Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 12, 2026
07:32
Monitoring Pedogenic Inorganic Carbon Accumulation Due to Weathering of Amended Silicate Minerals in Agricultural Soils.
Published on: June 4, 2021
Desert varnish: the importance of clay minerals
Science (New York, N.Y.)
|June 24, 1977
Abstract:
Desert varnish has been characterized by infrared spectroscopy, x-ray diffraction, and electron microscopy. It is a distinct morphological entity having an abrupt boundary with the underlying rock. Clay minerals comprise more than 70 percent of the varnish. Iron and manganese oxides constitute the bulk of the remainder and are dispersed throughout the clay layer.
Related Concept Videos
01:26Minerals
Minerals are essential nutrients that the human body needs in small amounts to work properly. They play a vital role in many bodily functions, such as building strong bones and transmitting nerve impulses. Some minerals are needed for hormone production or to maintain a normal heartbeat. Major minerals include calcium, phosphorus, potassium, sulfur, sodium, chlorine, and magnesium, while trace minerals include iron, manganese, copper, iodine, zinc, cobalt, fluoride, and selenium.
01:18Porosity in Cement Paste
The porosity of concrete is a measure of the void spaces within its structure. These spaces impact its strength and durability significantly. When water and cement interact, a chemical reaction called hydration creates a semi-solid paste. This paste includes combined water, making up approximately 23% of the cement's dry mass, and gel water, which fills minuscule voids known as gel pores, accounting for about 28% of the cement gel volume.
The balance of water to cement in the mix is critical—it...
The balance of water to cement in the mix is critical—it...
01:20Porosity and Absorption of Aggregate
Aggregates contain pores of varying sizes; while some are completely enclosed within the particles, others open onto the surface, allowing water to penetrate. The porosity of aggregates is a major factor contributing to the overall porosity of concrete, given that aggregates constitute about three-quarters of concrete's volume.
When all pores in an aggregate are filled with water, the aggregate is considered saturated and surface-dry. If left in dry air, water will evaporate until the aggregate...
When all pores in an aggregate are filled with water, the aggregate is considered saturated and surface-dry. If left in dry air, water will evaporate until the aggregate...
02:34Water and Mineral Acquisition
Specialized tissues in plant roots have evolved to capture water, minerals, and some ions from the soil. Roots exhibit a variety of branching patterns that facilitate this process. The outermost root cells have specialized structures called root hairs that increase the root surface, thus increasing soil contact. Water can passively cross into roots, as the concentration of water in the soil is higher than that of the root tissue. Minerals, in contrast, are actively transported into root cells.
01:10Volatilization
Volatilization gravimetry is an analytical technique that measures the mass lost due to the volatilization of the substance. This technique is used to estimate the amount of volatile material in a sample. To perform this method, heat a known amount of the sample to a high temperature in a crucible or other suitable vessel. The volatile substance in the sample evaporates, and the vapor is completely expelled from the crucible either by heating the sample or bubbling a stream of inert gas through...
01:24Hydration of Cement
Hydration of cement is a chemical reaction between cement particles and water. This process occurs primarily through two mechanisms: through-solution and topochemical. In the through-solution process, anhydrous compounds dissolve into their constituents, hydrates form in the solution, and then precipitate from the supersaturated solution. The topochemical process involves solid-state reactions at the cement particle surface. The through-solution process dominates the topochemical process at the...