Mixed-layer clays composed of randomly interstratified kerolite/stevensite occur as lake and/or spring deposits of probable Pliocene and Pleistocene age in the Amargosa Desert of southern Nevada, U.S.A. The percentage of expandable layers of these clays, determined from computer-simulated X-ray diffractograms, ranges from almost 0 to about 80%. This range in expandabilities most likely results from differences in solution chemistry and/or temperature at the time of formation. An average structural formula for the purest clay (sample P-7), a clay with about 70% expandable layers, is:
[(Mg2.72Al0.07Fe0.03Li0.09)(Si3.96Al0.04)O10(OH)0.2]-0.21[X+0.21]+0.21
The data suggest that talc, kerolite, and stevensite form a continuous structural series based on layer charge.
Citation Information
Publication Year | 1982 |
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Title | Mixed-layer kerolite/stevensite from the Amargosa Desert, Nevada |
DOI | 10.1346/CCMN.1982.0300501 |
Authors | Dennis D. Eberl, Blair F. Jones, Hani N. Khoury |
Publication Type | Article |
Publication Subtype | Journal Article |
Series Title | Clays and Clay Minerals |
Index ID | 70011847 |
Record Source | USGS Publications Warehouse |