The importance of humic colloids influencing mobilization or immobilization of metal ions, i.e. actinides, in natural aquatic systems has been emphasized in the context of safety aspects of nuclear waste repositories. The influence of polyvalent cations, i.e. Eu(III) as a homologue for trivalent actinides, on the adsorption of humic acid (HA) onto the basal plane of cleaved muscovite is studied by atomic force microscopy (AFM). To avoid denaturation of sorbed HA by drying procedures, the investigation is performed in aqueous medium by applying non-contact-mode AFM (also called fluid-tapping-mode AFM). Nanostructure, surface coverage and dimensions of sorbed HA are found to be influenced by Eu(III) ions. To get a basic understanding of the interaction between HA and the mica crystalline plane, force spectroscopy experiments are performed. Force versus distance curves are recorded with and without the presence of Eu(III) ions using AFM tips covered with HA. It is found that in the presence of Eu(III) binding forces between HA and the mica surface increase by about one order of magnitude. This effect is partly reversible in deionized water and fully reversible in EDTA solution. On the basis of these observations, polyvalent cation bridges can be favoured as the binding mechanism between HA and mica planes.