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Clay minerals associations in palaeoweathering profiles from Central Spain: genesis and implications

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 July 2018

M. Doval ,
R. Martín-García ,
Á. La Iglesia  and
A. M. Alonso-Zarza
M. Doval
Affiliation:
Departamento de Cristalografía y Mineralogía, Facultad de Ciencias Geológicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
R. Martín-García*
Affiliation:
Departamento de Petrología y Geoquímica, Facultad de Ciencias Geológicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain Instituto de Geociencias (IGEO) CSIC – UCM, Facultad de Ciencias Geológicas, 28040 Madrid, Spain
Á. La Iglesia
Affiliation:
Instituto de Geociencias (IGEO) CSIC – UCM, Facultad de Ciencias Geológicas, 28040 Madrid, Spain
A. M. Alonso-Zarza
Affiliation:
Departamento de Petrología y Geoquímica, Facultad de Ciencias Geológicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain Instituto de Geociencias (IGEO) CSIC – UCM, Facultad de Ciencias Geológicas, 28040 Madrid, Spain
*
*E-mail: rmartingarcia@geo.ucm.es
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Abstract

This study examines part of the thick palaeoweathering mantle that formed on the northern area of the Spanish Central System. The study of a compound profile indicates that despite weathering processes, the primary structure of the metamorphic rocks is preserved, and is only partially lost in some intervals of the upper part of the compound profile. Macro/micromorphology, mineralogy and geochemical changes within the profiles revealed two weathering paths. In the first path, Fe-chlorite weathered to chlorite-smectite mixed-layer/smectite/kaolinite+ iron oxides. In the second path, biotite and/or muscovite weathered to kaolinite + iron oxides. The profiles show a progressive decrease, from base to top, in mica and mixed-layers and an increase in smectite and kaolinite. Thus, the profiles only comprise the lower or intermediate zones of the weathering mantle. The weathering occurred under humid climates; the lower zones of the profiles were poorly drained, whereas the topmost zones were better drained and more oxidizing. The results obtained indicate that detailed mineralogical studies are very useful to reconstruct the characteristics of the weathering mantles, and as palaeogeographic and palaeoclimatic indicators.

Keywords

palaeoweathering profilesSpanish Central Systemsmectitemixed-layerskaolinitehumid climates
Type
Research Article
Information
Clay Minerals , Volume 47 , Issue 1 , March 2012 , pp. 117 - 129
Copyright
Copyright © The Mineralogical Society of Great Britain and Ireland 2012

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Footnotes

†

Deceased

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