Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Weathering of Hornblende to Ferruginous Products by a Dissolution-Reprecipitation Mechanism: Petrography and Stoichiometry

  • Published:
Clays and Clay Minerals

Abstract

Hornblende of the Carrol Knob mafic complex (southern Blue Ridge Mountains, North Carolina) has weathered under humid, temperate conditions. Hornblende weathering appears to have been a dissolution-reprecipitation reaction, in which hornblende dissolved stoichiometrically, and the ferruginous and aluminous weathering products (goethite, gibbsite, and kaolinite) precipitated from solution (neoformation). During the earliest stage of alteration, ferruginous weathering products formed as linings of fractures within and around crystals and cleavage fragments of hornblende. Side-by-side coalescence of lenticular etch pits during more advanced weathering produced characteristic “denticulated” terminations on hornblende remnants in dissolution cavities bounded by ferruginous boxworks. Dissolution cavities are devoid of weathering products. Small “pendants” of ferruginous material project from the boxwork into void spaces. Because these products are separated from the hornblende remnants by void space, they must have been produced by dissolution-reprecipitation reactions. Complete removal of the parent hornblende left a ferruginous microboxwork or “negative pseudomorph.” Only Al and Fe were conserved over microscopic distances; alkali and alkaline-earth elements were stoichiometrically removed from the weathering microenvironment during the weathering process.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • American Geological Institute (1976) Dictionary of Geologic Terms: Revised ed., W. H. Matthews, 3rd and R. E. Boyer, eds., Anchor Press/Doubleday, Garden City, New York, 472 pp.

  • Anand, R. R. and Gilkes, R. J. (1984) Weathering of hornblende, plagioclase and chlorite in meta-dolerite, Australia: Geoderma 34, 261–280.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Anand, R. R., Gilkes, R. J., Armitage, T. M., and Hillyer, J. W. (1985) Feldspar weathering in lateritic saprolite: Clays & Clay Minerals 33, 31–43.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • April, R. A., Newton, R. M., and Coles, L. T. (1986) Chemical weathering in two Adirondack watersheds: Past and present-day rates: Geol. Soc. Amer. Bull. 97, 1232–1238.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Basham, I. R. (1974) Mineralogical changes associated with deep weathering of gabbro in Aberdeenshire: Clay Miner. 10, 189–202.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Berner, R. A. and Schott, J. (1982) Mechanism of pyroxene and amphibole weathering—II. Observations of soil grains: Amer. J. Sci. 282, 1214–1231.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Berner, R. A., Sjöberg, E. L., Velbel, M. A., and Krom, M. D. (1980) Dissolution of pyroxenes and amphiboles during weathering: Science 207, 1205–1206.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Berner, R. A., Holdren, G. R., Jr., and Schott, J. (1985) Surface layers on dissolving silicates (Comments on “Study of the weathering of albite at room temperature and pressure with a fluidized bed reactor” by L. Chou and R. Wol-last): Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 49, 1657–1658.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bricker, O. P. (1986) Geochemical investigations of selected eastern United States watersheds affected by acid deposition: J. Geol. Soc, London 143, 621–626.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cleaves, E. T. (1974) Petrologie and chemical investigation of chemical weathering in mafic rocks, eastern piedmont of Maryland: Maryland Geol. Surv. Rept. Invest. 25, 38 pp.

  • Cole, W. F. and Lancucki, C. J. (1976) Montmorillonite pseudomorphs after amphibole from Melbourne, Australia: Clays & Clay Minerals 24, 79–83.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Colin, F., Noack, Y., Trescases, J.-J., and Nahon, D. (1985) L’altération laterique debutante des pyroxenites de Jacuba, Niquelandia, Brésil: Clay Miner. 20, 93–113.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Colman, S. M. (1982) Chemical weathering of basalts and andésites: Evidence from weathering rinds: U.S. Geol. Sum. Prof. Pap. 1246, 51 pp.

  • Cressey, B. A. (1979) Electron microscopy of serpentinite textures: Can. Mineral. 17, 741–756.

    Google Scholar 

  • Deer, W. A., Howie, R. A., and Zussman, J. (1963) Rock-Forming Minerals, Vol. 2, Chain Silicates: Longmans, London, 379 pp.

  • Delvigne, J. (1983) Micromorphology of the alteration and weathering of pyroxenes in the Koua Bocca ultramafic intrusion, Ivory Coast, West Africa: in Petrologie des Alterations et des Sols, Vol. 2: D. Nahon and Y. Noack, eds., Sci. Géol. Mém. 72, 57–68.

    Google Scholar 

  • Drever, J. I. (1973) The preparation of oriented clay mineral specimens for X-ray diffraction analysis by a filter-membrane peel technique: Amer. Mineral. 58, 553–554.

    Google Scholar 

  • Drever, J. I. and Hurcomb, D. R. (1986) Neutralization of atmospheric acidity by chemical weathering in an alpine drainage basin in the North Cascade Mountains: Geology 14, 221–224.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Duchaufour, P. (1982) Pedology, T. R. Paton, transi.: George Allen & Unwin, London, 448 pp.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Eggleton, R. A. (1975) Nontronite topotaxial after heden-bergite: Amer. Mineral. 60, 1063–1068.

    Google Scholar 

  • Eggleton, R. A. (1986) The relation between crystal structure and silicate weathering rates: in Rates of Chemical Weathering of Rocks and Minerals, S. M. Colman and D. P. De-thier, eds., Academic Press, New York, 21–40.

    Google Scholar 

  • Eggleton, R. A. and Boland, J. N. (1982) Weathering of enstatite to talc through a sequence of transitional phases: Clays & Clay Minerals 30, 11–20.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Eggleton, R. A., Foudoulis, C., and Varkevisser, D. (1987) Weathering of basalt: Changes in rock chemistry and mineralogy: Clays & Clay Minerals 35, 161–169.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Eslinger, E. and Pevear, D. (1988) Clay Minerals for Petroleum Geologists and Engineers: Soc. Econ. Paleo. Mineral. Short Course Notes 22, 422 pp.

  • Fontanaud, A. and Meunier, A. (1983) Mineralogical facies of a weathered serpentinized lherzolite from the Pyrenees, France: Clay Miner 18, 77–88.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Glasmann, J. R. (1982) Alteration of andésite in wet, unstable soils of Oregon’s western Cascades: Clays & Clay Minerals 30, 253–263.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Grant, W. H. (1963) Weathering of Stone Mountain Granite: in Clays and Clay Minerals, Proc. 11th Natl. Conf, Ottawa, Ontario, 1962, Ada Swineford, ed., Pergamon Press, New York, 65–73.

    Google Scholar 

  • Grant, W. H. (1964) Chemical weathering of biotite-plagio-clase gneiss: Clays & Clay Minerals 12, 455–463.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hatcher, R. D. (1979) The Coweeta Group and Coweeta syncline: Major features of the North Carolina-Georgia Blue Ridge: Southeastern Geol. 21, 17–29.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hatcher, R. D. (1980) Geologic map and mineral resources summary of the Prentiss Quadrangle, North Carolina, including geologic map of Coweeta Laboratory: North Carolina Dept. Nat. Resources and Community Devel., Geol. Surv. Sect., GM-167-SW and MRS 167-SW, 10 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Helms, T. S., McSween, H. Y., Jr., Labotka, T. C., and Ja-rosewich, E. (1987) Petrology of a Georgia Blue Ridge amphibolite unit with hornblende + gedrite + kyanite + staurolite: Amer. Mineral. 72, 1086–1096.

    Google Scholar 

  • Katz, B. G., Bricker, O. P., and Kennedy, M. M. (1985) Geochemical mass-balance relationships for selected ions in precipitation and stream water, Catoctin Mountains, Maryland: Amer. J. Sci. 285, 931–962.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kerr, P. F. (1977) Optical Mineralogy, 4th ed., McGraw-Hill, New York, 492 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Koppi, A. J. and Williams, D. J. (1980) Weathering and development of two contrasting soils formed from grano-diorite in south-east Queensland: Aust. J. Soil Res. 18, 257–271.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McSween, H. Y., Jr. and Hatcher, R. D., Jr. (1985) Ophio-lites (?) of the southern Appalachian Blue Ridge: in Field Trips in the Southern Appalachians, N. B. Woodward, ed., Univ. Tennessee Dept. Geol. Sci. Studies in Geol. 9, 144–170.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mogk, D. W. and Locke, W. W., III. (1988) Application of auger electron spectroscopy (AES) to naturally weathered hornblende: Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 52, 2537–2542.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nahon, D. and Bocquier, G. (1983) Petrology of elements transfers in weathering and soil systems: in Petrologie des Altérations et des Sols, Vol. 2: D. Nahon and Y. Noack, eds., Sci. Géol. Mém. 72, 111–119.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nahon, D. B. and Colin, F. (1982) Chemical weathering of orthopyroxenes under lateritic conditions. Amer. J. Sci. 282, 1232–1243.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nahon, D., Colin, F., and Tardy, Y. (1982) Formation and distribution of Mg,Fe,Mn-smectites in the first stages of the lateritic weathering of forsterite and tephroite: Clay Miner. 17, 339–348.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Parisot, J. C., Delvigne, J., and Groke, M. T. C. (1983) Pet-rographical aspects of the supergene weathering of garnet in the Serra dos Carajas (Para, Brazil): in Petrologie des Altérations et des Sols, Vol. 2, D. Nahon and Y. Noack, eds., Sci. Géol. Mém. 72, 141–148.

    Google Scholar 

  • Petit, J.-C., Della Mea, G., Dran, J.-C, Schott, J., and Berner, R. A. (1987) Mechanism of diopside dissolution from hydrogen depth profiling: Nature 325, 705–707.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pettijohn, F. J., Potter, P. E., and Siever, R. (1987) Sand and Sandstone, 2nd ed., Springer-Verlag, New York, 553 pp.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Proust, D. (1982) Supergene alteration of hornblende in an amphibolite from Massif Central, France: in Proc. Int. Clay Conf., Bologna, Pavia, 1981, H. van Olphenand F. Veniale, eds., Elsevier, Amsterdam, 357–364.

    Google Scholar 

  • Proust, D. (1985) Amphibole weathering in a glaucophane-schist (Ile de Groix, Morbihan, France): Clay Miner. 20, 161–170.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schott, J. and Berner, R. A. (1983) X-ray photoelectron studies of the mechanism of iron silicate dissolution during weathering: Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 47, 2233–2240.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schott, J. and Berner, R. A. (1985) Dissolution mechanisms of pyroxenes and olivines during weathering: in The Chemistry of Weathering, J. I. Drever, ed., Reidei, Dordrecht, The Netherlands, 35–53.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Schott, J., Berner, R. A., and Sjöberg, E. L. (1981) Mechanism of pyroxene and amphibole weathering—I. Experimental studies of iron-free minerals: Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 45, 2123–2135.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Smyth, J. R. and Bish, D. L. (1988) Crystal Structures and Cation Sites of the Rock- Forming Minerals: Allen & Unwin, Boston, 332 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stoops, G., Altemuller, H.-J., Bisdom, E. B. A., Delvigne, J., Dobrovolsky, V. V., Fitzpatrick, E. A., Paneque, G., and Sleeman, J. (1979) Guidelines for the description of mineral alterations in soil micromorphology: Pédologie 29, 121–135.

    Google Scholar 

  • Velbel, M. A. (1983) A dissolution-reprecipitation mechanism for the pseudomorphous replacement of plagioclase feldspars by clay minerals during weathering: in Petrologie des Altérations et des Sols, Vol. 1, D. Nahon and Y. Noack, eds., Sci. Géol. Mém. 71, 139–147.

    Google Scholar 

  • Velbel, M. A. (1984) Natural weathering mechanisms of almandine gamet: Geology 12, 631–634.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Velbel, M. A. (1985a) Geochemical mass balances and weathering rates in forested watersheds of the southern Blue Ridge: Amer. J. Sci. 285, 904–930.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Velbel, M. A. (1985b) Hydrogeochemical constraints on mass balances in forested watersheds of the southern Appalachians: in The Chemistry of Weathering, J. I. Drever, ed., Reidei, Dordrecht, The Netherlands, 231–247.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Velbel, M.A. (1988) Weathering and soil forming processes: in Forest Hydrology and Ecology at Coweeta, W. T. Swank and D. A. Crossley, Jr., eds., Springer-Verlag, New York, 93–102.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Wicks, F. J. and Whittaker, E. J. W. (1977) Serpentine textures and serpentinization: Canad. Mineral. 15, 459- 88.

  • Wicks, F. J., Whittaker, E. J. W., and Zussman, J. (1977) An idealized model for serpentine textures after olivine: Canad. Mineral. 15, 446–458.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wilson, M. J. (1975) Chemical weathering of some primary rock-forming minerals: Soil Sci. 119, 349–355.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wilson, M. J. (1986) Mineral weathering processes in pod-zolic soils on granitic materials and their implications for surface water acidification: J. Geol. Soc. London 143, 691–697.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wilson, M. J. and Farmer, V. C. (1970) A study of weathering in a soil derived from a biotite-hornblende rock. II. The weathering of hornblende: Clay Miner. 8, 435–444.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geological Sciences, 206 Natural Science Building Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, 48824, USA

    Michael Anthony Velbel

Authors
  1. Michael Anthony Velbel
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Velbel, M.A. Weathering of Hornblende to Ferruginous Products by a Dissolution-Reprecipitation Mechanism: Petrography and Stoichiometry. Clays Clay Miner. 37, 515–524 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1346/CCMN.1989.0370603

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1346/CCMN.1989.0370603

Key Words

Search

Navigation