Clay mineral distributions in and around the Mississippi River watershed and Northern Gulf of Mexico: sources and transport patterns

摘要: Abstract Maps of the distributions four major clay minerals (smectite, illite, kaolinite and chlorite) in around Mississippi River drainage basin Northern Gulf Mexico have been produced using newly acquired data from erodible/alluvial terrestrial sediments marine surface sediments, as well previously published data. East Rockies, North America can be divided into four, large, clay-mineral provinces: (1) north-western watershed (smectite rich), (2) Great Lakes area eastern (illite chlorite (3) south-eastern United States (kaolinite rich) (4) Brazos south-western watersheds rich). The mineral present-day are strongly influenced by three main factors: relative fluvial contributions: delivers bulk input to whereas Apalachicola, Mobile, Rio Grande rivers inputs more local influences; differential settling various species, which is identified for first time sediments; oceanic current transport: subsurface circulation distributes clay-rich river mouth sources throughout Mexico.