Possibility of Inferring Some General Characters of Deep Clay Deposits by Means of Superficial Observations. Results of a Research Carried out on Recent Italian Clay Deposits

摘要

The aim of this work has been to infer mineralogical and sedimentological characteristics of deep clay deposits by means of low cost observations on surficial clay outcroppings. Main research objectives considered in the programme have been: a) assessing regional distribution pattern of different, if existing, clay mineralogical associations; b) assessing possible relationships between parent rock of clay formations and mineralogy of sediments derived from; c) assessing important variations of clay bodies according to the evolution of the basins. The researches have been developed on the most representative Italian clay basins, following this programme: a) systematic sampling and mineralogic analysis of the pliocenic clay formations; b) assessment and development of investigations on clay mineralogic provinces, possibly identified in the preceding general phase by means of investigations on the variations of structural and mineralogical characteristics of significative clay deposits. The final results have been: a) clay mineralogic associations show a regional distribution pattern, i.d. the existence of many mineralogic provinces at the Italian scale is demonstrated; b) besides depositional mechanisms the mineralogic differential distribution pattern is due also to the lithologic nature of parent rock of the clay. These results account for the possibility of forecasting general mineralogic composition of deep clay bodies starting from low cost observations on surficial clay outcroppings. A practical implication is the possibility of orienting detailed expensive researches only toward those situations probabilistically displaying more appropriate characters. (Atomindex citation 15:072113)