Palygorskite in caves and karst: a review

0500583 - GLÚ 2019 RIV SI eng J - Journal Article
Bosák, Pavel - Zupan Hajna, N.
Palygorskite in caves and karst: a review.
Acta carsologica. Roč. 47, 2/3 (2018), s. 97-108. ISSN 0583-6050. E-ISSN 1580-2612
Institutional support: RVO:67985831
Keywords : palygorskite * caves * karst
OECD category: Geology
Impact factor: 0.756, year: 2018

Palygorskite is fibrous mineral representing the transitional phase between chain silicates and layer silicates with modulated phyllosilicate structure. Although often found in carbonate environments, it forms quite uncommon constituent of cave fills. Palygorskite occurs in cave fills in two forms: (1) allogenic palygorskite which in arid and semiarid conditions can represents substantial constituent of cave fills, often associated with smectite, gypsum, calcite and halite, it is airborne or transported by surface run-off to caves from desert soils and paleosoils, calcretes, dolocretes and related deposits in cave surroundings. (2) Authigenic palygorskite occurs as in situ precipitate in cave fills from percolating water solutions and/or transformation of smectite and kaolinite in dry evaporative conditions and suitable geochemical composition of solutions. In carbonate host-rocks palygorskite fills fissures and faults and often it is found in cave walls. It occurs commonly as part of the ”mountain leather” as a result of hydrothermal and/or weathering processes or represents a product of in situ chemical precipitation from percolating meteoric solutions with suitable pH a redox conditions and chemical composition.




Permanent Link: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0292672