『Abstract
The early stages of amphibole weathering result in the crystallization
of several clay mineral species: tri- and dioctahedral smectites,
interstratified dioctahedral kaolinite-smectite (K-S), and halloysite.
Each clay mineral crystallizes into specific microsites which
develop from etch pits along specific crystallographic directions
in the host amphibole. Two types of microsites are recognized
according to their location in the amphibole crystal and their
clay mineral crystallizations. The first type is a plane surface
related to the (110) amphibole cleavages where saponite particles
crystallize in a characteristic honeycomb texture. The second
type is a ‘sawtooth’(001) fracture surface generated by etch-pit
coalescence where (1) platy K-S particles crystallize directly
in contact with the amphibole at the top of ‘teeth’, (2) halloysite
particles with tubular habits crystallize directly in contact
with the amphibole on the side of the ‘teeth’, and/or on the K-S
particles, and (3) montmorillonite crystallizes in the central
part of the (001) fracture as a layer with honeycomb texture in
contact with the K-S platelets located at the top of ‘teeth’.
The microtextural relationships between the clay minerals and
their host mineral suggest the following crystallization sequence:
(1) saponite and montmorillonite crystallize first on the (110)
and (001) surfaces, respectively; (2) as amphibole dissolution
proceeds perpendicular to the (001) fracture planes, montmorillonites
continue to form in the middle part of the widening fracture whereas
K-S crystallizes on the ‘sawtooth’ termination; (3) in the last
stage of weathering, tubular halloysite crystallizes on the side
of the ‘teeth’, and/or on the K-S.
Key Words: Amphibole; Halloysite; Kaolinite-smectite; Mixed-layers;
Montmorillonite; Saponite; Weathering』
Introduction
Materials and methods
Material
Methods
Results
Mineralogy and SEM morphology of amphiboles
Mineralogy and SEM morphology of weathering products
Discussion
Conclusions
References