A qualitative estimate of total mineral composition is determined using X-ray diffraction of bulk powders. Quantitative estimates can be made using point counting (Soil Survey Staff, 2014).
References
Soil Survey Staff. 2014. Kellogg Soil Survey Laboratory Methods Manual. Soil Survey Investigations Report No. 42, Version 5.0. R. Burt and Soil Survey Staff (ed.). U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service.
We measure quantitative mineralogy by applying the full pattern summation method on XRD patterns (RockJock, powdR) along with an internal corundum standard (AL-OX-03-P with nominal 3.5 micron grain size). powdR is an R(shiny) application (Butler and Hillier, 2021a,b) that can be used in concert with the RockJock quantitative XRD preparation methods (Eberl, 2003). You can find a write up of our methods here.
Useful links for quantitative XRD:
PowDLL Converter - converts raw XRD data to .xy files for use in powdR or easy copy pasta to RockJock.
RockJock - Uses full pattern summation method to quantify XRD. See "FTP directory" link on RockJock page to download the files needed to run the application.
powdR - Full pattern summation method available in R and Shiny APP. Be sure to download and install R and Rstudio to run.
Ben Butler’s Rmarkdown on powdR
References
Butler, B., 2020. powdR: Full Pattern Summation of X-ray Powder Diffraction Data.
Butler, B.M., Hillier, S., 2021. powdR: An R package for quantitative mineralogy using full pattern summation of X-ray powder diffraction data. Computers & Geosciences 147, 104662.
Butler, B.M., Hillier, S., 2021. Automated full-pattern summation of X-ray powder diffraction data for high-throughput quantification of clay-bearing mixtures. Clays and Clay Minerals 1–14.
Chipera, S.J., Bish, D.L., 2002. FULLPAT: a full-pattern quantitative analysis program for X-ray powder diffraction using measured and calculated patterns. J. Appl, Crystallogr. 35, 744–749.
Eberl, D.D., 2003. User guide to RockJock-A program for determining quantitative mineralogy from X-ray diffraction data. US Geological Survey.
Moore, D.M. and Reynolds, R.C., 1989. X-ray Diffraction and the Identification and Analysis of Clay Minerals (Vol. 322, p. 321). Oxford: Oxford university press.
A qualitative estimate of total clay mineral composition is determined using X-ray diffraction of oriented clay mounts using the Millipore filter-transfer method (Moore and Reynolds, 1989, 1997).
The bulk magnetic mineralogy of soils and sediments is measured using a Bartington MS3. The low-frequency (lf) and frequency-dependent (fd) magnetic susceptibility is measured at room temperature and heat steps (Dearing, 1994).
References
Dearing, J., 1994. Environmental magnetic susceptibility. Using the Bartington MS2 system. Kenilworth, Chi Publ.