The Soil Solid Fraction

Solids Pores
5%
25%
Air
Water
Mineral
45%
Organic
25%
From where do mineral particles originate?
Rocks and Minerals

Rock Dominant Mineral

Limestone Calcite
Sandstone Quartz
Shale Clays
Granite Quartz/Feldspars
Basalt Quartz/Feldspars
Weathering

Physical: changing the size and shape of

Rocks or mineral particles without
altering their chemical composition

Chemical: altering a mineral particle’s chemical

composition.
Weathering Destruction and Synthesis

Physical: freezing and thawing

plants and biota
wind, rain, abrasion
} Reduce
Size

Chemical: hydration
hydrolysis
oxidation/reduction
acids
} Chemical
Alteration

dissolution
 Granite

Minerals: quartz, feldspars, biotite

Rocks breakdown (weather) by physical means

Primary Minerals
Primary minerals (e.g. quartz, feldspars) are dominated by Si, Al, O

Primary minerals breakdown (weather) principally by chemical means

Secondary Minerals
Silicate clays Iron oxides Aluminum oxides

Silicate clay minerals are dominated by Si, Al, O

Primary Minerals

Quartz SiO2
Feldspar KAlSi3O8
Biotite KMg3AlSi3O10(OH)2
Albite NaAlSi3O8
Muscovite KAl3Si3O10(OH)2

Aluminum and Silicon

Chemical Alteration and Reorganization

Primary Minerals
Quartz SiO2 Chemical Secondary Minerals
weathering
Feldspar KAlSi3O8 Crystalline
Biotite KMg3AlSi3O10(OH)2 Aluminosilcate
Albite NaAlSi3O8 Clays
Muscovite KAl3Si3O10(OH)2

Dominated by
Aluminum, Silicon, Oxygen
Silicate Clays
Silicate Clays

Colloidal

1.Small (< 1 micron)

2.Large surface area
3.Highly reactive
 Constituents of Silicate Clays

Aluminosilicates

Si4+ Al3+

O2- OH-

These 4 ions are arranged together to form crystals

with a number of important properties related to soil reactivity.
Ions: what are they?
Silicate Clay minerals are crystalline
and formed by specific arrangement
of ionic forms of Si, Al, and O

Ions are stable forms of elements

that possess an electrical charge.

Cations are elements that have lost

electrons to become (+) charged

Anions are elements that have gained

electrons to become (-) charged.
 Elements

Electrons (-) Elements in the periodic

table have equal numbers
of protons and electrons.

Protons (+) They are electrically neutral

 Ions

Ions are stable forms of elements that acquire

an electrical charge by gaining or losing electrons

Elemental Sodium (Na) 11 protons (+), 11 electrons (-)

Sodium ion (Na+) 11 protons (+), 10 electrons (-)

By losing an electron, sodium has more protons than

electrons and becomes positively charged.

Na - 1e- = Na+
Sodium Na (11 electrons)

e-

+
e- e-

e-

e-

e-
Na e-
Na+
e-
11 protons
e-

e- e-
2Na + 2H20 2Na+ + 2 OH- + H2
 Ions

Ions are stable forms of elements that acquire

an electrical charge by gaining or losing electrons

Elemental Chlorine (Cl) 17 protons (+), 17 electrons (-)

Chloride ion (Cl-) 17 protons (+), 18 electrons (-)

By gaining an electron, chlorine has more electrons than

protons and becomes negatively charged.

Cl + 1e- = Cl-
Chlorine
e- e- _
e- e-

e-

e- e-

e- e-
Cl e- e-
Cl-
e- e-
17 protons
e-

e- e-

e- e-
Elements that lose electrons and become
positively charged are called cations.

Na+, K+, Ca2+, Mg2+, Cu2+, Fe3+

Elements that gain electrons and become

negatively charged are called anions.

Cl-, Br-, F-, I-

CO32-, SO42-, PO4-3

oxoanions
 Electrostatic Attraction

+ -
+ -
+ Na+ -
+ -
+ -
+ Cl- -
+ -
+ -
+ -
 Salts
Salts are formed by combining cations and
anions to form solids that have no charge.

Cations: K+, Na+, Mg2+, Ca2+

Anions: Cl-, CO3-2, SO4-2

K+ + Cl- = KCl

Na+ + Cl- = NaCl

KCl, NaCl, MgCl2, CaCO3, CaSO4

Conversely, if solid salts are mixed with water
they dissolve and the ions go into solution

solid solution
Water
KCl K+ + Cl-
Water
NaCl Na+ + Cl-
CaCO3 Ca+2 and CO3-2

CaSO4 Ca+2 and SO4-2

 Dissolution

Cl-

Cl
Cl Na
Cl
Cl

NaCl

Na+
Building a Crystal with Cations and Anions
Crystalline Mineral Colloids
Aluminosilicates

Cations and Anions

Si4+ Al3+
O2- OH-
Building Blocks for Silicate Clays
Silicon Tetrahedron Aluminum octahedron

oxygen hydroxide (OH-)

silicon (Si4+) Aluminum (Al3+)

Fundamental Building Blocks

Silicon Tetrahedron Aluminum Octahedron

Crystalline Minerals

Graphite Diamond
Oxygen (O2-) Hydroxide (OH-)

silicon (Si4+) Aluminum (Al3+)

 Tetrahedra and Octahedra
Sharing the Oxygens
Linkage of thousands of silica tetrahedra and
aluminum octahedra

O
Tetrahedra { Si
O, OH
octahedra { Al
OH

1:1 Mineral
 2:1 mineral

Tetrahedra {
octahedra {

Tetrahedra {
1:1 minerals 2:1 minerals
 Layers and Interlayers

Layer

interlayers
Electrical Properties of Soil Minerals
Charge Balance
Si4+
O2-

Al3+

OH-

Positive charge = Negative charge

Al3+ Si4+ OH- O2-
Uncharged silicate clay minerals
Positive Charge
Talc
Al3+ Si4+
Pyrophillite Negative Charge

O2- OH-

AlSi2O5OH.

+3 2 x (+4) = +8 5 x (-2) = -10 -1

Total = zero
Isomorphous Substitution

Substitution of lower-charge cations for

higher charge cations during mineral formation.

Al3+ for Si4+ in tetrahedra

Mg2+ for Al3+ in octahedra

The result is a deficit of positive charge or a

surplus of negative charge in the mineral
structure.
 Tetrahedral Substitution

Al3+ for Si4+

Positive Charge = Negative Charge

 Octahedral Substitution

Mg2+ for Al3+

Positive Charge = Negative Charge

Tetrahedral Substitution

Al3+ for Si4+

Octahedral Substitution

Mg2+ for Al3+

 Na+ Na+
Charge
Na+ Na+
Na+
Na+ Na+
 K+ K+
Cation Exchange
Na+ K+
Na+
K+ K+
Na+ Na+ Na+

Na+ Na+
Implications of Negative Charge sites.

Important Cations: H+, Ca2+, Mg2+, Zn2+, Mn2+, K+, NH4+, Cu2+

reserve

Paraquat, Diquat, Triazines

Pyridine, quinoline, arcidine