Mineralogical make up and properties of some soils of Antarctica

The soils studied in this investigation were formed under typical tundra desert type climate. Snowfall is almost incessant. Glacial activity is very high and winds blow without ay obstruction. The soils are acidic in nature with the CEC ranging from 11.4 to 23.0 cmol (p+) kg−1. The exchange complex of the soils is dominated by Ca2+ ions and the organic carbon content is high (1.9 to 9.3%). Quatrz (36 to 42%), feldspars (20 to 41%) and biotite (5 to 21%) were the dominant minerals present in the sand fractions of the soils. Illite with small amount of kaoliniteis present in the clay and silt fractions. Texturally the soils are sandy loam. Layer-lattice silicates such as illite and kaolinite minerals are likely to have resultedfrom weathering of feldspars.