Mineral Composition of Soils and Bottom Sediments
in Bays of Novaya Zemlya
V. V. Krupskayaa, b, *, A. Yu. Miroshnikova, O. V. Dorzhievaa, c, S. V. Zakusina, b,
I. N. Semenkova, and A. A. Usachevaa
Translated by I. Bel’chenko
aInstitute of Geology of Ore Deposits, Petrography, Mineralogy, and Geochemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences,
Moscow, 119017 Russia
bMoscow State University, Geological Faculty, Moscow, 119991 Russia
cGeological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 119017 Russia
Correspondence to: *e-mail: krupskaya@ruclay.com
Received 6 June, 2016
Abstract—We have analyzed the specific features of the mineralogical composition of bottom sediments of Blagopoluchiya, Tsivol’ki, and Abrosimov bays and soils on Cape Zhelaniya and the coasts of Abrosimov and Stepovoi bays. The data were obtained during two scientific expeditions of the R/V Professor Shtokman in 2014 (cruise 128) and R/V Akademik Mstislav Keldysh in 2015 (cruise 63). These investigations revealed patterns in the transportation of terrigenous material in the coastal zone of the bays: a decrease in the share of nonclay minerals and an increase in that of clay minerals with distance from shore. The increase in kaolinite and smectite content in soil horizons is related to biochemical weathering, while illite is mainly formed as a result of physical weathering.
DOI: 10.1134/S0001437017010076