Fine-resolution multiscale mapping of clay minerals in Australian soils measured with near infrared spectra

Clay minerals are the most reactive inorganic components of soils. They help to determine soil properties and largely govern their behaviors and functions. Clay minerals also play important roles in biogeochemical cycling and interact with the environment to affect geomorphic processes such as weathering, erosion and deposition. This paper provides new spatially explicit clay mineralogy information for Australia that will help to improve our understanding of soils and their role in the functioning of landscapes and ecosystems. I measured the abundances of kaolinite, illite and smectite in Australian soils using near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy. Using a model-tree algorithm, I built rule-based models for each mineral at two depths (0-20 cm, 60-80 cm) as a function of predictors that represent the soil-forming factors (climate, parent material, relief, vegetation and time), their processes and the scales at which they vary. The results show that climate, parent material and soil type exert the largest influence on the abundance and spatial distribution of the clay minerals; relief and vegetation have more local effects. I digitally mapped each mineral on a 3 arc-second grid. The maps show the relative abundances and distributions of kaolinite, illite and smectite in Australian soils. Kaolinite occurs in a range of climates but dominates in deeply weathered soils, in soils of higher landscapes and in regions with more rain. Illite is present in varied landscapes and may be representative of colder, more arid climates, but may also be present in warmer and wetter soil environments. Smectite is often an authigenic mineral, formed from the weathering of basalt, but it also occurs on sediments and calcareous substrates. It occurs predominantly in drier climates and in landscapes with low relief. These new clay mineral maps fill a significant gap in the availability of soil mineralogical information. They provide data to for example, assist with research into soil fertility and food production, carbon sequestration, land degradation, dust and climate modeling and paleoclimatic change.