Laboratory Weathering Experiment on Mica and Feldspar and Their Mineralogical Characteristics

When rocks are exposed to the near surface environment, they are broken down due to several factors such as physical and chemical weathering during the geologic time. The feldspar and mica, which are the main rock-forming minerals, are easily broken down relative to other minerals. In order to reproduce some weathered minerals similar to the ones exist in natural weathered granite, there was an experimental interaction between fresh minerals and acidic solution. In low pH condition, biotite initially dissolved and its surface structure broke down, whereas plagioclase dissolved and had a needle-shaped dissolved morphology with some precipitates composed of Al element. The minerals were deeply dissolved in a strong acid condition, showing the prominent dissolved structure. Some etch pits and dissolved textures developed on the natural mineral surfaces are similarly found in our experiment, suggesting the development of mineral dissolution and weathering texture by the influence of the mineral's intrinsic nature.