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Isotope geochemistry and origin of illite-smectite and kaolinite from the Seilitz and Kemmlitz kaolin deposits, Saxony, Germany

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 July 2018

H. A. Gilg ,
B. Weber ,
J . Kasbohm  and
R. Frei
H. A. Gilg*
Affiliation:
Fakultät Chemie, Technische Universität München, Lichtenbergstr. 4, 85747 Garching, Germany
B. Weber
Affiliation:
Division de Ciencias de la Terra, CICESE, 22830 Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico
J . Kasbohm
Affiliation:
Institut für Geologische Wissenschaften, Ernst Moritz Arndt-Universität Greifswald, Friedrich-Ludwig-Jahnstr. 17a, 17489 Greifswald, Germany
R. Frei
Affiliation:
Geologisk Institut, Københavens Universitet, Øster Voldgade 10, 1350 Copenhagen Denmark
*
*E-mail: albert.gilg@geo.tum.de
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Abstract

Residual clays that developed on Permian and Carboniferous glass-rich silicic volcanic rocks (pitchstones, ignimbrites) at the Seilitz and Kemmlitz kaolin deposits, Saxony, Eastern Germany, contain locally abundant lath-shaped illite-rich illite-smectite mixed-layer minerals (I-S). Analyses by XRD and TEM-AES reveal a large illite percentage (>∼90%) and R3 ordering in I-S from Seilitz (>∼90%) and smaller illite percentage (∼70%) and R1 ordering in I-S from Kemmlitz. The clays never suffered a deep burial and there is no geological, petrographic or fluid inclusion evidence for aeolian input or hydrothermal origin of I-S at either deposit. The I-S formed exclusively at the expense of volcanic glass and not from K-feldspar. Residual quartz phenocrysts in the clays still preserve primary glassy silicate melt inclusions and lack secondary aqueous fluid inclusion trails. The dD and δ18O values of kaolinite and I-S are suggestive of low formation temperatures (<40ºC). Rb-Sr and K-Ar dating of I-S-bearing clay separates yield Lower Cretaceous ages at Seilitz and indicates the presence of excess or inherited 40Ar in illite-rich I-S. In contrast, Triassic to Jurassic Rb-Sr ages are obtained for I-S from the Kemmlitz kaolin deposit.

Keywords

illite-smectitekaoliniteoxygen isotopeshydrogen isotopeRb-SrK-ArMesozoickaolin depositsTEMSaxonySeilitzKemmlitz

Information

Type
Research Article
Information
Clay Minerals , Volume 38 , Issue 1 , March 2003 , pp. 95 - 112
Copyright
Copyright © The Mineralogical Society of Great Britain and Ireland 2003

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