Dissolving primary silicates release solutes (Si, Al, Fe…) that recombine to form secondary clay minerals and/or (Al, Fe) oxides. In perhumid conditions, most of H4SiO4 can be leached out whereas gibbsite (Al(OH)3) forms. Gibbsite is thus a pertinent indicator of desilication intensity and Si bioavailability
Vander Linden, C., Li, Z., Iserentant, A., & Delvaux, B. (2020). Rainfall as the major driver of plant Si availability in gibbsitic Andosols. EGU 2020, Vienna, Austria. https://hdl.handle.net/2078.5/240789