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Weathering of biotite into dioctahedral clay minerals

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 July 2018

A. W. Fordham
A. W. Fordham*
Affiliation:
CSIRO Division of Soils, Private Bag No. 2, Glen Osmond, South Australia 5064
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Abstract

Changes which occur during the natural weathering of biotite in granite gneiss and associated soils are measured by microanalysis and illustrated by SEM. Biotite weathers through a series of interstratified minerals to vermiculite and/or smectite phases which decompose rapidly to kaolinite. Both vermiculite and smectite phases appear to be dioctahedral, on the basis of chemical compositions derived from microprobe data. Weathering products are first apparent on the edges of laminae, where interstratified minerals are formed at right angles to both the edge face and the cleavage. Weathering soon develops along cleavage planes, initially most strongly near the edges of flakes, but then permeating extensively into the body of flakes and subdivided segments. The orientation of interstratified minerals and kaolinite within cleavages is parallel to the cleavage.

Type
Research Article
Information
Clay Minerals , Volume 25 , Issue 1 , March 1990 , pp. 51 - 63
Copyright
Copyright © The Mineralogical Society of Great Britain and Ireland 1990

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