Soils from the Jabal Al-Akhdar region of North East Libya: Characterisation of the iron using chemical methods and Mossbauer spectroscopy

Soils from North East Libya have been investigated by X-ray diffraction, ch emical analysis and Mossbauer spectroscopy. Quartz, kaolinite and illite we re the main components identified by XRD in all specimens. Total and poorly ordered iron oxides were estimated using dithionite-citrate-bicarbonate (D CB) and oxalate extraction methods, respectively; in all cases, the oxalate -extractable iron represents a relatively minor fraction. Mossbauer spectro scopy showed the presence of substantial quantities of haematite and goethi te, both in microcrystalline forms, but there was no systematic relationshi p between the relative proportions of these phases and the geographical ori gins of the soils.