Pedogenic chlorites in podzolic soils with different intensities of hydromorphism: origin, properties, and condiotions of their formation

Minerals of the pedogenic chlorite group were studied in the clay fractions isolated from the mineral horizons of podzolic and gleyic peatpodzolic soils. In the AE and E horizons of the podzolic soil, pedogenic chlorites are thought to develop from vermiculite, whereas in the E horizon of the gleyic peat podzolic soil, they can be formed from smectite minerals. For estimating the degree of chloritization (the degree of filling of the interlayer space of 2 : 1 minerals with Al hydroxides), a numerical criterion was is proposed. The difference between the values of this criterion before and after the treatment of the preparations with NH4F indicated that the degree of chloritization in the pedogenic chlorites decreases in the following sequence: the E horizon of the podzolic soil > the AE horizon of the podzolic soil > the E horizon of the gleyic peat podzolic soil. Another numerical criterion was proposed to estimate the degree of polymerization of Alhydroxy complexes in pedogenic chlorites. This criterion was based on the thermal stability of soil chlorites and represented the temperature at which an increase in the intensity of the 1.0nm peak after heating the K- saturated preparations exceeds 50% of its initial value. According to this criterion, the degree of polymerization of the Al-hydroxy interlayers in pedogenic chlorites decreases in the following sequence: the E horizon of the podzolic soil > the E horizon of the gleyic peatpodzolic soil ≥ the AE horizon of the podzolic soil. The distinct interrelation between the soil properties and the degrees of chloritization and polymerization of the Al-hydroxy interlayers attests to the modern origin of the pedogenic chlorites.