleven shales and fourteen turbidite sandstones from the Mam Tor Beds were analysed chemically and by XRD. The ratio of kaolinite to illite plus mixed-layer clay was higher in the sandstones than in the shales, size fractions demonstrating that this ratio decreased as the grain size decreased. Shales more basinal in character than those of the Mam Tor Beds contain more illite and mixed-layer clay and less kaolinite and it is suggested that there was a lateral variation in clay mineralogy with distance from the shore line due to particle size sorting and that the character of the clay mineral fraction was retained as the turbidity current transported sediment from a nearshore environment deeper into the basin. Support for this model was obtained from the geochemistry which showed that the sandstone matrix differed compositionally from the shales. Systematic variations occurred in the turbidite sandstones but not in the shales which are therefore considered to be non-turbiditic. Only minor mineralogical changes appear to have occurred during diagenesis.

Clay minerals in onshore and offshore strata of the British Isles: origins and clay mineral stratigraphy

Clay Minerals ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-3 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. V. Jeans ◽  
R. J. Merriman
Keyword(s):  
Clay Minerals ◽  
Clay Mineral ◽  
Clay Mineralogy ◽  
Petroleum Exploration ◽  
British Isles ◽  
Mineral Research ◽  
Mineral Data ◽  
The Cost ◽  
First Time ◽  
Source Of Information

AbstractThe publication of The Clay Mineralogy of British Sediments by Perrin in 1971 collated several decades of clay mineral research in the British Isles and for the first time presented all the data in a stratigraphical framework. While it quickly became a useful source of information for geologists, engineers and soil scientists, it also revealed many gaps in clay mineral data through the geological succession, stimulating further research. Within ten years of publication, a successor to Perrin's book was under discussion by the Clay Minerals Group. Inevitably, the enthusiasm for the concept of the project gave way to the patience of a long gestation. A successor to Perrin (1971) became a standing item on the agenda of Clay Minerals Group Committee meetings, and the bane of many a Chairman's three years in office. By the mid-1990s the project began to show real progress, gathering momentum from the success of an international series of 'Cambridge clay mineral diagenesis conferences' (1981, 1984, 1986, 1989, 1993, 1998) that were supported by the oil industry. A timely injection of financial support from the Joint Association for Petroleum Exploration Courses (JAPEC) ensured a successful conclusion for the project.The cost of publication has been borne by three sponsors: the Clay Minerals Group, JAPEC (UK: training), and the Mineralogical Society. Consequently, the financing of this Special Volume of Clay Minerals is entirely independent of the usual costs of publishing the journal. We owe our particular thanks to Kevin Murphy, Editorial Manager, for his care and humour in guiding Clay minerals in onshore and offshore strata of the British Isles through publication.

scholarly journals Porosity model and pore evolution of transitional shales: an example from the Southern North China Basin

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (6) ◽  
pp. 1512-1526
Author(s):  
Xiao-Guang Yang ◽  
Shao-Bin Guo
Keyword(s):  
Specific Surface ◽  
Surface Area ◽  
Clay Minerals ◽  
Clay Mineral ◽  
Specific Surface Area ◽  
Mineral Content ◽  
High Specific Surface Area ◽  
High Porosity ◽  
Mechanical Compaction ◽  
Pore Evolution

AbstractThe evolution of shale reservoirs is mainly related to two functions: mechanical compaction controlled by ground stress and chemical compaction controlled by thermal effect. Thermal simulation experiments were conducted to simulate the chemical compaction of marine-continental transitional shale, and X-ray diffraction (XRD), CO2 adsorption, N2 adsorption and high-pressure mercury injection (MIP) were then used to characterize shale diagenesis and porosity. Moreover, simulations of mechanical compaction adhering to mathematical models were performed, and a shale compaction model was proposed considering clay content and kaolinite proportions. The advantage of this model is that the change in shale compressibility, which is caused by the transformation of clay minerals during thermal evolution, may be considered. The combination of the thermal simulation and compaction model may depict the interactions between chemical and mechanical compaction. Such interactions may then express the pore evolution of shale in actual conditions of formation. Accordingly, the obtained results demonstrated that shales having low kaolinite possess higher porosity at the same burial depth and clay mineral content, proving that other clay minerals such as illite–smectite mixed layers (I/S) and illite are conducive to the development of pores. Shales possessing a high clay mineral content have a higher porosity in shallow layers (< 3500 m) and a lower porosity in deep layers (> 3500 m). Both the amount and location of the increase in porosity differ at different geothermal gradients. High geothermal gradients favor the preservation of high porosity in shale at an appropriate Ro. The pore evolution of the marine-continental transitional shale is divided into five stages. Stage 2 possesses an Ro of 1.0%–1.6% and has high porosity along with a high specific surface area. Stage 3 has an Ro of 1.6%–2.0% and contains a higher porosity with a low specific surface area. Finally, Stage 4 has an Ro of 2.0%–2.9% with a low porosity and high specific surface area.

The clay mineralogy of some soils derived from a biotite-rich quartz-gabbro in the Strathdon area, Aberdeenshire

Clay Minerals ◽  
1967 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 91-100 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. J. Wilson
Keyword(s):  
Clay Mineral ◽  
Clay Fraction ◽  
Clay Mineralogy ◽  
Glacial Period ◽  
Last Glacial Period ◽  
Plagioclase Feldspar ◽  
Soil Forming Processes ◽  
Mineral Constituents ◽  
Clay Mineral Composition ◽  
The Last Glacial

AbstractThree soils of the Strathdon area, Aberdeenshire, derived from a biotite-rich quartz-gabbro and representing well-drained, imperfectly drained and poorly drained types, were studied. The 50–200 µ fractions contained mainly plagioclase feldspar, amphibole (tremolite and hornblende), biotite and quartz and the following order of relative stability was established: quartz > amphibole > plagioclase feldspar > biotite. In all soils biotite was found to weather to a 14 Å aluminous vermiculite-chlorite with zones of kaolinite. The clay mineral composition of three soils was identical, consisting of trioctahedral vermiculite-chlorite, trioctahedral illite, kaolinite and gibbsite. These minerals originated in various ways through the decomposition of biotite which thus plays a key role in the origin of the clay fraction. It is suggested that the clay mineral constituents of the soils were formed in a regolith predating the last glacial period, and that post glacial soil-forming processes have modified them only slightly.

scholarly journals Does calcium carbonate influence clay mineral transformation in soils developed from slope deposits in Southern Poland?

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 257-280
Author(s):  
Joanna Beata Kowalska ◽  
Michał Skiba ◽  
Katarzyna Maj-Szeliga ◽  
Ryszard Mazurek ◽  
Tomasz Zaleski
Keyword(s):  
Calcium Carbonate ◽  
Clay Minerals ◽  
Clay Mineral ◽  
Mass Movement ◽  
Clay Fraction ◽  
Mineral Weathering ◽  
Similar Degree ◽  
Secondary Phases ◽  
Slope Deposits ◽  
Uniform Composition

Abstract Purpose Literature reported that soils characterized by heterogeneity would reveal the different direction of clay minerals transformation. Hence, in this study, four soils developed on menilite shales slope deposits were investigated to test if the clay minerals transformations in soils with varied calcium carbonate distribution would show multidirectional paths of clay mineral weathering, or if transformation of secondary phases in such stratified materials would reveal only one trajectory. Methods The separated clay fractions were analysed using X-ray diffractometry and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. Geochemical analyses were performed using ICP-ES and ICP-MS after sample fusion with lithium borate and an alloy dissolution with nitric acid. Results Calcium carbonate did not influence the composition and transformation of clay minerals. Despite the fact that soils were characterized by different content and distribution of calcium carbonate within the solum and additionally indicated various morphological features, the mineralogical composition of clay fraction was very uniform. Among the secondary phases, chlorite, illite, vermiculite, kaolinite and mixed phases illite-smectite and vermiculite-chlorite were detected in all horizons. Conclusions The uniform composition of the clay minerals in the studied soils suggested that mass movement, which controlled the formation of slope covers, was probably of a similar character and intensity across the whole of the slope. Furthermore, it seems that the pedogenesis in all soils proceeded on the same scale of advancement. This was indicated by a similar degree of weathering of soil material and lack of depth-dependent weathering in the profiles, confirmed by values of weathering indices (CIA and ICV) as well as by micromorphologically visible, highly weathered coarse fragments. Moreover, weak intensity of the illuviation process within the homogeneous substrate could have resulted in the very uniform composition of clay minerals in the studied soils.

Clay-Mineral Assemblages from Late Quaternary Deposits on Vancouver Island, Southwestern British Columbia, Canada

1989 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 41-56 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bertrand Blaise
Keyword(s):  
Clay Minerals ◽  
Clay Mineral ◽  
Late Quaternary ◽  
Sedimentary Environment ◽  
Volcanic Rocks ◽  
Clay Mineralogy ◽  
Vancouver Island ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Glacial Deposits ◽  
Mineral Contents

AbstractOn Vancouver Island, the Dashwood Drift, Cowichan Head Formation, Quadra Sand, and Vashon Drift were deposited during late Pleistocene glacial and interstadial periods and show large variations in clay-mineral contents partly related to changing climatic conditions. Glacial deposits are characterized by iron-rich chlorite, illite (both well crystallized), and smectite with a morphology reflecting rapid derivation from volcanic rocks. The clay mineralogy of nonglacial deposits is more complex, and is marked by the presence of vermiculite, kaolinite, halloysite, and irregular mixed-layer minerals. Nonglacial clay minerals are poorly preserved and show a higher state of alteration due to pedogenesis. Large variations in nonglacial deposits compared to glacial deposits are also due to secondary factors such as selective sorting, soil and rock source variations, differences in sedimentary environment, and diagenesis. These secondary factors do not seem to obliterate significantly the climatic imprint on the clay minerals. These studies also permit the recognition of glacially reworked sediments, the determination of relationships between two units in the same section, and the establishment of the conditions of clay-mineral formation.

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