Valley floor kaolinitic regolith in SW Australia that has been modified by groundwater under the present semi-arid climate

摘要

The valley floor of the WA wheatbelt commonly consists of a diverse array of materials including alluvium, colluvium and residual lateritic regolith. The mineralogy is dominated by primary quartz and kaolinite, the ubiquitous product of intense weathering. Various amounts of iron oxides (goethite and hematite) and carbonates (calcite and dolomite) are also present. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to determine elemental distribution and thus identify processes such as impregnation, replacement and cementation. SEM elemental data explained elemental affinity groups and identified less common minerals such as cerium phosphate.