Geoderma, 30 (1983) 179--186 179

Elsevier Science Publishers B V , Amsterdam -- Printed in The Netherlands

SEM AND LIGHT MICROSCOPIC OBSERVATIONS OF MINERALS IN

BOG-ORES OF THE BELGIAN CAMPINE*

G. S T O O P S
Laboratory for Mineralogy, Petrography and Micropedology, Kr~jgslaan 281, 9000-Gent
(Belgmm)
(Accepted for publication February 17, 1983)

ABSTRACT

Stoops, G., 1983. S E M and hght mmroscopic observations of minerals in bog-ores of the
Belgian Campine. Geoderma, 30: 179--186.

Soft bog-ore deposits are frequently present in alluvial sods of the Nete Valley, Pro-
vince of Antwerp, Belgium. A profile was studmd consisting of four layers of whmh the
upper three were analyzed with the light microscope and SEM (scanning electron mmro-
scope). The top layer consmted mainly of clay and fragmented diatom shells. Isotropic
Fe-oxihydrates and radiating goethite needles were present in the underlying limonitic
layer Siderite and vlvianite were found in the third layer, the former often present in the
wall of root channels, whereas the latter was frequently found within the channels.
Vivianite was also found associated with decaying roots or alone inside root channels
Pyrite frambolds were also found m the lower part of the profile
The presence, close to each other, of different minerals such as goethlte, pyrite, mder-
lte and vivianite cannot be explained by macroenvironmental mineral eqmlibria alone. It
requires the existence of different mmroenvlronments which can vary in hme and place.
The study of such microenvironments, however, requires additional in mtu microchemmal
submicroscopm techniques

INTRODUCTION

A r e s e a r c h p r o j e c t o n s o f t b o g - o r e d e p o s i t s o f t h e B e l g i a n C a m p m e is c u r -
r e n t l y in p r o g r e s s . T h e s e d e p o s i t s a r e f r e q u e n t l y o b s e r v e d in a l l u w a l soils o f
t h e N e t e V a l l e y in t h e P r o v i n c e o f A n t w e r p , B e l g i u m . A t y p m a l p r o f i l e w a s
e x p o s e d m t h e s e d e p o s i t s a n d r e s u l t s o f p r e l i m i n a r y i n v e s t i g a t i o n s a r e re-
p o r t e d h e r e . T h e p r o f i l e h a d a h i g h g r o u n d w a t e r l e v e l a n d all h o r i z o n s w e r e
oversaturated. Four layers could be distinguished: a greyish, clayey topsoil
of 20 cm thmkness with "rust" coated channels; a 20 cm thick hmonite nch

*Contribution to the research program: "Weathering and neosynthesm in relation to soil

genesis" Fonds voor Kollektief Fundamenteel Onderzoek -- Belgium.
The material presented here was given in part before Division S-5 of the Soil Science So-
ciety of Amerma Meetings, December 3, 1981 in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S A.

0016-7061/83/$03.00 © 1983 Elsevier Science Publishers B.V.

180

greyish-yellow layer with orange-yellow mottles; a vlwanlte-nch layer of

30 cm, whmh after oxidation consisted of alternating bluish flecks (viviamte)
and white veins and tubes (siderite); and layered alluvial deposits startmg at
a depth of 70 cm m the profile. The present study gives data on the upper
three layers.

METHODS

Large undisturbed soil blocks were impregnated with polyester resin for
thin section preparation following drying by acetone replacement
(Fltzpatrmk, 1980). These thin sections were studied with the light micro-
scope. Undisturbed clods, which were not hardened, were investigated with a
binocular microscope, which allowed subsamphng for SEM studms. Samples
for SEM study were m o u n t e d with collodion on alummmm stubs, coated
with gold and examined with a Cambndge Stereoscan (Stoops and De Mets,
1970). Mineralogical determinations were confirmed by XRD-analyses, using
a Gandolfi camera.

Results

The clayey surface layer of the bog-ore profile was sampled between 10
and 15 cm depth. It is characterised by a porous microstructure in whmh
rust-coated channels, occasionally containing roots, dominate m the thin sec-
tion. The greyish fine fraction consists mainly of small opaline bodies
(phytoliths and diatoms) and clay. SEM showed that much of the fine frac-
tion comprises fragments of diatoms (Fig. 1).

5~m
Fig. 1. Fragments of diatom shells and clay m the groundmass of the surface horizon
(SEM).
 181

The underlying limonitic layer was sampled between 20 and 30 cm. It has
a porous microstructure with many root channels. The sample consists of
alternating greyish and brownish zones. The small greyish zones are similar
to those of the topsoil, whereas the larger brownish zones exhibit dark red-
dish-brown, compact, structureless isotropm domains and yellowish to
brownish bands of goethite.
The browmsh bands consist of weakly birefnngent, length-slow goethite
fibres (first order grey up to yellow) forming a radiating pattern perpendicu-
lar to the walls of voids. Sometimes several layers could be distinguished m
thin sections (Fig. 2). Similar goethite coatings were observed by Eswaran
(1972} in an Ultisol from Nicaragua.

Fig. 2. Fan-like goethite coating on the wall of a pore in the lirnonitic layer. Polarised
light.

SEM of the seemingly structureless isotropic limonitic material did not

reveal structure at higher magnifications, although numerous shrinkage
cracks could be seen (Fig. 3). The radiating goethite fibres could be disting-
uished, however, and are about 1.6 pm thick (Fig. 4). Orientation of the
fibres perpendicular to the wall of pores was also found m the clods (Fig. 5a)
as was layering of the goethite (Fig. 5b). Such surfaces of goethite coatmgs
have the aspect of a micropore filter (Fig. 5c). Apparently individual entitles
of radiating fibrous goethite leave intermittent spaces during growth.
The upper part of the vivianite and siderite containing layer was sampled
between 40 cm and 50 cm and the lower part between 60 cm and 70 cm.
The very heterogeneous upper part has a porous microstructure sometimes
disturbed by shrinkage fissures in zones that are rich in orgamc material.
 lOpm

Fig .q Amorphous iron oxlhydrates in limomtic layer with shrinkage cracks (SEMI

Fig 4 Goethite needles in fan-hke goethitic coating (SEM)

Most f r e q u e n t l y , the groundmass in thin sections consists o f a yellowish, 1so-

t r o p i c clay with very few coarse detrltal grains. Siderite spherulites with a
d i a m e t e r of 2 0 - - 2 5 p m o c c u r s u b c u t a n e o u s l y on the r o o t channels. T h e i r
radial fabric is evidenced by the o r t h o g o n a l e x t r a c t i o n cross seen u n d e r
crossed polarizers. Vlviamte is present in the channels as a blue, fine, granu-
lar mass, s o m e t i m e s m i x e d with root-residues (Fig. 6).
SEM studies o f t h e soft b o g ~ r e did n o t give clear m o r p h o l o g m a l charac-
 183

50 u m
b

Fig 5. Goethlte coatings on the walls of pores in the limonitic layer: a) coating of radiat-
ing goethite needles, b) layered goethite, and c) topography of the surface of a goethite
coating (SEM).

teristics of the subcutaneous siderite spheruhtes. In a sample of hard bog-ore

from the same area optically comparable, but cutaneous siderite deposits
were observed. These grmns seem to be composed of a parallel growth of
rhombohedral crystals (Fig. 7). The fine grained vivianite of the soft bog~)re
was observed as irregular lathlike crystallites (Fig. 8).
The lower part of the vivmnite- and siderite-containing layer is st]ll porous
in thin section, with channels and packing pores. A brownish, isotroplc or-
ganic substance with recognizable cell structures dominated strongly over the
coarse d e m t a l grmns, (quartz and glauconite). Siderite is less frequent than
m the upper part of this layer. Vivianite sometimes occurs as relatively large,
184

Fig 6 Root remnant m soft bog-ore, partly filled with fine granular vivlanite and partly
surrounded by siderite. Polarlsed light_

-I

:i
lSOurn
I
;l
b . -
b

Fig, 7. Siderite' a) siderite spheres covering the wall of a pore m a hard bog-ore, b) detail
of the central sphere (SEM).

200 •m long, lathlike crystals o n organic matter. It f o r m s f r e q u e n t l y radiat-

ing aggregates b u t is f o u n d in m o s t cases as mffllings o f fissures and channels,
s u r r o u n d e d by siderite spherulites. In s o m e places p y r i t e f r a m b o i d s were ob-
served b e t w e e n siderite spherulites.

CONCLUSIONS

A sequence o f a n u m b e r o f minerals was observed m a s o f t bog-ore in the

Nete Valley, Province o f A n t w e r p , Belgium. Field studies established f o u r
 185

Fig. 8. Anhedral and elongated granular vivianlte in a root channel; a) and b) (SEM).
layers, vlz. a clayey surface layer, a hmomtic layer, a layer containing vivian-
ite and siderite, and layered alluvlal deposlts below a depth of 70 cm.
Light mmroscopy allowed the identlflcation of phytoliths and diatoms m
the clayey layer. Both goethite fibres and structureless isotropic domains
with Iron oxihydrates were present in the reddish-brown zone of the limon-
Itm layer. Siderite and viviamte were dlstinguished m the third layer. Vivlan-
ire was often assoclated wlth orgamc material, whereas siderite occurred sub-
cutaneously to root channels. Pyrite framboids were also recogmsed in this
layer.
S E M observatlons of the same material in unhardened clods of soil helped
to establish the morphology of various minerals at both lower and hlgher
magnifications. In this manner m situ observations m a d e with the hght
microscope in thin sections could be compared with S E M data on loose
materials.
The above data m d m a t e that goethite, slderite, vivianite and pyrite have
formed m the soft bog-ore. All of these m a y crystallise near to each other
in the lower part of the profile. Such crystallisatlon cannot be explained by
macroenvironmental mineral equilibria alone. This indicates that various
mlcroenvironments with different conditmns must exlst and have existed
beside each other; even in these profiles wlth a hlgh groundwater table. It
also emphasizes that further m situ studies of these micro-envlronments re-
qulre mmrochemical analyses with a number of submicroscopic techmques
such as described by B1sdom (1981), especlally E M A (electron microprobe
analysis) and S E M - W D X R A (scanning electron microscopy-wavelength
dlspersive X-ray analyms).

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Dr. F. De Coninck, Dr. E. Van Ranst and Dr. R. Vochten are thanked for
providing the undisturbed samples. Mr. Bohain of the L a b o r a t o r y of Elec-
186

tron Microscopy o f t h e S t a t e U n i v e r s i t y o f G h e n t is t h a n k e d f o r h i s assis-

tance.

REFERENCES

Bisdom, E.B.A., 1981. A review of the application of submicroscopic techniques in soil

micromorphology, II Electron microprobe analyzer (EMA), scanning electron micro-
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(LAMMA 500), electron spectroscopy for chemmal analysis (ESCA), ion microprobe
mass analyzer (IMMA), and the secondary ion microscope (SIM). In. E.B.A. Bisdom
(Editor), Submicroscopy of Soils and Weathered Rocks. 1st Workshop of the Inter-
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Eswaran, H., 1972. Micromorphological indicators of pedogenesis m some tropmal soils
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University of Aberdeen, 186 pp.
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