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Early stages of volcanic tuff alteration in hydrothermal experiments: Formation of mixed-layer illite-smectite

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Clays and Clay Minerals

Abstract

Volcanic tuff from the Cabo de Gata region in Almería, southeastern Spain, was altered under hydrothermal conditions at different temperatures (60 to 180°C), reaction times (60 to 360 days), and reacting solutions (deionized water and NaCl and KCl solutions with Na/K ratios from 0.01 to 100, and a total salt concentration of 0.1 to 1 M).

X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns of the reacted samples revealed a very weak, broad peak at ∼13 Å that migrated to 17 Å upon glycolation. Comparison between simulated (NEWMOD) and experimental XRD patterns indicated that the neoformed phase is a random mixed-layer illite-smectite (I-S) with 75% expandable layers. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy showed that I-S formation was most extensive for high pH (8–9) solutions, corresponding to dilute solutions and, especially, to deionized water. Analytical electron microscopy (AEM) analyses of isolated I-S particles showed that most of them are smectite-rich I-S regardless of the experimental conditions, in agreement with XRD results. The I-S particles had a wide range of octahedral Mg contents. The pH and Na, K, Ca and Mg concentrations in the final solutions suggested cation (including H+) exchange as a major process in the alteration experiments. Analysis of aqueous activity diagrams (log aK/aHvs. log \({a_{{\rm{Si}}{{\rm{O}}_{\rm{2}}}}}\)) showed that some solution compositions are consistent and some are inconsistent with I-S formation. These results, combined with complementary electron microscopy analyses (de la Fuente et al., 2000a), are interpreted to be due to direct transformation of the glass into I-S in a process controlled by glass composition.

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Author notes

  1. Javier Cuadros

    Present address: Department of Mineralogy, The Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London, SW7 5BD, UK

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  1. Estación Experimental del Zaidín, CSIC. Profesor Albareda, 1, 18008, Granada, Spain

    Sandra de la Fuente, Javier Cuadros & José Linares

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  1. Sandra de la Fuente
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Correspondence to Javier Cuadros.

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de la Fuente, S., Cuadros, J. & Linares, J. Early stages of volcanic tuff alteration in hydrothermal experiments: Formation of mixed-layer illite-smectite. Clays Clay Miner. 50, 578–590 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1346/000986002320679468

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