The Clay Minerals in the Soils of the Gypseous Belt of Barbastro, NE Spain

Juan Herrero (), Raimundo Jiménez-Ballesta and Carmen Castañeda
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Juan Herrero: Estación Experimental de Aula Dei Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Ave. Montañana 1005, 50059 Zaragoza, Spain
Raimundo Jiménez-Ballesta: Department of Geology and Geochemistry, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28049 Madrid, Spain
Carmen Castañeda: Estación Experimental de Aula Dei Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Ave. Montañana 1005, 50059 Zaragoza, Spain

Land, 2024, vol. 13, issue 9, 1-12

Abstract: This article examines the clay mineralogy of twelve representative soils developed from gypsum-rich parent materials on several geomorphic positions. These soils were classified as Haploxerept, plus one profile as Humixerept and another as Xerorthent. The clay mineralogy, determined by X-ray diffraction, showed quite a similar clay composition in all profiles, with mica, chlorite, and smectite, from most to less abundant. Mica and chlorite are deemed inherited, while smectite—appearing in minor proportions—could result from both transformation and/or neoformation, because the leaching of bases by free drainage does not favor the transformation of mica to smectite. Therefore, the differences in clay mineralogy appeared to be lithogenic rather than pedogenic. These compositional data are an advance in the basic knowledge of the studied soils.

Keywords: gypseous soils; clay mineralogy; mica; chlorite; smectite; clay pedogenesis; weathering (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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