In Pohang area, basaluminite accompanying a little amounts of hydrobasalumnite, super-genetically occurs as whitish cryptocrystalline (2-4 μm) clay-like aggregates in the vicinity of altered carbonate concretions embedded within mudstones of the Tertiary Yeonil Group. A hydrobasaluminite changed readily into a basaluminite at room temperature in air, and, in turn, into a metabasaluminite when heating to 150˚~300℃. For the basaluminite, a monoclinic unit-cellparameters (a=14.845a, b=10.006a, c=11.082a, β=122.15˚) were calculated by X-ray powder diffraction data. Its basal reflections (001 and 002) are XRD analyses strongly indicate that the aluminum sulphate mineral has a layer structure and, at least, three types of water, i.e., (1) interlayer water (9.0 wt %), (2) crystal water (8.0 wt %), and (3) structural water (19.0 wt %). may present in its lattice. Based on TG-DTG data combined with EDS and IR analyses, a new chemical formula of Al5SO4(OH)134H2O was given to the basaluminite. Field occurrence and stable isotope data (δ18O, δD, δ34S) for the basaluminite seem to reflect that it was formed by the leached meteoric solution from surrounding mudstones during or after uplifting. An interaction of the acid solution with carbonate concretion and the resultant local neutralization of the fluid rich in Al3+ and SO42- are major controls on the basaluminite formation.

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