Rl. Penn et al., Iron oxide coatings on sand grains from the Atlantic coastal plain: High-resolution transmission electron microscopy characterization, GEOLOGY, 29(9), 2001, pp. 843-846
Nanoscale characterization of so-called iron oxide coatings on aquifer sand
s is vital for understanding the fate and transport of naturally occurring
and anthropogenic chemical species. These coatings, which typically have a
strong reddish color, are commonly assumed to consist primarily of iron oxi
des and oxyhydroxides. This work shows that the yellowish red to strong bro
wn coatings on sediments from an Atlantic coastal plain aquifer in Virginia
are predominantly a mixture of Si- and Al-rich nanophases of variable crys
tallinity with interspersed smectite and agglomerates of goethite nanoparti
cles. Clusters of bacterial cells, diatom fossils, sponge spicules, and oth
er trace minerals are also observed.