Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-x24gv Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-05-08T15:12:36.230Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Clay Mineralogy Along the Laterite Profile in Hubei, South China: Mineral Evolution and Evidence for Eolian Origin

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2024

Hanlie Hong ,
Zhaohui Li  and
Ping Xiao
Hanlie Hong*
Affiliation:
Faculty of Earth Sciences, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, Hubei 430074, China
Zhaohui Li
Affiliation:
Faculty of Earth Sciences, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, Hubei 430074, China Geosciences Department, University of Wisconsin - Parkside, Kenosha, WI 53141-2000, USA
Ping Xiao
Affiliation:
Faculty of Earth Sciences, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, Hubei 430074, China
*
* E-mail address of corresponding author: honghl8311@yahoo.com.cn
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

In spite of many studies of laterite origins in various parts of the world, the origin of laterite in the middle to lower reaches of the Yangtze River is still a topic of debate, thus leaving doubts about the prevailing environmental and climatic conditions at the time. The purpose of this study was to provide greater understanding of this subject by examining in more detail the associated mineralogical evolution, i.e. clay mineral composition, structural characteristics of clays in various beds with different degrees of weathering along the laterite profile, and the alteration mechanisms during the pedogenic process in tropical to semitropical climate conditions. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HTEM), X-ray diffraction, and wavelength dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry were used to characterize the samples in order to link clay mineralogy in various beds with different degrees of weathering along the laterite profile to the formation and origin of laterites in the region. The laterite profile displayed a distinct layered structure and was divided into a saprolite (B4), a light colored net-like clay bed (B3), a brown-red gravelly clay bed (B2), and a dark-brown topsoil (B1), respectively, from bottom to top. The clay mineral assemblage of beds B1 and B2 was illite, kaolinite, and chlorite, while that of beds B3 and B4 was mainly kaolinite with minor illite. The bimodal particle-size distribution of clay minerals in the laterite profile indicated that fine-grained particles could have been produced by partial dissolution and decomposition of coarse-grained ones. Examination by HRTEM revealed that fine-grained particles usually occurred as X-ray amorphous materials in the upper soil beds, but with euhedral morphology in the lower portions, suggesting that the fine-grained particles in the lower soil beds might be partially neoformed during the weathering process. Amorphous spots occurred frequently in kaolinite crystals in the upper soil beds, while the structure of kaolinite was well preserved, with a well defined lattice-fringe image. The illite crystallinity index exhibited a trend of downward decrease, while the values of the chemical index of alteration (CIA = Al2O3/(Al2O3+ CaO+ K2O+ Na2O) × 100%) of the soil profile showed a trend of downward increase. Samples of the upper soil beds, B1 and B2, had comparable SiO2/Al2O3 ratios of 5.37–6.22, while those of the lower beds, B3 and B4, had significantly smaller SiO2/Al2O3 ratios of 1.92–3.98, suggesting that the latter had a greater degree of weathering than the former, in reasonable agreement with the results of the illite crystallinity and CIA index. In addition, samples from B1 and B2 had similar TiO2/Al2O3 ratios of 0.042–0.053, while those from B3 and B4 had comparable TiO2/Al2O3 ratios of 0.021–0.033, comparable to the value 0.020 of the bedrock, and were notably smaller than the upper soil beds, indicating that materials of the upper soil beds, B1 and B2, had a different origin from the lower soil beds. The upper bed was probably derived from eolian accumulation due to intensification of the winter monsoon and aridity in central Asia and was modified by intense chemical weathering since the late Pleistocene, while the lower bed originated from an in situ weathering of the underlying argillaceous limestone.

Keywords

ChinaClay MineralsEolian AccumulationLateriteWeathering
Type
Research Article
Information
Clays and Clay Minerals , Volume 57 , Issue 5 , October 2009 , pp. 602 - 615
Copyright
Copyright © The Clay Minerals Society 2009

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Balan, E. Allard, T. Boizot, B. Morin, G. and Muller, J.P., 1999 Structural Fe3+ in natural kaolinites: new insights from electron paramagnetic resonance spectra fitting at X and Q-band frequencies Clays and Clay Minerals 47 605–616 10.1346/CCMN.1999.0470507.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Balan, E. Allard, T. Fritsch, E. Selo, M. Falgueres, C. Chabaux, F. Pierret, M.C. and Calas, G., 2005 Formation and evolution of lateritic profiles in the middle Amazon basin: Insights from radiation-induced defects in kaolinite Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 69 2193–2204 10.1016/j.gca.2004.10.028.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Balan, E. Fritsch, E. Allard, T. and Calas, G., 2007 Inheritance vs. neoformation of kaolinite during lateritic soil formation: a case study in the middle Amazon Basin Clays and Clay Minerals 55 253–259 10.1346/CCMN.2007.0550303.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Beauvais, A., 1999 Geochemical balance of lateritization processes and climate signatures in weathering profiles overlain by ferricretes in Central Africa Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 63 3939–3957 10.1016/S0016-7037(99)00173-8.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Beauvais, A. and Bertaux, J., 2002 In situ characterization and differentiation of kaolinites in lateritic weathering profiles using infrared microspectroscopy Clays and Clay Minerals 50 314–330 10.1346/00098600260358076.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Biscaye, P.E., 1965 Mineralogy and sedimentation of recent deep-sea clays in the Atlantic Ocean and adjacent seas and oceans Geological Society of America Bulletin 76 803–832 10.1130/0016-7606(1965)76[803:MASORD]2.0.CO;2.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bobos, I. Duplay, J. Rocha, F. and Gomes, C., 2001 Kaolinite to halloysite-7 Å transformation in the kaolin depositof São Vicente de Pereira, Portugal Clays and Clay Minerals 49 596–607 10.1346/CCMN.2001.0490609.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bourman, R.P., 1993 Perennial problems in the study of laterite — areview Australian Journal of Earth Sciences 40 387–401 10.1080/08120099308728090.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brindley, G.W. Kao, C.C. Harrison, J.L. Lipsicas, M. and Raythatha, R., 1986 Relation between structural disorder and other characteristics of kaolinites and dickites Clays and Clay Minerals 34 239–249 10.1346/CCMN.1986.0340303.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chamley, H., 1989 Clay Sedimentology Heidelberg, Germany Springer-Verlag 10.1007/978-3-642-85916-8 623 pp.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Churchman, G.J. and Gilkes, R.J., 1989 Recognition of intermediates in the possible transformation of halloysite to kaolinite in the weathering profiles Clay Minerals 24 579–590 10.1180/claymin.1989.024.4.02.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Churchman, G.J. Whitton, J.S. Claridge, G.G.C. and Theng, B.K.G., 1984 Intercalation method using formamide for differentiating halloysite from kaolinite Clays and Clay Minerals 32 241–248 10.1346/CCMN.1984.0320401.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fritsch, E. Morin, G. Bedidi, A. Bonnin, D. Balan, E. Caquineau, S. and Calas, G., 2005 Transformation of haematite and Al-poor goethite to Al-rich goethite and associated yellowing in a ferralitic clay soil profile of the middle Amazon Basin (Manaus, Brazil) European Journal of Soil Science 56 575–588 10.1111/j.1365-2389.2005.00693.x.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hallam, A. Grose, J.A. and Ruffell, A.H., 1991 Paleoclimatic significance of changes in clay mineralogy across the Jurassic-Cretaceous boundary in England and France Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimateology, Palaeoecology 81 173–187 10.1016/0031-0182(91)90146-I.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hinckley, D.N., 1963 Variability in “crystallinity” values among the kaolin deposits of the coastal plain of Georgia and South Carolina Clays and Clay Minerals 11 229–235 10.1346/CCMN.1962.0110122.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hong, H.L., 2000 Behaviour of gold in the weathered mantle at Shewushan, Hubei, China Journal of Geochemical Exploration 68 57–68 10.1016/S0375-6742(99)00058-8.Google Scholar
Hong, H.L. and Tie, L.Y., 2005 Characteristics of the minerals associated with gold in the Shewushan supergene gold deposit, China Clays and Clay Minerals 53 162–170 10.1346/CCMN.2005.0530206.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hong, H.L. Li, Z. Yang, M.Z. Xiao, P. and Xue, H.J., 2009 Kaolin in the net-like horizon of laterite in Hubei, south China Clay Minerals 44 51–66 10.1180/claymin.2009.044.1.51.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hu, X.F. Yuan, G.D. and Gong, Z.T., 1998 Origin of Quaternary red clay of southern Anhui province Pedosphere 8 267–272.Google Scholar
Jackson, M.L., 1978 Soil Chemical Analysis USA Published by the Author, University of Wisconsin Madison.Google Scholar
Keller, W.D., 1978 Kaolinization of feldspars as displayed in scanning electron micrographs Geology 6 184–188 10.1130/0091-7613(1978)6<184:KOFADI>2.0.CO;2.2.0.CO;2>CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Li, C. and Gu, Y., 1997 Stratigraphic study on the vermicular red earth at Xiushui county, Jiangxi province Journal of Stratigraphy 21 226–232.Google Scholar
Miller, K.G. Kominz, M.A. Browning, J.V. Wright, J.D. Mountain, G.S. Katz, M.E. Sugarman, P.J. Cramer, B.S. Christie-Blick, N. and Pekar, S.F., 2005 The Phanerozoic record of global sea-level change Science 310 1293–1298 10.1126/science.1116412.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Nedachi, Y. Nedachi, M. Bennett, G. and Ohmoto, H., 2005 Geochemistry and mineralogy of the 2.45 Ga Pronto paleosols, Ontario, Canada Chemical Geology 214 21–44 10.1016/j.chemgeo.2004.08.026.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nesbitt, H.W. and Young, G.M., 1982 Proterozoic climates and plate motion inferred from major element chemistry of lutites Nature 299 715–717 10.1038/299715a0.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nieuwenhuyse, A. Verburg, P.S.J. and Jongmans, A.G., 2000 Mineralogy of a soil chronosequence on andesitic lava in humid tropical Costa Rica Geoderma 98 61–82 10.1016/S0016-7061(00)00052-5.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Plançon, A. Giese, R.F. and Snyder, R., 1988 The Hinckley index for kaolinite Clay Minerals 23 249–260 10.1180/claymin.1988.023.3.02.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Robert, C. and Kennett, J.P., 1994 Antarctic subtropical humid episode at the Paleocene-Eocene boundary: clay-mineral evidence Geology 22 211–214 10.1130/0091-7613(1994)022<0211:ASHEAT>2.3.CO;2.2.3.CO;2>CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Stumm, W., 1992 Chemistry of the Solid-Water Interface New York J. Wiley 428 pp.Google Scholar
Sun, X.J. and Wang, P.X., 2005 How old is the Asian monsoon system? — Palaeobotanical records from China Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 222 181–222 10.1016/j.palaeo.2005.03.005.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tardy, Y. and Nahon, D., 1985 Geochemistry of laterites, stability of Al-goethite, Al-hematite, and Fe3+-kaolinite in bauxites and ferricretes: an approach to the mechanism of concentration formation American Journal of Science 285 865–903 10.2475/ajs.285.10.865.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Vicente, M.A. Elsass, F. Molina, E. and Robert, M., 1997 Palaeoweathering in slates from the Iberian Hercynian Massif (Spain): investigation by TEM of clay mineral signatures Clay Minerals 32 435–451 10.1180/claymin.1997.032.3.06.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Weaver, C.E., 1989 Clays, Muds, and Shales Amsterdam Elsevier 819 pp.Google Scholar
Xiong, S.F. Sun, D.H. and Ding, Z.L., 2002 Aeolian origin of the red earth in southeast China Journal of Quaternary Science 17 181–191 10.1002/jqs.663.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Zhao, Q. and Yang, H., 1995 A preliminary study on red earth and changes of Quaternary environment in south China Quaternary Sciences 15 107–115.Google Scholar
Zhu, J.J., 1988 Genesis and research significance of the plinthitic horizon Geographical Research 7 12–20.Google Scholar
Zhu, X.M., 1993 Red clay and red residuum in south China Quaternary Sciences 13 75–84.Google Scholar