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Geochemical and Mineralogical Evaluation of Nagar

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 Pinnacle Environmental & Earth Sciences
ISSN: 2360-9478

http:/www.pjpub.org
© Author(s) 2016. CC Attribution 3.0 License.
Research Article Vol. 3 (1), 2016.
Geochemical and Mineralogical Evaluation of Nagar Parker Laterite, Thar Parkar, Sindh, Pakistan
Adnan Khan¹*, Umair Majeed², Ali Iqtidar³, Suhail Anjum⁴
¹*,²,³Department of Geology,
University of Karachi,
Pakistan.
⁴Department of Geology,
Federal Urdu University of Arts, Science and Technology,
Karachi, Pakistan.
Accepted 23 September, 2016

ABSTRACT
Laterite deposits are discovered and utilized by many industries of the world. Present study is aimed at understanding the
geology and geochemistry of Nagar Parkar laterite for providing the basis to explore economic potential of laterite deposits of
study area. Nagar Parkar laterite occurs in the form of pockets or lenses capping the kaolinite deposits. Six laterite samples were
collected from various parts of Nagar Parkar area. The chemical composition of laterite samples was investigated by using
scanning electron microscope (SEM) equipped with an energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS). The results show varying
concentration of Al2O3 (2.09-34.16%), SiO2 (8.94-40.41%), Fe2O3(8.34-76.98%) and TiO2 (0.84-2.08%). However, CaO, Na2O and
K2O contents are only reported in one sample with very low amount (8.13%, 8.44% and 0.96% respectively). Due to varying
content of Al2O3, SiO2 and Fe2O3, half of the collected samples are described as ferruginous laterite and the remaining half as
aluminous laterite. Based on mineralogy, two out of six laterite samples having more than 60% hematite are referred to as ferrite
and remaining four with less than 60% of either hematite, gibbsite and kaolinite are referred as laterite.
Keywords: Laterite, ferruginous laterite, aluminous laterite, ferrite, Nagar Parkar, SEM-EDS.

1. Introduction The laterite layers in Pakistan are found at a number of

Residual deposits (lateritic or kaolinitic), though thin, can
form laterally extensive blankets which are often of
considerable economic significance (Selley, 2000). Laterites
are the products of intensive and long lasting tropical
weathering of rock which is intensified by high rainfall and
elevated temperatures (Schellmann, 1981). It is rich in
hydrated iron and aluminium oxides, and low in humus, silica,
lime, silicate clays, and most other minerals (Meyer, 1997).
stratigraphic intervals (Ahmad, 1969). Laterites are found as
lenses or pockets in the Nagar Parker area, capping on the
kaolinite deposits (Ismail, 2011). The study area has remained
in focus of research due to the occurrence of multi-coloured
granites, dykes, residual laterite and the kaolin deposits.
Therefore, the aim of present study is to carry out geological
and geochemical investigation of laterites of Nagar Parker
area as limited work on these laterites has been carried out
so far.

Fig. 1: Location map of the Nagar Parker area, Thar Parker district (after Muslim et al., 1997).

Corresponding Author: Adnan Khan¹*

Department of Geology, University of Karachi, Pakistan.
Email address: adkhan@uok.edu.pk
Pinnacle Environmental & Earth Sciences ISSN: 2360-9478 Page 2

2. General Geology JEOL JED-2300 scanning electron microscope equipped with

Nagar Parker lies in Thar Parkar district, Sindh, Pakistan and
marks the extreme southeast corner of Pakistan (Fig. 1).
Numerous outcrops of igneous rocks known as the Nagar
Parkar igneous complex are exposed in study area (Kazmi and
Khan, 1973). This igneous complex has been regarded as
western extension of the Indian Shield, due to lithological
similarities (Shah, 1977). There are outcrops of darker
basement rocks, rhyolitic and mafic dykes as well. A few small
outcrops of alternating layers of coarse to gritty sandstone
and clay referred as Bartala Formation (Kazmi and Khan,
1973) is found in study area. Residual (lateritic or kaolinitic)
deposits, aeolian sediments, mud, evaporite and other
Quaternary deposits are also reported from study area. The
laterite deposits occur as scattered outcrops, which ranges in
thickness from few centimetres to eight meters (Laghari,
2004).
3. Material and Methods
Six representative laterite samples were collected from
Parodhro, Dhedvero and Ramji Jo Vandio area of Nagar
Parker. Before a sample was collected, the rock was well
cleaned and trimmed to ensure it was fresh. All samples were
labelled according to the location and then numbered serially
with dates of collection. Later, the samples were crushed into
small pieces. After proper mixing, coning and quartering, the
pulverized powder of individual sample was send to the
Centralized Science Laboratory, University of Karachi for the
determination of major and minor elemental oxides using
Table 1: Chemical composition of laterite samples and its mean and ratios ofAl2O3, SiO2 and Fe2O3 of laterite samples.
Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) which provides
chemical analysis of the field of view or spot analyses of
minute particles. More than 90 elements can be detected with
low-atomic number detector using the SEM/EDS technique.
Samples were analysed systematically in three scans by
producing a continuous series of photomicrographs which
ranges from X5000 to X12000 in cross-sectional view,
extending from the crust surface into the substrate of the rock
samples. The elemental composition of each constituent
observed in the photomicrographs was ascertained using EDS
spot analysis which was then marked directly on the
photomicrograph, creating a continuous, high magnification
compositional/morphological map of the crust in cross-
section. The pixel of all SEM images is 1280 * 960. The location
map of the Nagar Parker area, Thar Parker district (after
Muslim et al., 1997) was digitized using ArcGIS (Arc Map v.
10.1) and data was plotted.
4. Results and Discussions
4.1 Geochemistry
Relative abundance of major oxides of six laterite samples (L2,
L3, L4, L5, L6 and L7) with mean values and ratios of Al2O3,
SiO2 and Fe2O3 are listed in Table 1. Data of six laterite samples
reveal highly variable content of Al2O3 (2.09-34.16%), SiO2
(8.94-40.41%), Fe2O3 (8.34-76.98%) and TiO2 (0.84-2.08%).
MgO (2.11%) is reported only in sample L7, while oxides of
Ca, Na and K only occur in sample L6 (Table 1).

Sample Al2O3 SiO2 Fe2O3 TiO2 MgO CaO Mass Na2O K2 O Fe2O3: SiO2: SiO2:
Code Mass % Mass % Mass % Mass % Mass % % Mass % Mass % Al2O3 Fe2O3 Al2O3

L2 29.78 34.88 18.5 1.49 ¯ ¯ ¯ ¯ 0.621 1.88 1.17

L3 11.3 10.46 72.43 0.42 ¯ ¯ ¯ ¯ 6.4 0.14 0.93

L4 29.56 32.23 35.36 0.85 ¯ ¯ ¯ ¯ 1.19 0.91 1.09

L5 34.16 40.41 24.59 0.84 ¯ ¯ ¯ ¯ 0.719 1.64 1.18

L6 23.71 28.77 8.34 1.39 ¯ 8.13 8.44 0.96 0.391 3.45 1.21

L7 2.09 8.94 76.98 ¯ 2.11 ¯ ¯ ¯ 3.68 0.15 0.43

L* 21.77 25.95 39.36 1.45 0.35 1.35 1.4 0.16 ¯ ¯ ¯

L*Mean chemical composition of six laterite samples.

4.1.1 Classification of laterite samples
Lukens (1964) proposed a classification scheme for laterite
and lateritic soil (Fig. 2) using ternary plot of relative
percentages of major oxides of Al2O3, SiO2 and Fe2O3. Data
plotted on Fig. 2 show that three out of six samples (L3, L4
and L7) are classified as laterite (Fe2O3>Al2O3, SiO2) and the
remaining three (L2, L5 and L6) falls in lateritic soil
group(Fe2O3<Al2O3, SiO2).

How to Cite this Article: Adnan Khan, Umair Majeed, Ali Iqtidar, Suhail Anjum "Geochemical and Mineralogical Evaluation of Nagar Parker Laterite, Thar
Parkar, Sindh, Pakistan" Pinnacle Environmental & Earth Sciences, Vol. 3 (1), 2016, Article ID pees_255, 1086-1090, 2016.
Pinnacle Environmental & Earth Sciences ISSN: 2360-9478 Page 3

Fig. 2: showing composition of laterite and lateritic soils, and data plotting of
samples based on composition (after Lukens, 1964).

4.1.2 Laterite types 4.2 Minerology And Petrography

The laterite deposits may be described on the basis of the
dominant extractable minerals in it (Indian Minerals
Yearbook, 2013). Laterite with Fe2O3:Al2O3 ratio more than
one, and SiO2:Fe2O3 ratio less than 1.33 is termed as
ferruginous laterite. Contrary to this, Fe2O3:Al2O3 ratio less
than one and SiO2: Al2O3 ratio less than 1.33 is known as
aluminous laterite (Indian Minerals Yearbook, 2013).The
ratios of the major oxide (Al2O3, SiO2 and Fe2O3) of collected
samples are listed in Table 1. Three laterite samples (L3, L4
and L7) out of total are described as ferruginous laterite and
the remaining three samples (L2, L5 and L6) are classified as
aluminous laterite.
4.2.1 Mineralogical classification of laterite samples
Aleva (1994) proposed mineralogy based classification of
residual deposits using ternary plot of SiO2-Al2O3-Fe2O3 which
later on elaborated by Gu et al (2013). Based on mineralogical
classification of Aleva (1994), four out of six laterite samples
(L2, L4, L5 and L6) fall within the laterite (varying proportions
of hematite, gibbsite and kaolinite) and the remaining two (L3
and L7) in ferrite field (more than 60% hematite) (Fig. 3). The
occurrence of these three major minerals is also confirmed
by SEM-EDS analysis.

Fig. 3: Fe2O3-Al2O3-SiO2 ternary plot (after Aleva, 1994).

How to Cite this Article: Adnan Khan, Umair Majeed, Ali Iqtidar, Suhail Anjum "Geochemical and Mineralogical Evaluation of Nagar Parker Laterite, Thar
Parkar, Sindh, Pakistan" Pinnacle Environmental & Earth Sciences, Vol. 3 (1), 2016, Article ID pees_255, 1086-1090, 2016.
Pinnacle Environmental & Earth Sciences ISSN: 2360-9478
Mineralogically, laterite is generally a mixture of goethite,
hematite, gibbsite, boehmite and kaoline (Chowdhury, 1986).
SEM observation reveals that the laterite samples of study
area consist mainly of pseudo hexagonal crystal flakes, which
are consistent with the typical morphology of kaolinite and a
kaolinite EDS spectrum characterized by nearly equal peak
Fig. 4: Showing SEM image of (a) Pseudohexagonal crystal flakes of kaolinite, (b)
Euhedral gibbsite, (c)Cotton ball structure of hematite or goethite, (b) EDS
spectrum of hematite or goethite.
5. Summary and Conclusion
The laterites of study area show varying concentration of
Al2O3 (2.09-34.16%), SiO2 (8.94-40.41%), Fe2O3 (8.34-
76.98%), TiO2 (0.84-2.08%). While the amounts of Na2O and
K2O are smaller and detected only in one sample due to the
fact that chemical variability in laterites is process related
(Schellmann, 1986), silica rich samples experienced weak
lateritization, while alumina or iron oxide rich composition is
indicative of higher degree of lateritization (Meyer et al.,
2002). Due to varying concentration of Al2O3, SiO2 and Fe2O3
three out of six are described as ferruginous laterite
(Fe2O3>Al2O3 and SiO2) and the remaining three as aluminous
laterite (Fe2O3<Al2O3 and SiO2). According to mineralogy and
texture, four out of six samples are classified as laterite while
remaining two referred as ferrite (rich in hematite).The
mineral composition as well as petrography of Nagar Parkar
laterites suggest that they are mixture of hematite, gibbsite
and kaolinite.
References
1. Ahmed, Z., (1969). "Directory of mineral deposits of Pakistan".
Geol. Surv. Pak., Rec., 15, 220p.
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How to Cite this Article: Adnan Khan, Umair Majeed, Ali Iqtidar, Suhail Anjum "Geochemical and Mineralogical Evaluation of Nagar Parker Laterite, Thar
Parkar, Sindh, Pakistan" Pinnacle Environmental & Earth Sciences, Vol. 3 (1), 2016, Article ID pees_255, 1086-1090, 2016.
Page 4
heights of Si and Al (Fig. 4a). Gibbsite is identified by its
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How to Cite this Article: Adnan Khan, Umair Majeed, Ali Iqtidar, Suhail Anjum "Geochemical and Mineralogical Evaluation of Nagar Parker Laterite, Thar
Parkar, Sindh, Pakistan" Pinnacle Environmental & Earth Sciences, Vol. 3 (1), 2016, Article ID pees_255, 1086-1090, 2016.

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