Characteristics of clay minerals in oasis farmland soil and their effects on adsorption of soil nutrients and heavy metal: A case study of the oasis area in the Kaikong river basin, Xinjiang

YAO Yuan; ZHAO Yu; LIU San; SU Jing; CHEN Zhenyu; LIANG Nan

doi:10.12029/gc20230731001

2025 Vol. 52, No. 3

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YAO Yuan, ZHAO Yu, LIU San, SU Jing, CHEN Zhenyu, LIANG Nan. 2025. Characteristics of clay minerals in oasis farmland soil and their effects on adsorption of soil nutrients and heavy metal: A case study of the oasis area in the Kaikong river basin, Xinjiang[J]. Geology in China, 52(3): 773-785. doi: 10.12029/gc20230731001

Citation:

YAO Yuan, ZHAO Yu, LIU San, SU Jing, CHEN Zhenyu, LIANG Nan. 2025. Characteristics of clay minerals in oasis farmland soil and their effects on adsorption of soil nutrients and heavy metal: A case study of the oasis area in the Kaikong river basin, Xinjiang[J]. Geology in China, 52(3): 773-785. doi: 10.12029/gc20230731001

Characteristics of clay minerals in oasis farmland soil and their effects on adsorption of soil nutrients and heavy metal: A case study of the oasis area in the Kaikong river basin, Xinjiang

1.
Xi’an Center of China Geological Survey, Xi’an 710119，Shaanxi，China
2.
School of Earth Science and Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210046，Jiangsu，China

Fund Project: Supported by the project of China Geological Survey(No.DD20230556).

More Information

Author Bio: YAO Yuan, male, born in 1997, engineer, mainly engaged in soil geochemistry and ecological geochemistry; E−mail: YaoYuanSF@163.com
Corresponding author: ZHAO Yu, male, born in 1988, engineer, mainly engaged in ecological geochemistry; E−mail: Zhaoyu01@mail.cgs.gov.cn.

Received Date: 31 July 2023

Revised Date: 18 March 2024

Publish Date: 25 May 2025

Abstract

Abstract

This paper is the result of environmental geological survey engineering.
Objective
Clay minerals play a crucial role in soil quality regulation. Identifying the clay mineral characteristics of farmland soil in arid oasis areas is of great significance to soil quality control and agricultural development.
Methods
This study focused on the farmland soil in the arid oasis area of the Kaidu−Kongque River Basin, Bayingolin Mongolian Autonomous Prefecture, Xinjiang, and explored the characteristics of clay minerals composition, provenance evolution, soil−forming climatic conditions and their influence on soil quality through systematic analysis methods including X−ray diffraction pattern analysis, correlation analysis, triangular diagram analysis and weathering index analysis.
Results
The dominant clay mineral types in the study area are 2:1 illite, illite/smectite mixed−layer minerals, and chlorite, with a minor presence of kaolinite. The evolution sequence of the clay minerals, which originate from granite, is illite→illite/smectite mixed−layer mineral→chlorite and kaolinite. The illite crystallinity (IC value) ranges from 0.35 to 0.62, with an average of 0.44. The chemical alteration index (CIA value) ranges from 51.29% to 62.57%, averaging 58.24%. The compositional variation index (ICV value) ranges from 1.09 to 3.69, averaging 2.65. These indicators suggest a pedogenesis environment with low temperatures, aridity, and relatively weak weathering intensity. The total clay mineral content in the study area shows a positive correlation with soil nutrients and heavy metal elements.
Conclusions
The clay minerals assemblage in the oasis area of the Kaidu−Kongque River Basin is of the illite−illite/smectite mixed−layer mineral−chlorite type. Clay minerals play a significant role in enhancing soil nutrient levels and immobilizing heavy metal elements through adsorption, thereby improving soil quality.
- clay minerals /
- heavy metals /
- soil nutrient /
- farmland soil /
- arid oasis area /
- soil quality /
- environmental geological survey engineering /
- Bayingolin Mongolian Autonomous Prefecture /
- Xinjiang

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References

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