Clay Mineralogy Investigation In The Soils Of Arid Almanaqil Ridge Gezira State Sudan Using Xrd Diffractograms

Abstract Clay mineralogy was studied in the soils of Arid Almanaqil Ridge. The soils are classified according to the American System Keys to Soil Taxonomy 2010 in the fallowing families Fine loamy mixed isohyperthermic TypicHaplustepts unit1 sample A1 and A2 Fine mont superactive Isohyperthermic VerticHaplocambids unit2 sample A3 and Fine mont superactive isohyperthermic TypicHaploustert unit3 sample A4. Representative soil samples were collected from these units. These samples were samples A1 and A2 for unit1 sample A3 for unit 2 and sample A4 for uint3 respectively. Those samples were compared with samples from outside the study area from north of the study area sample A5 and A6 and from the alluvium of the Blue Nile sample A7 according to their lithology topographic position soil types and soil mapping units. Clay mineralogy of the samples was studied using X-ray diffractograms XRD techniques. The XRD diffractograms indicated the presence of smectite chlorite illite and kaolinite as the major clay minerals in the soil of the study area and outside of the study area. The major clay minerals in these soils Chlorite illite and kaolinite could have originated from parent material. Smectite showed an increasing trend in samples A7 outside of study area and sample A4 unit 3. The CEC of clay minerals in unit 1 and 2 were less than 50 Cmolkg which indicated that minerals with low CEC were dominant this result conformed with the XRD results that showed dominance of Chlorite illite and Kaolinite. Higher CEC values more than 50 Cmolkg of the clay were encountered in soils samples from unit3 A4 and those from outside study area Sample A7 XRD results showed that the samples were dominated by smectite. Moreover the CEC values of clay minerals were consistent with results of XRD. The X-ray mineralogy indicated that the Vertisols and Aridisols of the study area had the same origin as that of the Gezira soils.