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Weathering of Chlorite to a Low-Charge Expandable Mineral in a Spodosol on the Apennine Mountains, Italy

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 February 2024

Stefano Carnicelli ,
Aldo Mirabella ,
Guia Cecchini  and
Guido Sanesi
Stefano Carnicelli
Affiliation:
Dipartimento di Scienza del Suolo e Nutrizione della Pianta, Università di Firenze, Ple Cascine 16, 50144 Firenze, Italy
Aldo Mirabella
Affiliation:
Istituto Sperimentale per lo Studio e la Difesa del Suolo., MiRAAF P.za D'Azeglio 30, 50121 Firenze, Italy
Guia Cecchini
Affiliation:
Dipartimento di Scienza del Suolo e Nutrizione della Pianta, Università di Firenze, Ple Cascine 16, 50144 Firenze, Italy
Guido Sanesi
Affiliation:
Dipartimento di Scienza del Suolo e Nutrizione della Pianta, Università di Firenze, Ple Cascine 16, 50144 Firenze, Italy
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Abstract

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The clay fraction of a Spodosol and its parent rock in the Apennine mountains of central Italy were studied by powder X-raydiffraction (XRD) and infrared (IR) spectroscopy, to evaluate the possibility of transformation of chlorite into low-charge expandable minerals. Results indicated that the main phyllosilicate in the rock was a slightly weathered trioctahedral chlorite, rich in both Mg and Fe, together with dioctahedral mica and minor amounts of kaolinite. In the BC horizon, chlorite has undergone partial transformation into 2 vermiculitic components, in 1 of which the interlayer could be removed by hot Na-citrate treatment; the presence of a regular interstratified mineral (high-charge corrensite) was also observed. Further changes in the structure of chlorite were detected in the Bsl horizon, becoming more evident towards the soil surface. The first stage of weathering of chlorite involved Fe oxidation and partial expulsion of Mg from the hydroxide sheet, followed by deposition of Al in the interlayer space. Iron is also removed from the interlayer sheet, possibly remaining, in the oxidized state, in the 2:1 octahedral sheet, and so contributing to the lowering of layer charge and transformation to a dioctahedral structure. When approaching the surface, Al removal from the interlayers is enhanced by complexing agents, and further charge reduction leads to the formation of 2:1 minerals with a smectite nature. Illite, because of its low content in the soil clay fraction, contributes marginally to this weathering sequence, forming the high charged expandable component observed in the Bhs horizon. At the soil surface, arandomly interstratified vermiculite/illite was detected, which probably originated from K fixation by the higher-charged expandable minerals. This study of weathering in a natural soil strongly supports the hypothesis, previously ascertained by laboratory experiments, that chlorite can transform into a low-charge expandable mineral.

Keywords

ChloriteHydroxy-interlayersSmectiteSpodosols
Type
Research Article
Information
Clays and Clay Minerals , Volume 45 , Issue 1 , February 1997 , pp. 28 - 41
Copyright
Copyright © 1997, The Clay Minerals Society

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