Research on cementation in moraine soils: insights from mineralogy and granulometric analysis.
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| Title: | Research on cementation in moraine soils: insights from mineralogy and granulometric analysis. |
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| Authors: | Lu, Tuo1,2,3 (AUTHOR) tlu069@uottawa.ca, Tie, Yongbo1,2 (AUTHOR) tyongbo@mail.cgs.gov.cn, Song, Shuyi1,2 (AUTHOR), Li, Zhaoyu1,2 (AUTHOR) |
| Source: | Environmental Earth Sciences. Jan2026, Vol. 85 Issue 1, p1-17. 17p. |
| Subject Terms: | *Cementation (Petrology), *Mineralogy, *Glacial drift, *Particle size distribution, *Slope stability, *X-ray diffraction, *Soil classification |
| Abstract: | Research on cementation in natural moraine soils remains limited. To address this gap, a series of tests, including field surveys, X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), grain sieve analysis, and a pretreatment using hydrochloric acid (HCl) and hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), were conducted. The results reveal that clay-carbonate cementation is widespread in moraine soils, which are primarily composed of clay minerals and calcite (CaCO₃). XRD analysis revealed a clay mineral content ranging from 6% to 27%, with illite as the dominant mineral. The calcite and dolomite content ranged from 0% to 9%. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and EDS mapping confirmed that the cementation enhances the connection and density of particles. Additionally, the pretreatment altered the cumulative grain size distribution (CGSD), reducing the gravel content and increasing the proportion of smaller particles, particularly those smaller than 0.25 mm. This shift resulted in changes in soil texture classification, from poorly graded gravel (GP) to fine and clayey gravel (GF and GC). A new Sigmoid-TL model was proposed to quantify cementation, using the absolute integral area between the fitted CGSD curves before and after pretreatment on a logarithmic particle size scale, thereby providing a reliable measure of its effect on soil cementation. The study highlights the significant role of cementation in enhancing slope stability, though external factors, such as acidic and alkaline rain, can weaken it, leading to increased instability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
| Database: | Energy & Power Source |
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