GENESIS
OF
VERMICULITE
VERMICULITE
AND
IN THE
EVOLUTION
OF FRANCE
MIXED-LAYERED
OF THE
SOILS
by
GEORGES MILLET AND TH]~R]~SE CAMEZ
Institut do G6ologie, Universit6 de Strasbom'g, France
ABSTRACT
Analysis of the argillaceous fraction of some podzolic soils and podzols of France has
shown a double evolution of illite and chlorite through mixed layering into vermiculite.
illite -+ (illite-vermieuUte) -~ vermiculite
chlorite -~ (chlorite-vermiculite) --> vermiculite
Vermiculite is more concentrated in the upper zones of the profiles where it constitutes
50 to 90 percent of the argillaceous fraction.
Approximately one hundred pedologieal profiles have been studied in soils,
including podzolie soils, podzols, and mesotrophic h y d r o m o r p h o u s soils. These
studies have shown t h a t the argillaceous fraction changes in the course ofpedogenesis, and t h e y confirm the observations t h a t have been m a d e i n other countries (MaeEwan, 1948; Walker, 1949; J a c k s o n et al., 1952; Brown, 1953; Van
der Marel, 1954; H a t h a w a y , 1955; Droste, 1956; and Mitchell, 1955, 1961).
Twelve typical profiles are presented here.
The following symbols are used:
I : Illite
I - V : Illite-vermiculite mixed-layer
C: Chlorite
C - V : Chlorite-vermiculite mixed-layer
V: Vermiculite
I - M : Illite-montmorillonite mixed-layer
K : Kaolinite
M: Montmorillonite
~)ODZOLIC SOIL
For6t de Salm (Vosges)
A1
A~
B
Parent material, sandstone of
Niederbronn
40
70
70
90
100
Illite --> (illite-vermiculite) --> vermiculite
9O
C
(l-V)
V
10
20
10
10
40
10
20
10
91
GENESIS OF VERMICULITE A N D IV~IXED-LAYERED VERMICULITE
PODZOLIO SOIL
C
Le Bonhomme (Vosges)
I
i 0
10
20
10
100
(mica)
A2
B
Parent material, granite of T@te
des Faux
(I-V)
V
9O
8O
90
traces
Illite -+ (illite-vermiculite) -+ vermiculite lixiviated to B)
PODZOLIC SOIL
Lande de Lessay (Manche)
I
(I-V)
V
Ao
40
60
60
10
50
40
40
A2
B
Parent material, sands of St-Vigor
Illite --> vermiculite
PODZOLIC SOIL
Battenheim (Haut-Rhin)
A2
B1
Parent material, gravels
(Terrace of the Harth)
I
C
(C-V)
V
traces
40
40
?
40
40
?
20
20
100
In A horizons, chlorite + (chlorite-vermiculite) + vermiculite (lixiviated
to B)
H u M u s PODZOL
Forgt do Bruygres (Vosges)
K
A 2
20
B
C
Parent material, sandstone
of Bruygres
Illite -+ vermiculite
(T-v)
L
20
20
20
I
)
)
)
i
(m )~a)
(c-v)
V
traces
traces
traces
traces
40
60
30
traces
92
TENTH NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON CLAYS AND CLAY MINERALS
IRON H U M U S PODZOL
Lande de Lessay (Manche)
K
I
V
~0
10
10
10
10
50
50
90
90
40
40
As
B1
B2
Parent material, sands of St-Vigor
Illite --> vermiculite
1V[ESOTROPttIO HYDROMORPHOUS SOIL WITH GLEY
!
Bischoffsheim 2
(Bas-Rhin)
A1
A2G
Reduced gley
Reduced gley
Parent material,
Rhenish alluvium
K
60
10
10
10
10
50
50
50
C
M
(C-V)
traces
10
3O
3O
10
10
l0
traces
traces
traces
V
30
20
Chlorite -~ vermiculite
MESOTROPHIC HYDROMORPHOUS SOIL
Innenheim 3 (Bas-Rhin)
K
A1
10
10
10
10
10
A2G
0xydized gley
0xydized gley
Reduced gley
Parent material, Rhenish
alluvium
M
40
40
50
50
50
10
10
20
20
20
V
40
40
20
20
20
Illite+ chlorite -~ vermiculite. Montmorillonite in gley horizon.
93
GENESIS OF VERMICULITE AND MIXED-LAYERED VERMICULITE
IRON PODZOL
Herrenwald (Haut-Rhin)
I
.A1
traces
10
40
100
(mica)
As
A3
C
C
(C-V)
V
10
40
5O
4O
traces
50
40
20
traces
(I-V)
V
traces
80
80
80
80
70
20
Parent material, siliceous sands
Illite and chlorite --> mixed-layer --> vermiculite
IRON HUMUS PODZOL
Barembach (Bas-Rhin)
I
Ao
2O
2O
2O
2O
2O
60
8O
(mica)
A1
A2
B1
B2
C
Parent material, granite of
Barembach
C
10
20
20
Illite and chlorite --> vermiculite
MESOTROPHIC HYDROMORPHOUS SOIL WITH GLEY
Innenheim 1 (Bas-Rhin)
K
A1
10
10
10
10
10
10
A;
Reduced gley
Reduced gley
Reduced gley
Parent material, Rhenish
alluvium
m
I
20
20
20
60
60
60
C
traces
traces
traces
10
10
l0
M
V
70
70
70
20
20
20
Illite--> vermiculite. Montmorillonite appears in gley horizon.
94
TENTH NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON CLAYS AND CLAY MINERALS
MESOTROPHIC HYDROMORPHOUS SOIL WITH GLEY
Bischoffsheim 1
(Bas-Rhin)
A1
A;
Reduced g l e y
Reduced g l e y
Parent material, Rhenish
alluvium
K
I
10
10
10
10
30
30
30
40
M
traces
3O
3O
3O
(I-M)
v
10
20
50
10
30
20
Chlorite --> vermiculite. M o n t m o r i l l o n i t e in g l e y horizon.
I n s u m m a r y , i t is possible t o d i s t i n g u i s h t h e following possibilities:
(1) I l l i t e changes i n t o a vermiculite-like m i n e r a l b y an i n t e r m e d i a t e s t a g e
consisting of a m i x e d - l a y e r i l l i t e - v e r m i e u l i t e .
(2) Chlorite changes into v e r m i c u l i t e b y a n i n t e r m e d i a t e stage; a m i x e d l a y e r c h l o r i t e - v e r m i c u l i t e is p o s s i b l e .
(3) I l l i t e a n d chlorite change s i m u l t a n e o u s l y i n t o vermiculite.
(4) I n t h e gley horizons, where d r a i n a g e is poor, m o n t m o r i l l o n i t e a p p e a r s
a t t h e b o t t o m o f t h e profile.
I n t h e e v o l v e d soils o f F r a n c e , m o n t m o r i l l o n i t e is n o t t h e final stage o f
t h e t r a n s f o r m a t i o n t o w a r d vermiculite, as o p p o s e d to t h e soil profiles described in o t h e r countries ( W h i t t i g a n d J a c k s o n , 1955; M u r r a y a n d Leininger,
1956; B r o w n a n d J a c k s o n , 1958; Mitchell, 1955, 1961; a n d Gjems, 1960). I t
is possible t o a t t r i b u t e t h e l a c k of m o n t m o r i l l o n i t e to a p o d z o l i z a t i o n less
i n t e n s e t h a n t h o s e f o u n d in Wisconsin, Scotland, a n d S c a n d i n a v i a . I n t h e
regions of t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s where t h e p o d z o l i z a t i o n is m o r e t e m p e r a t e , t h e
l a c k o f m o n t m o r i l l o n i t e a t t h e t o p o f t h e profiles is also noted.
REFERENCES
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~ENESIS OF VERIVIICULITE AND ~/IIXED-LAYER~ED VERMICULITE
95
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