The Origin of Clay Minerals in Soils and Weathered Rocks

If we can understand the way clays function in their interaction with plants, we can understand the major forces which shape our immediate environment. We see increasingly that human activity interacts with the plant and mineral interface through the use of more powerful chemicals, either by purposeful application of accidental dispersion. Knowledge of the origin and transformation of clay minerals, their dynamic response to changing chemistry, is the key to a rational use of this natural boundary which affects our lives. Clays are the product of slow transformations of high temperature rocks into reactive, fine grained material. This material, once in the sphere of plant interaction, becomes highly reactive with transformation periods of tens to hundreds of years. The challenge of the future is to use these rapid responses to the benefit of mankind.