<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">57Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy - a versatile technique involving the recoil-free, resonant absorption and emission of nuclear gamma (γ) rays by the iron-57 isotope in natural iron in solids - has been used to provide quantitative information about the mineral host, occupation sites and oxidation states of iron atoms in geological samples. This technique has been applied to the bulk chemistry of a barren soil (Soil A) derived from an aluminous-type granite and another barren soil (Soil B) derived from a sodic-type granite located ~ 100 kilometers apart in the Nubian Deseit in the currently hyper arid south-west of Egypt and which exhibit distinct chemical and mineral differences. The analyses indicate different mineral hosts for the iron in these samples, namely, vermiculite-chlorite plus some hematite in Soil A and hematite and goethite plus minor aegirines in Soil B. Each soil has distinct intensities of oxidized iron (89% for Soil A and 100% for Soil B) and these differences reflect changes in soil sources and processes. </abstract>

57Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy - a versatile technique involving the recoil-free, resonant absorption and emission of nuclear gamma (γ) rays by the iron-57 isotope in natural iron in solids - has been used to provide quantitative information about the mineral host, occupation sites and oxidation states of iron atoms in geological samples. This technique has been applied to the bulk chemistry of a barren soil (Soil A) derived from an aluminous-type granite and another barren soil (Soil B) derived from a sodic-type granite located ~ 100 kilometers apart in the Nubian Deseit in the currently hyper arid south-west of Egypt and which exhibit distinct chemical and mineral differences. The analyses indicate different mineral hosts for the iron in these samples, namely, vermiculite-chlorite plus some hematite in Soil A and hematite and goethite plus minor aegirines in Soil B. Each soil has distinct intensities of oxidized iron (89% for Soil A and 100% for Soil B) and these differences reflect changes in soil sources and processes.

Characterization of barren, granitic soils from the Nubian Desert (SW Egypt) by 57Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy

Department of Radioactive Sedimentary Deposits, Research Sector, Nuclear Materials Authority, P.O. Box 30, Maadi, Cairo, Egypt

Department of Physics and Astronomy, Aarhus University, Ny Munkegade, 800 Arhus C, Denmark

Mineralogia

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Characterization of barren, granitic soils from the Nubian Desert (SW Egypt) by Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy

57Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy - a versatile technique involving the recoil-free, resonant absorption and emission of nuclear gamma (γ) rays by the iron-57...

Characterization of barren, granitic soils from the Nubian Desert (SW Egypt) by ⁵⁷Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy

Published Online: Jul 31, 2014

Page range: 39 - 51

Received: Jul 17, 2013

Accepted: Mar 03, 2014

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/mipo-2013-0004

Keywords
Egypt, granites, soils, Mössbauer, Fe oxides, vermiculite-chlorite, smectite

© by Kamaleldin M. Hassan

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Characterization of barren, granitic soils from the Nubian Desert (SW Egypt) by 57Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy

Published Online: Jul 31, 2014

Page range: 39 - 51

Received: Jul 17, 2013

Accepted: Mar 03, 2014

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/mipo-2013-0004

KeywordsEgypt, granites, soils, Mössbauer, Fe oxides, vermiculite-chlorite, smectite

© by Kamaleldin M. Hassan

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Characterization of barren, granitic soils from the Nubian Desert (SW Egypt) by ⁵⁷Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy

Keywords
Egypt, granites, soils, Mössbauer, Fe oxides, vermiculite-chlorite, smectite