Nature of dioctahedral micas in Spanish red soils

Abstract

AbstractStructural formulae and other crystallochemical parameters were used to study different species of dioctahedral micas in clay and coarse gravel fractions of horizons from a red soil (Ultic Haploxeralf) in southern Spain. Mineralogical analyses using X-ray powder diffraction, and measurements of theb0parameter revealed dioctahedral micas, illite and paragonite. Structural formulae established from electron microprobe analysis and energy dispersive X-ray analysis showed the illites to be K mica related in elemental composition and structure to muscovite and phengite. The paragonites were found to be closer to ideal mica. Structural formulae for Na-K dioctahedral micas were obtained with crystallochemical characteristics intermediate between those of Na micas and K micas. The possibilty of these micas representing individual mineral phases or intergrowths of Na and K micas is discussed. In the soil profile, micas from the Bt horizon showed the largest crystallochemical changes induced by pedogenesis.