The effects of mineralogy and geological setting on trace metal concentration and distribution within six weathered profiles developed sandstone and mudstone was assessed. Primary minerals occurring in the weathered profiles are quartz, plagioclase, and K-feldspar. Kaolinite is the most dominant secondary mineral followed by mixed layers of smectite-illite, illite, hematite, siderite, and occas...

The thermal infrared spectral signatures of two weathered terrestrial basalts were studied to better understand spectral signatures measured of weathered surfaces on Mars. Here we examine whether thermal infrared spectra (5-25 µm) may be used to differentiate between a desert varnish and a glassy, sili-cate cooling rind. Our preliminary results indicate the spectral signatures of both poorly or...

Surface coal mining and reclamation methods in the Appalachians have changed dramatically since the passage of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act (SMCRA) of 1977 and subsequent improvements in mining and reclamation technology. In this study, 30 pre-SMCRA mine soil profiles (4-20 yr old) were examined and sampled in 1980 and compared to 20 mine soil profiles (8-13 yr old) described ...

In a headwater catchment in the Oregon Coast Range, we find that solid-phase mass losses due to chemical weathering are equivalent in the bedrock and the soil. However, the long-term rate of mass loss per unit volume of parent rock is greater in the soil than in the rock. We attribute this finding to the effects of biotic processes in the soil and to hydrologic conditions that maximize contact ...

Radon gas is the largest natural source of human exposure to ionizing radiation and most of that exposure occurs in indoor air. Bedrock geology is an important factor in radon hazard evaluation of an area. The presence of rock types usually rich in uranium can be considered an indication of a potential radon hazard. In this study the average Ra activity concentration of the main rock types (ort...