Kaolinite marine sediments

The distribution of kaolinite in marine sediments (Fig. 1.15) depends on the intensity of chemical weathering at the site of the rock s origin and the essential patterns of eolian and fluvial transport. Due to its concentration at equatorial and tropical latitudes, kaolinite is usually referred... 

Clay constitutes the most abundant and ubiquitous component of the main types of marine sediments deposited from outer shelf to deep sea environments. The clay minerals are conventionally comprised of the <2 pm fraction, are sheet- or fiber-shaped, and adsorb various proportions of water. This determines a high buoyancy and the ability for clay to be widely dispersed by marine currents, despite its propensity for forming aggregates and floes. Clay minerals in the marine environments are dominated by illite, smectite, and kaolinite, three families whose chemical composition and crystalline status are highly variable. The marine clay associations may include various amounts and types of other species, namely chlorite and random mixed layers, but also ver-miculite, palygorskite, sepiolite, talc, pyrophyllite, etc. The clay mineralogy of marine sediments is therefore very diverse according to depositional environments, from both qualitative and quantitative points of view. 

Fine-grained marine sediment, containing kaolinite and montmorillonite, was able to adsorb mycrocystin-LR, indicateing the potential use of clays to remove this class of potent mammalian liver toxins from drinking waters (Morris et al., 2000). 

The finely banded argillaceous sediments are illitic or kaolinitic with a constant content of about 10% mixed-layer minerals and <5% chlorite. Carbonates are generally represented by micro- to macro-crystalline dolomites and organogenic limestones. The thickness of those shallow-marine Upper Carboniferous sediments is 25-90 m. 

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