Spectroscopic investigation and theoretical modeling of kaolinite-group minerals and other low-temperature phases

Etienne Balan (1) , Emmanuel Fritsch (1) , Thierry Allard (1) , Guillaume Morin (1) , Maxime Guillaumet (1) , Simon Delattre (1) , Marc Blanchard (1) , Georges Calas (1)

1 IPGP - Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris

This article summarizes some recent results obtained on the physical properties of environmental minerals, mostly kaolinite-group minerals and Fe- and Al-(hydr)oxides occurring in lateritic soils. The defective structure of these minerals, including impurities, stacking faults and radiation-induced defects, is probed using infrared spectroscopy and electron paramagnetic resonance. Resulting information bears on models of soil formation and transformation mechanisms of minerals in low-temperature environments. We underline the increasing impact of quantum chemical modeling in this field, providing straightforward interpretations of spectroscopic signals and overcoming the limits of fingerprint approaches. Importantly, the first-principles modeling of isotopic fractionation factors provides new links between mineralogical and geochemical investigations of secondary minerals.

Domaines: Planète et Univers [physics]

Etienne Balan, Emmanuel Fritsch, Thierry Allard, Guillaume Morin, Maxime Guillaumet, et al.. Spectroscopic investigation and theoretical modeling of kaolinite-group minerals and other low-temperature phases. Comptes Rendus Géoscience, 2011, 343, pp.177-187. ⟨10.1016/j.crte.2010.10.006⟩. ⟨insu-03606500⟩