Balan Etienne auteur aut IRD Fritsch Emmanuel auteur aut IRD Allard T. auteur aut IRD Morin G. auteur aut IRD Guillaumet M. auteur aut IRD Delattre S. auteur aut IRD Blanchard M. auteur aut IRD Calas G. auteur aut IRD text journalArticle eng text/pdf born digital access This article summarizes some recent results obtained on the physical properties of environmental minerals, mostly kaolinite-group minerals and Fe- and Al-(hydr)oxides occurring in lateritic soils. The defective structure of these minerals, including impurities, stacking faults and radiation-induced defects, is probed using infrared spectroscopy and electron paramagnetic resonance. Resulting information bears on models of soil formation and transformation mechanisms of minerals in low-temperature environments. We underline the increasing impact of quantum chemical modeling in this field, providing straightforward interpretations of spectroscopic signals and overcoming the limits of fingerprint approaches. Importantly, the first-principles modeling of isotopic fractionation factors provides new links between mineralogical and geochemical investigations of secondary minerals. specialized Spectroscopy Ab initio modeling Laterites Clay minerals Iron oxides 064 343 2-3 177-187 2011 1631-0713 https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010053512 10.1016/j.crte.2010.10.006 1631-0713 [F B010053512] https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010053512 https://www.documentation.ird.fr/intranet/publi/2011/05/010053512.pdf Accès réservé (Intranet de l'IRD) IRD - Base Horizon / Pleins textes 2011-05-31 2017-08-23 fdi:010053512 fre