Department of Soil Science, G.B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar, 263145, U.P.
*Present addresses: N.M. College of Agriculture, Navsari 396 450, Gujarat
**Present addresses: National Bureau of Soil Survey and Land Use Planning, Nagpur 440006, Maharashtra
The quantitative mineralogical make-up of clay and silt fractions of coastal and inland soil series of black soils of south Gujarat was determined using chemical methods and by x-ray diffraction analysis. Smectite was generally dominant in the clay fraction whereas quartz and feldspar were so in silt fraction. Vermiculite, mica, kaolinite and allophane were present in both the fractions in small and variable amounts. Coastal clays and silts were more micaceous than the inland ones. Chlorite was present in both the fractions mixed with smectite and/or vermiculite. More chloritization was found to occur in coastal ones as compared to inland silt.
Clay minerals, coastal soil, inland soil, chloritization
