Plumbogummite Minerals in a Strongly Weathered New Zealand Soil

Summary Phosphate minerals of the plumbogummite group were tentatively identified in a strongly weathered and leached New Zealand soil formed from granite by comparing changes in inorganic phosphate fractions, after calcination, of a soil sample with those occurring in Christmas Island rock phosphate. This identification was confirmed by X‐ray diffraction. Plumbogurnmite minerals were mainly concentrated in the so‐called residual organic P fraction with a lesser but significant proportion in the residual inorganic P fraction. Phosphate minerals of this group may be quite common in other strongly weathered New Zealand soils.