Clay mineralogy of thirteen paleosols developed in holocene and late pleistocene tephras of central north island, New Zealand

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Abstract
The clay fractions of 13 paleosols formed in rhyolitic tephras erupted between 900 and 20 000 years ago in the Central North Island, New Zealand, have been examined by X-ray diffraction, infrared spectroscopic, and electron optical techniques. The clay minerals present in the paleosols are similar to those of the parent tephras. This indicates that during the comparatively short periods (generally less than 2000 years) between tephra deposition and subsequent burial by later ash or loess deposits the paleosols were only weakly weathered. Halloysite occurring in the three oldest paieosols has probably formed by mechanisms similar to those operating for the parent tephras, rather than as a result of soil forming processes.

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