Clay Mineralogy of the Carbonate Rocks of the Shali Series (Lower-Upper Proterozoic) of Larji and Shali Windons, Lesser Himalaya

XRD Study of carbonate and shale samples of Larji and Alsindi sections of the Shali Series (Lower-Upper Proterozoic) of Lesser Himalaya, has revealed that they essentially contain illite, degraded illite, kaolinite, random mixed layers of illite+montmorillonite and traces of vermiculite. The clay minerals in the Shali carbonates mostly appear to be detrital in origin. Corrensite and to some extent montmorillonite seem to suggest hypersaline conditions of carbonate deposition. Kaolinite suggests nearness to the then shoreline of the basin of deposition and illite is environmentally insensitive.