Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-rcrh6 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-26T10:10:24.411Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Weathering of Chlorite: II. Reactions and Products in Microsystems Controlled by Solution Avenues

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2024

Mehrooz F. Aspandiar*
Affiliation:
Department of Geology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200
Richard A. Eggleton
Affiliation:
Department of Geology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200
*
*E-mail address of corresponding author: [email protected]
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

Weathering of chlorite adjacent to macro- and micro-passages (fissures) in regolith units has been studied to determine the alteration mechanisms and products and compare them to those that prevail at a distance from the open passages. The micro-fissures in the saprolith units evolve as a function of weathering with an increase in micro-fissure density and their infilling with ferriargillans corresponding to an increase in weathering intensity. In the saprock and saprolite units, goethite-rich bands with surrounding reddish haloes invade the chlorite adjoining the micro-fissures. In the reddish haloes surrounding the goethite bands and fissures, the phyllosilicates alter to an intimate mixture of goethite, kaolinite, feroxyhyte and halloysite with the possible nanoscale presence of other fine-grained iron aluminosilicates such as hisingerite and smectite. In the fine saprolite, the weathering products after original chlorite adjoining the micro-fissures bearing ferriargillans, alter directly to ferriargillan products — kaolinite and goethite. The lack of orientation of the products with the parent phyllosilicates indicates the operation of a dissolution-precipitat ion mechanism which is in contrast to the topotactic alteration mechanism functioning at a distance within the phyllosilicate grain assemblage. The differences in alteration mechanisms and products of chlorite weathering in different microsites suggest the rate of weathering of chlorite can differ in microsites within individual regolith units. The presence of fine-grained metastable products in the form of feroxyhyte and halloysite adjoining the fissures suggests an Ostwald Step Rule sequence during alteration of phyllosilicates with rapid oxidation of Fe and the presence of Si in the microsite considered the main factor favoring fine-grained metastable products.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © 2002, The Clay Minerals Society

References

Abrajano, T.A. Bates, J.K. Woodland, A.B. Bradley, J. and Bourcier, W.L., (1990) Secondary phase formation during nuclear waste glass dissolution Clays and Clay Minerals 38 537 348 10.1346/CCMN.1990.0380511.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ahn, J.H. and Peacor, D., (1987) Kaolinitization of biotite: TEM data and implications for an alteration mechanism American Mineralogist 72 353 356.Google Scholar
Anand, R.R. Gilkes, R.J. Armitage, T.M. and Hillyer, J.W., (1985) Feldspar weathering in lateritic saprolite Clays and Clay Minerals 33 3143 10.1346/CCMN.1985.0330104.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Anderson, P.R. and Benjamin, M.M., (1985) Effect of silicon on the crystallization and adsorption properties of ferric oxides Environmental Science and Technology 19 10481053 10.1021/es00141a004.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Aspandiar, M.F. and Eggleton, R.A., (2002) Weathering of chlorite I: Reactions and products in microsystems controlled by primary minerals Clays and Clay Minerals 50 685698 10.1346/000986002762090227.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Banfield, J.F. and Barker, W.W., (1994) Direct observation of reactant-product interfaces formed in natural weathering of exsolved, defective amphibole to smectite: Evidence for episodic, isovolumetric reactions involving structural inheritance Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 58 14191429 10.1016/0016-7037(94)90546-0.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Banfield, J.F. and Murakami, K., (1998) Atomic-resolution transmission electron microscope evidence for the mechanism by which chlorite weathers to 1:1 semi-regular chlorite-vermiculite American Mineralogist 83 348357 10.2138/am-1998-3-419.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Banfield, J.F. Ferruzzi, G.G. Casey, W.H. and Westrich, H.R., (1995) HRTEM study comparing naturally and experimentally weathered pyroxenoids Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 59 1931 10.1016/0016-7037(94)00372-S.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Carlson, L. and Schwertmann, U., (1980) Natural occurrence of ferroxyhite Clays and Clay Minerals 28 272280 10.1346/CCMN.1980.0280405.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Carlson, L. and Schwertmann, U., (1981) Natural ferrihydrites in surface deposits from Finland and their association with silica Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 45 421429 10.1016/0016-7037(81)90250-7.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Childs, C.W. Downes, C.J. and Wells, N., (1982) Hydrous iron oxide minerals with short range order deposited in a spring/stream system, Tongariro National Park, New Zealand Australian Journal of Soil Science 20 119 120.Google Scholar
Cho, H.D. and Mermut, A.R., (1992) Evidence for halloysite formation from weathering of ferruginous chlorite Clays and Clay Minerals 40 608619 10.1346/CCMN.1992.0400516.Google Scholar
Chukhrov, F.V. Zvyagin, B.B. Gorshkov, A.I. Ermilova, L.P. and Balashova, V.V., (1976) Feroxyhyte, a new modification of FeOOH Yakubovskaya, Izv. Akademii Nauk SSSR, Series in Geology 5 5 24.Google Scholar
Cornell, R.M. and Giovanoli, R. (1987) The influence of silicate species on the morphology of geothite (α-FeOOH) grown from ferrihydrite (5Fe2O3.9H2O). Journal of the Chemical Society, Chemical Communications, 413414.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cornell, R.M. and Schwertmann, U., (1996) The Iron Oxides: Structure, Properties, Reactions, Occurrences and Uses New York VCH Weinheim 573 pp.Google Scholar
Cornell, R.M. Giovanoli, R. and Schindler, P.W., (1987) Effect of silicate species on the transformation of ferrihydrite into goethite and hematite in alkaline media Clays and Clay Minerals 35 2128 10.1346/CCMN.1987.0350103.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dixon, J.B. and McKee, T.R., (1974) Internal and external morphology of tubular and spheroidal halloysite particles Clays and Clay Minerals 22 127137 10.1346/CCMN.1974.0220118.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Eggleton, R.A., (1987) Noncrystalline Fe-Si-Al oxyhydroxides Clays and Clay Minerals 35 2937 10.1346/CCMN.1987.0350104.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Eggleton, R.A. and Boland, J., (1982) Weathering of enstatite to talc through a sequence of transitional phases Clays and Clay Minerals 30 1120 10.1346/CCMN.1982.0300102.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Eggleton, R.A. and Fitzpatrick, R.W., (1988) New data and a revised structural model for ferrihydrite Clays and Clay Minerals 36 111124 10.1346/CCMN.1988.0360203.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Eggleton, R.A. and Tilley, D.B., (1999) Hisingerite: A ferric kaolin mineral with curved morphology Clays and Clay Minerals 46 400413 10.1346/CCMN.1998.0460404.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Farmer, V.C., (1992) Possible confusion between so-called ferrihydrite and hisingerites Clay Minerals 27 373378 10.1180/claymin.1992.027.3.10.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Goldmann, N.T. and Singer, A., (2001) High-resolution transmission electron microscopy study of newly formed sediments in the Atlantis II Deep, Red Sea Clays and Clay Minerals 49 174182 10.1346/CCMN.2001.0490207.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hochella, M.F. and Banfield, J.F. (1995) Chemical weathering of silicates in nature: A microscopic perspective with theoretical considerations. Pp. 353401 in: Chemical Weathering Rates of Silicate Minerals (White, A.F. and Brantley, S.L. editors). Reviews in Mineralogy, 31. Mineralogical Society of America, Washington, D.C.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kohyama, N. and Sudo, T., (1975) Hisingerite occurring as a weathering product of iron-rich saponite Clay and Clay Minerals 23 215218 10.1346/CCMN.1975.0230309.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Le Gleuher, M. Livi, K.J. Veblen, D. Noack, Y. and Amouric, M., (1990) Serpentinization of enstatite from Pernes, France: Reaction microstructures and the role of system openness American Mineralogist 75 813 824.Google Scholar
Mazer, J.J. Bates, J.K. Bradley, J.P. Bradley, C.R. and Stevenson, C.M., (1992) Alteration of tektite to form weathering products Nature 357 573576 10.1038/357573a0.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McDaniel, P.A. and Buol, S.W., (1991) Manganese distributions in Acid Soils of the North Carolina Piedmont Soil Science Society of America Journal 55 152158 10.2136/sssaj1991.03615995005500010027x.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Meunier, A. and Velde, B., (1979) Weathering mineral facies in altered granites: the importance of local small-scale equilibria Mineralogical Magazine 43 261268 10.1180/minmag.1979.043.326.08.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Morse, J.W. and Casey, W.H., (1988) Ostwald processes and mineral paragenesis in sediments American Journal of Science 288 537560 10.2475/ajs.288.6.537.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Murakami, T. Isobe, H. Sato, T. and Ohnuki, T., (1996) Weathering of chlorite in a quartz-chlorite schist: I. Mineralogical and chemical changes Clays and Clay Minerals 44 244256 10.1346/CCMN.1996.0440210.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nahon, D., (1991) Introduction to the Petrology of Soils and Chemical Weathering New York Wiley 313 pp.Google Scholar
Proust, D. and Meunier, A., (1989) Phase equilibria in weathering processes Weathering: Its Products and Deposits, Vol I: Processes Athens, Greece Theophrastus Publications Pp. 121–146.Google Scholar
Robertson, I.D. and Eggleton, R.A., (1991) Weathering of granitic muscovite to kaolinite and halloysite and of plagioclase derived kaolinite to halloysite Clays and Clay Minerals 39 113126 10.1346/CCMN.1991.0390201.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schwertmann, U. Fitzpatrick, R.W., Skinner, H.C.W. and Fitzpatrick, R.W., (1992) Iron minerals in the surface environments Biomineralization Processes of Iron and Manganese — Modern and Ancient Environments Cremlingen-Destedt, Germany Catena Verlag Pp. 7–30.Google Scholar
Schwertmann, U. Taylor, R.M., Dixon, J.B. and Weed, S.B., (1989) Iron Oxides Minerals in the Soil Environments 2 Madison, Wisconsin Soil Science Society of America Pp. 379–438.Google Scholar
Shayan, A., (1984) Hisingerite material from a basalt quarry near Geelong, Victoria Clays and Clay Minerals 32 272278 10.1346/CCMN.1984.0320404.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Shayan, A. Sanders, J.V. and Lancucki, C.J., (1987) Hydrothermal alterations of hisingerite material from a basalt quarry near Geelong Clays and Clay Minerals 36 327336 10.1346/CCMN.1988.0360406.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Singh, B. and Gilkes, R.J., (1992) An electron optical investigation of alteration of kaolinite to halloysite Clays and Clay Minerals 40 212229 10.1346/CCMN.1992.0400211.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Veblen, D.R., (1991) Polysomatism and polysomatic series: A review and applications American Mineralogist 76 801 826.Google Scholar
Velbel, M.A., (1993) Constancy of silicate-mineral weathering-rate ratios between natural and experimental weathering: Implications of hydrologic control on the differences in absolute rates Chemical Geology 105 8999 10.1016/0009-2541(93)90120-8.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Vempati, R.K. Loeppert, R.H. Dufner, D.C. and Cocke, D.L., (1990) X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy as a tool to diffrentiate silicon-bonding state in amorphous iron oxides Soil Science Society of America Journal 54 695698 10.2136/sssaj1990.03615995005400030010x.CrossRefGoogle Scholar