Mineralogical and Chemical Variation in Weathering Profile on Ultramafic Rocks During Vermiculitization

질석화가 진행된 풍화단면에서의 광물조성과 주원소의 변화

Several vermiculite deposits occur as the alteration product from phlogopite in ultramafic rock, in the Hongseong and Cheongyang area, South Korea. Some quarries show well-defined weathering profile. Samples collected from those quarries were examined by XRD and chemistry to define a vertical variations in mineralogy and chemistry of the weathering profile developed on ultramafic rocks. The analysis by X-ray diffractometry showed that mineral compositions changed continuously as depth of profile increasing, the vermiculite-the phlogopite/vermiculite interstratified-the phlogopite. Chemical analysis of bulk samples in altered zone revealed that regardless of composition and kinds of mineral in the rock, there are significant increase of MgO, CaO and $H_2O$, and decrease of K as depth of profile decrease reflecting the characteristics in vermiculitization. Also, there was a tendency that weathering indicies of each sample horizon change gradually with increasing depth. This tendency can be explained as variations of degree of vermiculitization. The regular changes of mineralogical and chemical composition in vertical profile suggest that weathering is the most important process in vermiculitization in this area.