Amorphous clay minerals of recent volcanic ash soils in hokkaido (ii)

Abstract

In the previous study (1), it was shown that the size-fractions finer than 2 μ of the soil samples were abundant in siliceous amorphous materials. These materials are more siliceous in the specimens of the A horizons than in the C and tend to become more siliceous with increase of particle-size. Discrete amorphous silica is present in all the size-fractions finer than 2 μ and its amount is considerably greater in coarser clay fractions. Since the proportions of coarser clay fractions are greater in the whole clay fractions, it is considered that the amorphous silica of the coarser clay fractions play a significant role in determining the properties of all of the amorphous clay minerals contained. Amorphous silica exists not only in the fractions finer than 2 μ, but also in the fractions coarser than 2 μ, even in the fine sand fractions of the A horizons.