Geoderma 89 1999.

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Precipitation and dissolution of gibbsite during weathering of andesitic boulders in humid tropical West Java, Indonesia 1
B. Mulyanto a , G. Stoops
a

b,)

, E. Van Ranst

Department of Soil Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Bogor Agriculture Uniersity, Jl. Raya Pajajaran, Bogor, Indonesia b Department of Geology and Soil Science, Uniersiteit Gent, Krijgslaan 281, S8, B-9000 Gent, Belgium Received 24 February 1998; accepted 24 August 1998

Abstract Several weathered andesite boulders, sampled in Typic Humitropepts from the Cigudeg area, West Java Indonesia., were studied using micromorphological, mineralogical XRD, TG, DTA, SEM, EDXRA. and chemical techniques. Because all data of the boulders are similar, only the results of the largest boulder are presented in this paper. Three zones are distinguished: the rim of the boulder core, a transition layer, and outer layers. In the rim of the core weathering attacks the glass matrix and the anorthite rich parts of the plagioclases. Even before sufficient iron is liberated from pyroxenes goethite is deposited in their cracks, as a first step to the formation of a boxwork. In the transition layer mono- and divalent cations have been lost, but Al shows an absolute accumulation as gibbsite in plagioclase pseudomorphs and pores. It is presumed that the Al originates from the more internal parts of the core. Towards the outer layer gibbsite gets completely removed, supposedly as the result of a lowering of pH, and the plagioclase pseudomorphs become filled with illuvial kaolinitic clay. Illuviation of clay, and the import of iron, from the surrounding soil material, put limits to the use of isovolumetric calculations. The goethite boxworks after pyroxenes reflect the original pattern of fractures, rather than cleavage patterns. q 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved. Keywords: micromorphology; gibbsite; weathering; andesite; Indonesia

Corresponding author. Laboratorium voor Mineralogie, Petrologie en Micropedologie, Universiteit Gent, Krijgslaan 281, S8 B-9000 Gent, Belgium. Tel.: q32-9-264-4561; Fax: q32-9-2644984; E-mail: georges.stoops@rug.ac.be 1 Publication no. 96r001 of the International Training Centre for Post-graduate Soil ScientistsGent. 0016-7061r99r$ - see front matter q 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved. PII: S 0 0 1 6 - 7 0 6 1 9 8 . 0 0 0 8 8 - 3

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1. Introduction As part of a more general pedogenic survey of a small watershed in West Java Mulyanto, 1995. , a detailed study on weathering under tropical perudic conditions has been made of a series of andesitic boulders present in the soil profiles. The study focuses on mineral transformations using chemical, mineralogical, optical and in situ submicroscopic techniques. Because micromorphological and in situ submicroscopical studies deal with the mineral scale of observation they provide insight in the mechanisms of weathering of primary minerals and the formation of secondary minerals. Although weathering of andesitic rocks has been described in many regions e.g., Hendricks and Whittig, 1968; Glasmann, 1982; Jongmans et al., 1994. such studies are scarce with respect to the extended perudic regions of Indonesia. Especially the study of boulders and pebbles can yield important information on physical and chemical conditions in the soil e.g., Veldkamp et al., 1990;

Fig. 1. Location of the study area.

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Jongmans et al., 1993. which may be quite different from the conditions in the underlying parent rock Eswaran et al., 1973. . The study revealed some trends about gibbsite occurrences which were hitherto less documented, especially the disappearance of gibbsite upon ongoing weathering. 2. Materials and methods 2.1. Materials The studied site is located in the rolling upland on a crest slope of a small watershed in the southern part of the Cigudeg area 6833X S, 106830X E., Bogor district, West Java, along the way from Bogor to Pandegelang Fig. 1. . The geological substrate is indicated on the geological map as undifferentiated volcanic rocks Effendi, 1986. . The major soil types in the study area are Typic Humitropepts on the back slope, with Oxic Humitropepts on the crest slope and Typic Tropaquents on the foot slope Mulyanto, 1995. . The soils are well drained, the temperature regime is isohyperthermic, the moisture regime perudic, and all profiles belong to a clayey, kaolinitic family Soil Survey Staff, 1992. . The original forest was first replaced by rubber plantations during the colonial time, and recently transformed to cocoa and coconut plantations. Samples were taken from exfoliating boulders exposed in a road cut in the Typic Humitropept on the back slope. Three boulders were studied in detail, the

Fig. 2. Location of samples within the exfoliated andesite core-stone. C: core matrix 5 Y 5r2, plagioclase 7.5 YR 8r1, pyroxene 7.5 Y 3r2, powder 10 YR 8r1.; T: transition layer matrix 2.5 Y 8r4, plagioclase 10 YR 8r8, pyroxene 5 YR 4r85r8, powder 10 YR 7r6.; O1: outer layer 1 powder 10 YR 7r4.; O 2 : outer layer 2 powder 5 YR 6r4.; O 3: outer layer 3 5 YR 8r3..

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Table 1 Element Core C Transition T Outer Layers O1 O2

b O3

a . Chemical composition wt.% ., pH and bulk density BD . of core C ., transition T . and outer O . layers of a weathered andesitic boulder SiO 2 61.1 42.8 46.7 45.7 Al 2 O 3 16.8 31.6 23.4 23.9 a Fe 2 O 3 6.2 14.5 14.8 18.6 TiO 2 1.0 1.3 1.2 1.3 MnO 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.0 P2 O5 0.2 0.1 0.0 0.0 CaO 5.3 0.1 0.0 0.0 MgO 2.7 0.1 0.1 0.1 Na 2 O 2.8 0.1 0.1 0.1 K 2O 2.4 0.1 0.1 0.0 H 2O 1.6 10.2 13.7 10.3 Total 100.2 100.9 100.1 100.0 SiO 2rAl 2 O 3 pH BD Mgrm y3 . 6.1 7.1 2.4 2.2 5.1 1.5 3.4 4.6 1.4 3.2 4.6 1.3

56.6 27.5 4.1 1.4 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.1 0.0 10.1 99.9 3.5 4.6 1.3

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b . Chemical composition expressed in cgrcm 3 of core C ., transition T . and outer O . layers of a weathered andesitic boulder isovolumetric method. SiO 2 Al 2 O 3 a Fe 2 O 3 TiO 2 MnO P2 O5 CaO MgO Na 2 O K 2O H 2O
a b

146.6 40.3 15.1 2.4 0.2 0.5 12.7 6.5 6.7 5.8 3.8

63.1 47.3 21.7 1.9 0.0 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 15.2

65.3 32.7 20.7 1.7 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.1 0.1 19.2

59.4 31.1 24.2 1.7 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.1 0.1 13.4

73.7 35.8 5.3 1.8 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.1 0.0 13.1

FeO q Fe 2 0 3. No longer isovolumetric.

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largest found at the soil surface, the others, respectively, in the AC and BC horizons. As they were yielding similar results only data on the largest, 90 = 70 cm. are presented in this study.

Fig. 3. XRD of bulk samples oriented. from weathered andesite from the core C. up to the outer layers without any treatment.

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2.2. Methods Large thin sections 90 = 120 mm. were prepared after impregnation with polystyrene as described by Benyarku and Stoops 1999. and studied using a polarising microscope. For thin section description the concepts and terms proposed by Bullock et al. 1985. were used. In order to avoid confusion, the use of the term groundmass was restricted to soil material, whereas the term matrix was used for the fine material within the rock. The original mineralogical composition modus. of the andesite was assessed by counting 1000 points on a thin section from a fresh sample of the centre of the core. Small subsamples were ground and analysed by X-ray diffraction XRD. after saturation with Mg 2q, glycol solvation and saturation with Kq followed by heating at 110, 350 and 5508C, respectively. The same was done for clay fractions separated from the transition and outer layers. Red and white spots considered as weathered pyroxene and plagioclase grains, respectively, were sampled with a needle and XRD was performed using a Gandolfi camera. Total elemental analysis of bulk samples, using AAS, was done according to Van Hende 1976. . Bulk density of the clods was measured according to the method of Blake and Hartge 1986. . Uncovered thin sections were studied with a Scanning Electron Microscope SEM. Jeol 6400 equipped with an Energy Dispersive X-Ray Analyser EDXRA. JXA-6400 in order to determine the chemical composition of the constituents.

Table 2 XRD-analysis of ground samples of the core, transition zone and outer layers of the andesite boulder Minerals Rock minerals Plagioclase Cristobalite Tridymite Augite Hypersthene Weathering products Mixed layers 0.7 nm halloysite Goethite Gibbsite Core C qqq qq q q q Tranition T qqq qq q q q qqq Outer layers O1 qqq qq q qq q qq O2 qq qqq q qqq q q O3 q qqq qq qqq q

Note: q: low, qq medium, qqq high, : not detected.

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3. Results 3.1. Macroscopic description The weathered rim of the andesitic boulder is about 10 to 15 cm thick and exfoliated. One undisturbed sample was taken from the core, one from the transition layer and three from the outer layers Fig. 2. . 3.2. Chemical analysis The chemical composition and bulk density of the core and weathered layers of the andesitic rock, determined from bulk samples, are presented in Table 1a. During weathering, pH and bulk density gradually decrease towards the outer

Fig. 4. XRD of untreated oriented clay fraction separated from bulk samples of weathered andesite core-stone, from the least weathered T. up to the ultimate weathered material O 3 ..

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Fig. 5. XRD pattern of oriented clay samples of the outer layers O 3 ., saturated with Mg 2q, and Kq, glycol solvated and heated.

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layer. Using the isovolumetric method Millot and Bonifas, 1955. , the chemical data were recalculated Table 1b.. A drastic decrease of the basic cations Ca, Mg, K and Na. in the weathering layers and a steady decrease of Si indicate a

Fig. 6. DTA and TG patterns of ground samples of the different layers of an exfoliated andesite core stone.

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pronounced leaching of these elements. The Al content increases in the transition layer and gradually decreases towards the outer layers. Iron shows a relative accumulation, except in the outer shell. 3.3. XRD and DTA analyses The XRD patterns of the ground samples are presented in Fig. 3 and their interpretation is summarised in Table 2. The core contains plagioclases 0.63, 0.404, 0.322 and 0.317 nm. , cristobalite, 0.401, 0.313, 0.282 and 0.248 nm., tridymite 0.427, 0.408, 0.378, 0.360, 0.343 nm., augite 0.294 nm. and hypersthene 0.318, 0.298, 0.255 nm. . A weak, broad peak at more than 0.7 nm indicates already the presence of some weathering products. In the transitional layer, the reflections of plagioclases and pyroxenes have disappeared, while the intensity of the tridymite, and especially the cristobalite peaks strongly increases. In addition, gibbsite 0.485, 0.436 nm. , goethite 0.418, 0.245 and 0.268 nm., and probably halloysiterkaolinite 0.72, 0.445 and 0.353 nm. are observed. The 0.98 nm reflection probably belongs to mixed layers with halloysite. In the outer layers, the tridymite reflections become stronger than those of cristobalite. The gibbsite reflections gradually disappear, whereas the reflections of goethite, halloysiterkaolinite, and mixed layers become more pronounced compared to the transition layer. The XRD patterns of the separated clay are presented in Fig. 4. They show strong reflections of cristobalite, tridymite, and very weak reflections of plagioclase, halloysite, and probably chlorite and mixed layers. The clay fraction of the outer O 3 . layer Fig. 5. also contains, besides cristobalite 0.404 nm. , tridymite 0.410 nm. and plagioclase 0.63 and 0.32 nm., newly-formed phyllosilicates. Kaolinite is shown by the 0.72 and 0.358 nm reflections, and halloysite by the broadened 0.7 nm peak to about 0.9 nm. Heating the sample at 1108C increases the intensity of the 0.72 nm reflections; whereas the broadening disappears, indicating the presence of hydrated 1:1 phyllosilicate layers. Heating at 5508C destroys the 0.72 nm reflection. The broadened peak, situated between 1.0 and 2.4 nm in the Kq saturated sample indicates irregular 1:1r2:1 mixed layers. Reflections at 1.0 and 0.5 nm, present after all treatments, indicate mica. The shift of the 1.5 nm peak in the
Plate I. Petrography of the fresh core and initial weathering of plagioclases. a. Glomerophyric fabric with phenocrystals of pyroxene p. and plagioclase f. in feldspar and glass matrix of fresh inner core. Note the glass inclusions in the feldspars and the opaque inclusions in the pyroxenes. PPL. b. Idem, XPL. c. Initial weathering of plagioclase phenocrystals, microlites and matrix in outer part of core. PPL. d. Idem, XPL.

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Mg 2q saturated sample, towards 1.7 nm after glycol solvation indicates swelling layers. DTA and TG curves Fig. 6. show that the endothermic reaction at 3008C, due to the dehydroxylation of gibbsite, is very significant in the transition layer, and gradually disappears towards the outer layer, where the endothermic peak of kaolinite is dominant. 3.4. Microscopic study The fresh rock in the central part of the core has a medium grained glomerophyric fabric Plate Ia and b. . The matrix 52.5%. consists of colourless glass and microlites "40 mm . of plagioclase; phenocrysts "1 mm. comprise plagioclase bytownite 4.2%. and anorthite 27.0%.., augite 9.4%. and hypersthene 3.4%.. Tridymite, cristobalite, biotite and opaques are observed only in small amounts 3.5%. and therefore their individual weathering pattern will not be discussed in this paper. Plagioclases display a normal zonation, polysynthetic twinning, cleavages and inclusions of grey glass, pyroxenes and gas bubbles Plate Ia and b.. Pyroxene have mainly opaque inclusions, with metallic lustre; occasionally also inclusions of gas or fluid bubbles occur. The fresh grains show no deuteric alteration products. As weathering of hypersthene and augite seems to be very similar, no distinction between both minerals is made in this study. The prismatic microlites of plagioclase in the matrix of the outer zone of the core are replaced by dotted clay sized or colloidal materials with grey interference colour Plate Ic and d., probably cryptocrystalline gibbsite or halloysite; some yellow staining of the matrix is locally observed. In the transition layer the matrix as a whole becomes isotropic in yellow stained parts, whereas unstained zones have a stipple speckled b-fabric with a grey interference colour. In the outer layers, part of the matrix is transparent and yellow, the other part is completely opaque in transmitted light and red in incident light. In the latter, the pores are filled with either goethite yellow. or hematite red.. In the outer zone of the core, weathering of the zoned plagioclase phenocrysts starts from their anorthite-rich centre; grains become speckled and trouble in transmitted light Plate Ie and f.. The anorthite rich centre is more reactive because of a higher proportion of ionic bonds Nahon, 1991. . The turbidity gradually increases and isotropic zones appear. Pseudomorphs after plagioclases, without specific internal fabric, are formed containing the following secondary materials: i. isotropic material, ii. randomly organised gibbsiterhalloysite, and
Plate II. Advanced weathering of plagioclases in transition layer. a. Gibbsite pseudomorphs after plagioclase phenocrystals in transition layer. Note that first a gibbsite boxwork was formed which became afterwards filled with microcrystalline gibbsite. PPL. b. Idem, XPL. c. Detail of gibbsite pseudomorph after plagioclase phenocrystal. Note the relicts of original glass inclusions, not replaced by gibbsite. PPL. d. Idem, XPL.

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iii. clay minerals with low grey interference colour oriented parallel to the wall of the cracks and in contact voids Plate II.. The latter accumulation is probably due to a micro-transport in the boxwork. The optical data are confirmed by Gandolfi XRD of a hand-picked pseudomorph indicating at this stage the presence of plagioclase, partly dehydrated halloysite and gibbsite. In the transition layers the secondary materials in the plagioclase pseudomorphs show signs of disorganisation due to dissolution, resulting in the formation of large voids. Although the homogeneous grey 1st order interference colour of the secondary minerals seems to indicate one homogeneous phase of 1:1 phyllosilicates, the back scattered electron image BSEI. at an enlargement of 200 times shows at least 2 different grey levels. Point analyses in the lighter part indicates a SiO 2rAl 2 O 3 molar ratio 1.6 suggesting a 1:1 mineral, most probably halloysite, whereas the darker part, directly in contact with the contact voids, contains almost 100% aluminium expressed on total of cations. which indicates gibbsite. The 750 times enlargement shows the crystal habit and the pores in between the grains of gibbsite, while the fabric of halloysite remains unclear. Weathering of the pseudomorphs after plagioclase is continued in the outer layer by congruent dissolution of gibbsite, leaving relatively large voids and halloysite. Yellowish infillings with microlaminated, parallel oriented clay with low interference colours are formed by illuviation of fine material from outside the boxwork. Weathering of the pyroxenes starts in the outer zone of the core from cracks perpendicular to the w001x-axis or related to inclusions. The 100. and 010. cleavage planes play only an accidental role. Coatings of goethite are deposited on the walls of the cracks, forming a boxwork. Congruent dissolution of the pyroxene results in fragments with denticulate basal planes isolated in the cells of the boxwork, separated from the goethite septa by contact voids Plate IIIa.. In the transition layer, goethite boxwork pseudomorphs with pyroxene habit can still be recognised, rarely containing cores of the original minerals. The contact voids are partially filled by red rounded aggregates, 1020 mm in diameter. Considering the colour, the chemical composition determined by EDXRA and Gandolfi XRD, the material is determined as goethite. Towards the contact void, the percentage of iron decreases, while the content of aluminium and silica increases, pointing to the presence of phyllosilicates. In voids corresponding to the original cracks thin coatings of limpid, yellowish clay occur. In some cases,

Plate III. Weathering of pyroxene phenocrystals and general aspects. a. Weathering of pyroxene phenocrystals in outer core, as a first step to the formation of a goethite boxwork. Note the congruent dissolution of the pyroxene. PPL. s: Fe septa, p: pyroxene fragments, v: contact void.. b. Goethite boxwork after pyroxene surrounded by layered infillings of fine clay, oriented alternatively parallel i. and perpendicular n. to the walls of the voids. PPL. c. Idem, XPL. d. Illuvial clay forming coatings and infillings in transmineral fissures in the outer layer. Goethite boxworks after pyroxene phenocrystals are still visible. PPL.

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clay particles are oriented parallel to the walls, in others perpendicular to the walls. Combinations of both were also observed Plate IIIb and c. . Perpendicular orientation points to clay neoformation, probably combined with local translocations considering the parallel orientation patterns. In the outer layer, the goethite pseudomorphs after pyroxenes are preserved. Structural micropores like cracks 200500 mm. and cavities 500800 mm. are rare in the centre of the core; in their outer margin, cracks are common and sometimes filled by gibbsite microcrystals oriented perpendicular to the wall and surrounded by hematite hypocoatings. Coatings of yellowish clay, with low interference colours occur in planar voids in the transition layer Plate IIId. . In planar voids in the outer layer, coatings of clay stained by goethite or of gellic materials, or a combination of both are locally found. Others are coated by radiating fibrous reddish yellow goethite microcrystals. 4. Discussion As weathering progresses in the boulder from outside to the centre, it can be assumed that the outer layers have passed through the same processes which act now on the more central part of the core. Micromorphology shows that the isovolumetric calculations Table 1b. are not valid for the most outward layer O 3 . as the influence of illuviated clay becomes important, although the rock structure is still preserved during the isovolumetric weathering stage. Clay from external origin invades plagioclase and pyroxene boxworks, even as larger planar voids. Isovolumetric calculations Table 1b. show that the mono- and divalent cations drastically decline in the transition layer; also the Si content drops about 50%. This is in agreement with the XRD data and the micromorphological observations, showing the disappearance of plagioclases and pyroxenes. The same trend is continued towards the outer layers. The few mono- and divalent cations left over are probably present on the exchange complex of the clays; the Si is partly present as free SiO 2 relative accumulation of tridymite and cristobalite observed in XRD. , and partly as components of the clay. On the contrary, the Al content shows an absolute increase about 15%. in the transition layer, corresponding to high amounts of gibbsite in the XRD, DTA and TG, followed by a gradual decrease of Al towards the outer layers, where gibbsite is absent. The micromorphological observations also point to an accumulation of gibbsite in the plagioclase boxworks and transmineral fissures, starting in the external part of the core, and reaching a maximum in the transition layer, followed by the disappearance of gibbsite towards the outer layers. The relative position voidsgibbsitehalloysiteplagioclase in the plagioclase boxwork in the transition layer suggests that the gibbsite is due to either the removal of silica desilicification of halloysite. , or to a direct gibbsite precipitation from solutions.

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According to micromorphological observations, weathering of plagioclases is already in a rather advanced stage in the outer core no chemical data available., as shown by the presence of pseudomorphs of an isotropic substance. It is presumed that, due to the high abrasion pH of the weathering environment also Al is mobilised and moved towards the more outward transition layer. The gibbsite dissolution in the outer layers is in agreement with observations of Furian 1994. in soils of Brazil, and of Dedecker and Stoops 1999. in saprolites of Malaysia. Holdren and Speyer 1985. suggest that in the range of pH 68 dissolution of feldspar is stoichiometric and equal amounts of Si and Al are liberated. They partly combine to form kandites, as revealed by micropedology and Gandolfi XRD, and partly move to the transition layer where, due to a drop of the pH, Al becomes less soluble and is precipitated as gibbsite, overlaying the kandites already present, whereas the Si is gradually leached out. According to micromorphological, chemical, XRD and DTA data the gibbsite is gradually dissolved in the outer layers. Nahon 1991. and Velde 1992. cited that gibbsite is dissolved at pH below 5. According to Kittrick 1969. and Tan et al. 1973. the dependency of the gibbsite on the pH value is shown by the equation: Al OH . q 3Hqq 3H 2 0 m Al 3qP 6H 2 O This equation indicates that a decrease in pH shifts the reaction to the right, leading to the dissolution of gibbsite. An inward movement of Al from the outer layers to the transition layer. seems difficult to explain. The absolute accumulation of Fe 2 O 3 up to about 10%. according to the isovolumetric calculations is visible in thin sections as a yellowish and reddish impregnation of the weathered matrix and as goethite septa in the pyroxene boxworks. As the formation of the goethite coatings in the pyroxenes starts even before sufficient iron can be liberated by these minerals, it is clear that an important input from outside is necessary. The goethite boxworks are thus not necessarily the result of an in situ accumulation of pyroxene weathering products, which anyway would be insufficient to fill the volume. They may have, however, contributed to it, as suggested by the presence of Si 822%. and Al 1420%. in the boxwork. Morphologically, the weathering of the pyroxenes can be considered as a congruent dissolution. Goethite accumulation in the pyroxene boxwork takes place in two steps: first formation of septa of microcrystalline goethite, and later deposition of cryptocrystalline materials in the contact voids and empty cells. Similar observations have been reported on garnet weathering by Embrechts and Stoops 1982. . It is striking that septa form according to fractures only, and cleavage directions seem unimportant. Table 1b clearly shows that Fe is the only element not showing a decrease, except for the outer layer O 3 . where it is a result of local reducing conditions. In the outer layers, the tridymite XRD-reflections appear stronger than those of cristobalite, probably because tridymite, which formed at lower temperatures
3

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Mitchell, 1975. is less sensitive to weathering than cristobalite resulting in a relative accumulation.

5. Conclusions Within 1015 cm from the margin of the core the weathered andesitic rock showed drastic change in fabrics and mineralogical composition. Most feldspars and pyroxenes as well as the glass of the matrix are eliminated. Mono- and divalent cations are immediately leached even as an important part of the silica. Altering pH conditions control the behaviour of Al, which in an advanced weathering stage first precipitates and accumulates in feldspar pseudomorphs as gibbsite, and upon ongoing weathering redissolves and is removed. We explained the gibbsite coatings covering the kandite coatings in the transition layer as a result of Al precipitation, rather than desilicification as described by other authors e.g., Jongmans et al., 1994. . Goethite boxworks after pyroxenes, already starting to form in the outer rim of the core, are more the result of an absolute accumulation of iron than a relative one caused by in situ weathering. The septa of the boxwork reflect old patterns of fractures rather than cleavages. Coatings of clay, oriented perpendicular to the walls of voids in the outer layer point to neoformation of clay minerals. Although isovolumetric calculations seemed valuable as a first approximation, micromorphology combined with submicroscopic analyses show that strictly spoken the method cannot be applied in the outer layer, since interlayer transport and precipitation of iron and clay illuviation took place.

Acknowledgements This research was supported by the Algemeen Bestuur van de Ontwikkelingssamenwerking ABOS. scholarship no: DVZ 3.953.704 of Belgium and a research grant no: FKFO 2.0017.93. from the National Science Foundation.

References
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