Identification and spectra-structure determination of soil minerals: Raman study supported by IR spectroscopy and X-ray powder diffraction

Abstract

Raman and IR spectroscopy were used for the characterization of several minerals in morphologically similar vertisol sequences from Kizevak (Serbia). It helped us to establish the surface layer transition going from calcic vertisols (containing gypsum and calcite) to calcimagnesic vertisols (containing aragonite, magnesium-calcite and dolomite) derived from peridotite and serpentinite. The observed band positions are found to be solely characteristic for each carbonate mineral and are used to discuss the main structural features of carbonates and sulfates present in the studied soil. It was found that the dolomite, calcite and aragonite concretions are present in the deepest layer of the soil, whereas the gypsum is found in the topsoil. The identification was confirmed of the carbonates having calcite and aragonite structure, and the representative from the sulfate group (gypsum) was confirmed by X-ray powder diffraction.