Differences in physicochemical and MINERALOGICAL properties of soils close to Urmia Lake in two groups of soils (affected and unaffected by Urmia Lake), were studied in Dizaj-Dol region. Variance analysis of physicochemical properties of these soils showed that the values of OC and CEC in these two groups of soils were significantly different (P ≤ 0. 1), and the values of EC, SAR, ESP and exchangeable Na of these soils were highly significantly different (P ≤ 0. 01). However, soil depth and clay content in these two groups of soils were not significantly different. Clay MINERALOGICAL studies showed the presence of smectites, illites, kaolinites, chlorites and vermiculites in both groups of soils. Illites, chlorites and kaolinites are inherited from parent material, while smectites and vermiculites have pedogenic origin and have been formed via transformation of illite. In the soils which have been affected by Urmia Lake, neoformation from soil solution is the main origin of smectites. Comparision of clay minerals in the two groups of soils showed that the rising level of Urmia Lake during 1994-1995 caused the presence of high amounts of smectite and some hydroxy interlayer vermiculite in the soils affected by Urmia Lake.

Background and Objectives: Soil is the thin layer of materials covering the Earth’ s surface and forms from the interaction of the atmosphere, lithosphere, biosphere and hydrosphere. Soil formation, development and functions influence the sustainability of ecosystem. The unique characteristics of soil have made it one of the key subjects of the Earth Science. Minerals are important components of the soil environment. They influence on the water-holding capacity of soils and affect their cation exchange capacity. Mineral weathering is an important process in soils, during which available forms of important nutrient elements are released from minerals structure into the soil system for root uptake. Micaceous minerals are common components of soils, sediments and minerals. Several studies have examined the characteristics of compost enriched with mineral compounds. While the MINERALOGICAL CHANGES during the process of compost production have not yet been investigated. Therefore, the objective of this research was to evaluate the rate of biological weathering of phlogopite with time in phlogopite-enriched compost. Materials and methods: An experiment was run in petri dishes under laboratory conditions using 2 levels of phlogopite mineral (0 and 20% by weight) and four time periods (45, 90, 135 and 180 days) in 3 replications. Each petri dish contained 20 g of a mixture of cow manure and phlogopite mineral. In each period, 6 petri dishes were separated and their contents were oven dried at 30 ° C, powdered and passed through a 2 mm sieve. After preparing the contents of petri dishes, organic carbon content of the samples was measured by wet oxidation method and their total nitrogen by Kjeldahl method. The MINERALOGICAL CHANGES were evaluated using X-ray diffraction analysis. Results: XRD patterns showed that during the composting process, phlogopite was partially weathered to vermiculite and smectite. The rate of weathering was higher at the early stages. The weathering of phlogopite was influenced considerably by the activity of microbial communities during organic matter decomposition process. At the end of the composting process, the weathering rate decreased and continued at a stable rate. MINERALOGICAL CHANGES occurred in phologopite during the composting were in line with the reduction of C/N ratio with time. The C/N ratio rapidly CHANGES at the early stages of the composting process and gradually becomes constant. Conclusions: In general, the results indicate that the increase of availability of elements such as potassium in mica-enriched compost is in fact due to the weathering of micaceous minerals added. The weathering rate was influenced by the activities of microbial communities.

To determine the effect of climate CHANGES on current critical conditions of Lake Urmia, paleoclimate of southern wetlands of Lake Urmia was investigated based on clay mineralogy. Kani Barazan and Solduz wetlands on the southern margin of Lake Urmia and also the southern part of the lake have been briefly studied in this research. A total of 24 sedimentary cores were taken for sedimentology and mineralogy study from south to north of Lake Urmia. The clay mineralogy analysis were done by XRD method. The main minerals in the sediments include quartz (over 40%), calcite, feldspars, mica, dolomite and clay minerals. Chlorite and kaolinite were the main clay minerals in the southern coastal plains of Lake Urmia. Distribution of surface samples represents reduction of clay minerals in the sediments from the margin to the center of the basin. This indicate that the percentage of detrital sediments decreases and chemical sediments increase from the margin to the center. Increasing the distance from the edge of the wetland causes it to move away from the source of the sediments. The concentration of water salts in the central part of the basin increases. In the central part of the lake, due to greater depth and high salinity of water, chemical sediments have been predominant and in the margins of the lake, according to low salinity and the volume of clastic materials, this kind of sediments have been predominant. This is consistent with the CHANGES in other clastic minerals (quartz) in the lake. The level of clay minerals increased from the surface to the depth of boreholes indicating a high water level and a more warm–, wet paleoclimate. According to the CHANGES in the type of clay minerals in the sediment sequence of the southern part of Lake Urmia, it seems that in the Late Pleistocene (20 cal ka BP) the weather was more humid than the current conditions and the volume of clastic material to the lake was higher.

Weathering of K-bearing minerals as the major source of potassium in soils is of special importance under K deficient conditions. Many studies have been carried out on the effect of plant types and microorganisms on the transformation of micaeous minerals and their potassium release. However, there is no information on the effect of organic matter on MINERALOGICAL CHANGES in micaceous minerals. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of organic matter on transformation of muscovite (a dioctahedral mica) and phlogopite (a trioctahedral mica) in the rhizosphere of alfalfa. A pot experiment was carried out in a completely randomized design with factorial combination and three replicates. The growth medium was a mixture of quartz sand, micaceous mineral (muscovite or phlogopite) and organic matter (0, 0.5 and 1 %). During 120 days of cultivation, plants were irrigated with either complete or K-free nutrient solution and distilled water as needed. At the end of cultivation, plants were harvested and their K uptake was measured by flame photometer following the dry ash extraction. Also, the mica particles and their weathering products in each pot were separated from the quartz sand and their clay fraction analyzed using x-ray diffraction (XRD). The results showed a significant increase of total K uptake occurred in pots containing trioctahedral mica (phlogopite) and organic matter as compared to those with no organic matter amendment, under both nutrient solution treatments. XRD data clearly showed the transformation of phlogopite under both nutrient solution treatments, but no XRD detectable transformation of muscovite was recognized. Organic matter amendment seems to have created considerable MINERALOGICAL CHANGES in clay sized phlogopite. Root activities and organic matter decomposition appear to have increased the acidity of rhizosphere which, in turn, facilitated the K release from trioctahedral mica (phlogopite) and induced the transformation of phlogopite to vermiculite and a minor quantity of smectite and chlorite. In conclusion, the effect of organic matter on MINERALOGICAL CHANGES greatly depends on the type of micaceous mineral.

The association of Neotyphodium spp. endophytes and cool-season grasses, particularly tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea, Schreb), represents a widespread type of symbiosis in nature. Numerous studies have been conducted on the positive effects of this symbiosis on plant resistance to different stresses but its role on potassium uptake and the transformation of K-bearing minerals is not known. The objective of this research was to investigate the effect of endophyte fungi-tall fescue symbiosis on the transformation of clay-sized micaceous minerals. A pot experiment was carried out in a completely randomized design with factorial combinations and three replicates under green house conditions. The growth medium was a mixture of quartz sand (as the filling material) and phlogopite or muscovite. Tall fescue 75B genotype either infected or non-infected by the natural endophyte Neotyphodium was used. Pots were irrigated with distilled water and complete or K-free nutrient solutions during a period of 140 days. At the end of the experiment, shoots and roots were harvested, dry ashed and their K concentration was determined using a flame photometer. The clay-sized particles in each pot were MINERALOGICALly studied using an X-ray diffractometer. The results showed the vermiculitization of phlogopite under both nutrient solutions conditions, but with a much higher rate in pots treated with K-free nutrient solution. In addition to vermiculite, a low quantity of smectite and chlorite was detected as newly formed minerals in phlogopite amended pots. Also, a very low intensity peak of vermiculite was observed in XRD patterns of muscovite treated media. Under the K-free nutrient solution and in phlogopite amended treatments, the 1.4/1.0 nm peak ratio for endophyte infected plants was 4 times greater than that under non-infected plants.Such a significant difference in phlogopite vermiculitization is attributed to endophyte symbiosis and its positive effects on the type and quantity of tall fescue roots secretions. A significant decrease in pH values under the rhizosphere of infected plants further confirms this hypothesis.

Low molecular weight carboxylic acids (LMW) play an important role in improving the bioavailability of soil nutrients. Nonexchangeable soil K, trapped between the interlayers of clay minerals, is an important source of K for plants in many soils. The objectives of this study were to determine the effect of selected LMW organic acids on the release of K from micaceous minerals and to investigate the resulting MINERALOGICAL CHANGES. A laboratory dissolution study was carried out using a completely randomized design with three replicates.Muscovite and phlogopite (< 60 mm size) were reacted with 0, 500, 2000 and 4000 mM solutions of oxalic, citric and malic acids for a period of 5 hours to 120 days. The amount of K released to the solution was determined with flame photometer. The rate of K release varied with the type of organic acids and also the kind of mica.Citric acid solution with a concentration of 4000 mM was able to release more K from minerals. The higher the concentration of organic acid, the higher the amount of K released. The amount of K released from minerals was in the order of phlogopite>muscovite. The kinetics of non-exchangeable K release from minerals consisted of two phases, the first phase was relatively rapid and then it had a constant rate until the end of experiment.Strongly coordinating LMW carboxylic acids enhance the mineral dissolution and weathering reactions through the detachment of surface complexes into solution. There was not any XRD detectable CHANGES in minerals reacted with organic acids up to 4 months.

The present study has been performed to evaluate the prospective effects of activity mining on the mineralogy of sediments in the Dar-e-Allo copper mine, south of Kerman. Sediments affected by Dar-e-Allo mine are divided into six sedimentary groups including: natural background sediments, sediments of waterways leading to the mine, sediments of the Sarmashk River, sediments under the waste rock dump, sediments containing secondary phases, Fe-Mg oxy-hydroxide sediments, and evaporative sediments. MINERALOGICAL studies of sediments as an indicator to evaluate the environmental effects of mining are classified into five main groups including primary and unaltered, carbonate, clay, sulfate and oxide minerals. Sediments in the operational area of the Dar-e-Allo copper mine are associated with extreme MINERALOGICAL diversity. The sulphide minerals are the most important source of acid mine drainage and secondary minerals such as gypsum, starkeyite, copiapite, magnesiocopiapite and natrojarosite are the most important temporary reserves of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) and H+ ions. The dissolution of the mentioned minerals, especially during the initial flushing events in the wet season, cause a sharp increase in the acidity and concentration of PTEs in the surface runoff.

Chah Zard granitoid pluton with 535. 4± 3. 2 Ma age (U-Pb zircon method, carried on the Zircon) intruded into Jandagh – Arousan metamorphic complex, and strongly mylonitized during later events. For the first time, Chah Zard granitoid pluton investigated by anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility (AMS) method. Mean magnetic susceptibility (Km) of biotite granites (the main constitute of Chah Zard granitoid pluton) is 112 µ SI. Biotite is the most important magnetic carrier in biotite granites. During of mylonitization, considerable volume of biotite alterated or evolved to muscovite and then Km values of their bearing rocks strongly decreased. Magnetic lineation and foliation have low plunge and dip, respectively, and also field evidences confirmed this finding. Magnetic lineations, mostly oriented toward northwest. Since the intensity of mylonitization is very high, microstructures which resulted in relation to tectonically stresses, had overcome to magmatic microstructures and partially to completely oblitrated them.

Shahid Nilchian (Dopelan) deposit, located in high mountains of Chahar-Mahal Bakhtiari Province within the Zagros Thrust structural unit, is one of the main bauxite and argillite deposits of Iran. Many highly folded and faulted sedimentary successions are cropped in the area. The bauxite of Shahid Nilchian deposit is of lateritic type and belongs to Permo-Triassic in age. Five bauxite types with different quality have been recognized in the area. MINERALOGICAL investigations have carried out using thin and polished sections, XRD and XRF analysis. According to these studies, it is verified that the major minerals are diaspore and kaolinite. Anatase and boehmite has identified as minor minerals. Some other elements such as iron, zirconium and vanadium are also presented in different minerals. The main identified textures are brecciated and pisolitic. In its application as refractory material, minerals containing iron, silica and titanium are the important gangues of bauxite. The main objective of this MINERALOGICAL study is to identify the minerals of the above mentioned elements. It is concluded that kaolinite, anatase and different iron oxides are the main sources of these elements.

Medical uses of minerals, after herbal and bestial therapies, have been the most important and prevalent therapies among ancient people. Utilization of mineral therapies could be studied and analyzed in three groups of texts. MINERALOGICAL texts, some parts of encyclopedias or fantasy literature, and medical texts. Reflection on these texts shows that there were a variety of methods for providing and utilizing mineral therapies the most important of which were rubbing, burning, drinking, eating, coating, fastening, hanging, taking with oneself and watching them. This study is a descriptive and analytical investigation on the basis of ancient texts and aimed at finding some answer to the following question: What are the therapeutic properties and the most prominent therapeutic usages of minerals in the ancient texts? Results of this study showed that psychotherapy, ophthalmology, oral and nasopharyngeal disease, kidney and bladder disease, arthritis, skin and hair disease, wounds and injuries, poison and antidote, prevention of diseases and therapeutic tools were the most considerable grounds that the minerals were put to use according to the ancient texts. Therapeutic properties of the minerals that cover a vast and varied spectrum stem in the ancient experimental knowledge, popular culture, beliefs and customs related to the mysterious impressions of the stones and their therapeutic affects in the ancient humans’ mind