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Forty Canadian soils were laboratory tested for the presence of quartz and other minerals using X-ray diffraction/X-ray fluorescence techniques. On average, the highest quartz content was observed in soil samples from sites in Nova Scotia followed by Prince Edward Island sites, whereas soil sample from British Columbia sites had the lowest quartz content. The second most abundant mineral was albite that mainly occurred in soil samples from Ontario and Quebec sites. Illite was the third most abundant and prevailed in soils mainly from British Columbia and New Brunswick sites. Soil samples from British Columbia sites had the highest combined clay and silt content and were composed of illite, albite, kaolinite, and chlorite. The lowest clay content was found in the samples from the Quebec sites. The highest microcline (a potassium feldspar) content was observed in Quebec, Ontario, and Prince Edward Island sites. In contrast to other provinces, samples from Quebec and Ontario sites also included amphibole. Soil samples from Saskatchewan and Manitoba sites also comprised carbonates, i.e., calcite and dolomite. Iron oxides (e.g., goethite) were present in all soils, except the Quebec sites, but their occurrence was rather insignificant.

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