Coatings.These are
pedofeatures that coat the surfaces of voids, grains or aggregates. These films
are called clay skins and in Brewer's terminology (1964) cutans and argillans.Classification of accumulations of clay illuvial
At a microscopic level, illuvial clay accumulations are classified according to their particular characteristics.
Morphological classification
Coatings.These are
pedofeatures that coat the surfaces of voids, grains or aggregates. These films
are called clay skins and in Brewer's terminology (1964) cutans and argillans.
Quasi-coatings.
These are related to surfaces of voids but not immediately adjoining them.
Infillings. These
are formed of clay material. Two types can be established according to whether
they completely fill the pore or not (dense or loose).
Fragments. They
are remains of illuvial clay accumulations, deformed by pedological processes.
They are fairly deformed fragments which in some areas show the strong characteristic orientation of illuvial clay, their edges are often clear and they are found in the soil mass, without any apparent association with the pores. According to Brewer (1964), they correspond to papules.
Classification according to particle size
Depending on whether the accumulations are made up of pure clay or this is accompanied by silt-sized particles, two main types can be distinguished:
Limpid
clay
Impure clay
Classification according to internal fabric
Non-laminated. Homogenous
masses are a common type of illuvial clay accumulations.
Microlaminated.
Frequently, illuvial clay accumulations show a fine lamination, alternating
thin (<30 microns) laminae of limpid clay with different colourings.
Compound layered.
Alternating layers of two or even more components.
