Kaolinite weathered

Like calcium, strontium has moderate mobility in soils and sediments, and sorbs moderately to metal oxides and clays (Hayes and Traina 1998). The Sr2- ion is strongly hydrated and is firmly coordinated with six or more water molecules in aqueous solution. When Sr2- ions sorb on negatively charged mineral surface sites, the hydration sphere is retained (O Day et al. 2000). Strontium sorbs as hydrated ions on the surface of clay minerals (kaolinite), weathered minerals (amorphous silica), and iron oxides (Sahai et al. 2000). Sorbed carbonate on iron oxides enhances the sorption of Sr2- and permits the nucleation of Sr2- as strontium carbonate (Sahai et al. 2000). On calcite (calcium carbonate), Sr2 sorption occurs by electrostatic attraction as hydrated ions. However, at higher concentrations, precipitation of strontianite (strontium carbonate) occurs and strontium is likely to be less mobile (Parkman et al. 1998). 

There are no unequivocal weathering reactions for the siUcate minerals. Depending on the nature of parent rocks and hydrauhc regimes, various secondary minerals like gibbsite, kaolinite, smectites, and iUites are formed as reaction products. Some important dissolution processes of siUcates are given, for example, by the following reactions (19). 

Gays are an essential component of soils, to which we owe our survival, and they are also the raw materials for some of mankind s most ancient and essential artefacts pottery, bricks, tiles, etc. Clays are formed by the weathering and decomposition of igneous rocks and occur typically as very fine panicles e.g. kaolinite is formed as hexagonal plates of edge. 1-3 p m by the weathering of alkaline feldspar... 

A proponent of "reverse weathering" suggested that gibbsite, kaolinite, and quartz exist in equilibrium according to the following equation. In equilibrium expressions for these reactions, water will appear as the activity, rather than concentration. The activity can be approximated by the mole fraction of water. What is the activity of water if this equilibrium is maintained Could this equilibrium exist in seawater, where the mole fraction of water is about 0.98 AG values (kj/mol) gibbsite — 2320.4 kaolinite — 3700.7 quartz —805.0 water —228.4. 

Smectite is the first secondary mineral to form upon rock weathering in the semi-arid to sub-humid tropics. Smectite clay retains most of the ions, notably Ca2+ and Mg2+, released from weathering primary silicates. Iron, present as Fe2+ in primary minerals, is preserved in the smectite crystal lattice as Fe3+. The smectites become unstable as weathering proceeds and basic cations and silica are removed by leaching. Fe3+-compounds however remain in the soil, lending it a reddish color aluminum is retained in kaolinite and A1-oxides. Leached soil components accumulate at poorly drained, lower terrain positions where they precipitate and form new smectitic clays that remain stable as long as the pH is above neutral. Additional circumstances for the dominance of clays are ... 

In terms of soil development and the development of soil horizons, the smectites and fine-grained micas are found in younger, less weathered soils. Kaolinite and amorphous clays are found in highly weathered soils. Considering a time sequence, at the beginning of formation, soil will contain more complex clays that weather to simpler forms over time. However, it is convenient to start with a description of the simpler layer silicate clays and then describe the more complex clays. 

Products of weathering and soil colloids, e.g., aluminum silicates, kaolinite, gibbsite, Si02... 

The production of illite from chemical weathering occurs at all latitudes. It dominates the clay mineral assemblage in the North Atlantic and North Pacific Ocean, particularly at 40° reflecting aeolian transport by the westerlies (Figure 14.11). In the southern hemisphere, the input of illite by the westerlies is diluted by a large input of authigenic montmorillonite in the South Pacific and Indian Oceans and in the South Atlantic by a large input of kaolinite. 

Ca (aq), Mg (aq), and HCOjCaq). Silicate weathering is an incongruent process. The most important of these reactions involves the weathering of the feldspar minerals, ortho-clase, albite, and anorthite. The dissolved products are K (aq), Na (aq), and Ca (aq), and the solid products are the clay minerals, illite, kaolinite, and montmorillonite. The weathering of kaolinite to gibbsite and the partial dissolution of quartz and chert also produces some DSi,... 

Clay mineral A layered aluminosilicate, such as kaolinite, dUte, chlorite, and montmordlonite. Most are formed by chemical weathering of rocks on land. 

Kaolinite A clay mineral produced by intense weathering under tropical conditions. As a result, it is depleted in all cations except for silicon and aluminum. 

---