Clay Research
Year : 2005, Volume : 24, Issue : 2
First page : ( 159) Last page : ( 167)
Print ISSN : 0255-7193.

Clay minerals composition in some soils of eastern part of Maharashtra

Surya Jaya Niranjane*, Gaikawad S.T., Gajbhiye K.S., Thayalan S.

National Bureau of Soil Survey and Land Use Planning, Amravati Road, Nagpur-440 010

*National Bureau of Soil Survey and Land Use Planning, Regional Centre Delhi, New Delhi-110 012

Abstract

Clay mineralogical studies based on XRD analysis of selected layers (soil and murrum) developed over sandstone and quartzite-schist in eastern part of Maharashtra were conducted to describe the mineralogical composition of clay fractions. Kaolinite was the dominant mineral in soil-clay fraction of quartzite-schist and mica was dominant in the murrum-clay fractions. Mica was dominant in both the fractions of soils and murrum developed on sandstone. The mineralogy of soil and murrum layers is identical in soils developed over sandstone. Presence of little amount of smectite was observed in soil and murrum-clays developed over metamorphic rock. The regular distribution of kaolinite and mica minerals in soil and murrum layers indicated their origin from the respective parent materials.

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