Clays and clay minerals, Earth’s most abundant reactive solids, take center stage in this comprehensive review. It explores rel=”nofollow”clay science within the Critical Zone—the Earth’s permeable near-surface layer. Geared towards graduate students and researchers in clay, environmental, and soil mineralogy, the book introduces clays, delves into their history, and underscores their Critical Zone influence. Real-world instances highlight how clays shape habitats and resource availability, backed by quantitative field data and illustrative depictions. The Clays in the Critical Zone book wraps up with a study of Critical Zone clay geochemistry and sequences, encompassing clay science’s applications, from industrial to extraterrestrial realms.
Built upon years of teaching courses in clay mineralogy, surface processes, mineralogy, and interdisciplinary summer field programs, this book simplifies analytical methods. While data originates from various sources, I take accountability for errors.
The book
- Aims to render theories accessible through relatable analogies, bridging diverse disciplines. Even if one person benefits, the goal is achieved.
- Though not novel, this book underscores clay minerals’ CZ significance. Earth evolves, science advances, and concepts grow. Future updates will deepen our grasp of clays in Earth’s history and their predictive role in CZ’s response to human activity.
Contents
- What Are Clays and What Is the Critical Zone?
- History of Clay and Critical Zone Science
- Characterization of Clays
- Critical Zone Clay Geochemistry
- Critical Zone Clay Sequences
