scholarly journals Variations of soil profile characteristics due to varying time spans since ice retreat in the inner Nordfjord, western Norway

2014 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 91-118
Author(s):  
A. Navas ◽  
K. Laute ◽  
A. A. Beylich ◽  
L. Gaspar
Keyword(s):  
Grain Size ◽  
Size Distribution ◽  
Grain Size Distribution ◽  
Soil Profile ◽  
Mineralogical Composition ◽  
Ice Age ◽  
Drainage Basins ◽  
Western Norway ◽  
Ice Retreat ◽  
Profile Characteristics

Abstract. In the Erdalen and Bødalen drainage basins located in the inner Nordfjord in western Norway the soils have been formed after deglaciation. The climate in the uppermost valley areas is sub-arctic oceanic and the lithology consists of Precambrian granitic orthogneisses on which Leptosols and Regosols are the most common soils. The Little Ice Age glacier advance affected parts of the valleys with the maximum glacier extent around AD 1750. In this study five sites on moraine and colluvium materials were selected to examine the main soil properties to assess if soil profile characteristics and pattern of fallout radionuclides (FRNs) and environmental radionuclides (ERNs) are affected by different stages of ice retreat. The Leptosols on the moraines are shallow, poorly developed and vegetated with moss and small birches. The two selected profiles show different radionuclide activities and grain size distribution. The sampled soils on the colluviums outside the LIA glacier limit became ice-free during the Preboral. The Regosols present better-developed profiles, thicker organic horizons and are fully covered by grasses. Activity of 137Cs and 210Pbex concentrate at the topsoil and decrease sharply with depth. The grain size distribution of these soils also reflects the difference in geomorphic processes that have affected the colluvium sites. Significant lower mass activities of FRNs are found in soils on the moraines than on colluviums. Variations of ERNs activities in the valleys are related to characteristics soil mineralogical composition. These results indicate differences in soil development that are consistent with the age of ice retreat. In addition, the pattern distribution of 137Cs and 210Pbex activities differs in the soils related to the LIA glacier limits in the drainage basins.

scholarly journals Variations of soil profile characteristics due to varying time spans since ice retreat in the inner Nordfjord, western Norway

Solid Earth ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 485-498 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Navas ◽  
K. Laute ◽  
A. A. Beylich ◽  
L. Gaspar
Keyword(s):  
Grain Size ◽  
Size Distribution ◽  
Grain Size Distribution ◽  
Soil Profile ◽  
Mineralogical Composition ◽  
Ice Age ◽  
Drainage Basins ◽  
Western Norway ◽  
Ice Retreat ◽  
Profile Characteristics

Abstract. In the Erdalen and Bødalen drainage basins located in the inner Nordfjord in western Norway the soils were formed after deglaciation. The climate in the uppermost valley areas is sub-arctic oceanic, and the lithology consists of Precambrian granitic orthogneisses on which Leptosols and Regosols are the most common soils. The Little Ice Age glacier advance affected parts of the valleys with the maximum glacier extent around AD 1750. In this study five sites on moraine and colluvium materials were selected to examine main soil properties, grain size distribution, soil organic carbon and pH to assess if soil profile characteristics and patterns of fallout radionuclides (FRNs) and environmental radionuclides (ERNs) are affected by different stages of ice retreat. The Leptosols on the moraines are shallow, poorly developed and vegetated with moss and small birches. The two selected profiles show different radionuclide activities and grain size distribution. The sampled soils on the colluviums outside the LIA glacier limit became ice-free during the Preboral. The Regosols present better-developed profiles, thicker organic horizons and are fully covered by grasses. Activity of 137Cs and 210Pbex concentrate at the topsoil and decrease sharply with depth. The grain size distribution of these soils also reflects the difference in geomorphic processes that have affected the colluvium sites. Significantly lower mass activities of FRNs were found in soils on the moraines than on colluviums. Variations of ERN activities in the valleys were related to characteristics of soil mineralogical composition. These results indicate differences in soil development that are consistent with the age of ice retreat. In addition, the pattern distribution of 137Cs and 210Pbex activities differs in the soils related to the LIA glacier limits in the drainage basins.

Variability to sedimentary dynamics and climatic conditions during the last two millennia at sebkha Souassi in eastern Tunisia

2013 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Elhoucine Essefi ◽  
Hayet Ben Jmaa ◽  
Jamel Touir ◽  
Mohamed Ali Tagortig ◽  
Chokri Yaicha
Keyword(s):  
Grain Size ◽  
Size Distribution ◽  
Grain Size Distribution ◽  
Little Ice Age ◽  
Climatic Variability ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Ice Age ◽  
Global Changes ◽  
Sedimentary Dynamics ◽  
The Last Two Millennia

AbstractThis paper covers work intended to study the interplay of sedimentary dynamics and climatic variability over the last two millennia within Tunisia’s sebkha Souassi. Based on the Visual Core Description, and magnetic susceptibility, we date the core from sebkha Souassi to the last two millennia. Genetic grain-size distribution then provided a basis for the identification of six climatic stages, i.e. the Warming Present (WP), the Late Little Ice Age (Late LIA), the Early Little Ice Age (ELIA), the Medieval Climatic Anomaly (MCA), the Dark Ages (DA), and the Roman Warm Period (RWP). The WP stretches across the uppermost 3 cm, with a high grey scale indicating a dry climate. The Late LIA is located between 3 and 7 cm, and the ELIA between 7 and 28 cm. Intermediate values for GS indicate that this stage may be classified as moderate. The MCA spanning from 28 to 40 cm is marked by a sharp decrease in GS indicative of a wet period. The DA appear along the part between 40 and 79 cm, a shift from light to dark sediments being recorded. The RWP in turn appears between 79 and 114 cm. Based on the grain-size distribution, two low-frequency cycles were identified, indicating radical global changes in climatic conditions, differential tectonics and groundwater fluctuations. High-frequency cycles in turn attest to local modifications of climatic conditions.

Production of ceramic bodies from Tunisian Cretaceous clays

Clay Minerals ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 47 (1) ◽  
pp. 59-68 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Hachani ◽  
W. Hajjaji ◽  
B. Moussi ◽  
M. Medhioub ◽  
F. Rocha ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Grain Size ◽  
Physical Properties ◽  
Size Distribution ◽  
Grain Size Distribution ◽  
Late Cretaceous ◽  
Mineralogical Composition ◽  
International Standards ◽  
Raw Material ◽  
Ceramic Tiles ◽  
Firing Range

AbstractThe aim of this research was to assess the potential application of the Late Cretaceous levels as raw material for the production of ceramic tiles. Mineralogical, chemical and grain size distribution studies were carried out on four clays sampled at different sites in the Tunisian Central Atlas. Clays are mainly composed of phyllosilicates, usually illite and kaolinite. Quartz, feldspars and dolomite were also detected.Tiles were prepared by pressing clay bodies at 250 bar and then firing at different temperatures following industrial conditions as closely as possible. Thermal analysis showed the influence of mineralogical composition and grain size distribution on the material behaviour during firing. The physical properties of fired tiles were obtained from specific tests in accordance with international standards (ISO), i.e. the firing shrinkage, water absorption, apparent density and flexural strength. The development of physical properties indicates an optimal firing range between 1050–1150°C. Results demonstrate the potential of Late Cretaceous materials as raw materials for the production of ceramic tiles.

Reconstructing 1200 years of hydroclimate variability in the southern margins of the Arabian Desert, inferred from an ancient lake in southern Yemen

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shah Parth ◽  
James M Russell ◽  
Nicolas Waldmann
Keyword(s):  
Grain Size ◽  
Size Distribution ◽  
Grain Size Distribution ◽  
Little Ice Age ◽  
Ice Age ◽  
Boreal Summer ◽  
The Core ◽  
The Past ◽  
Monsoon Variability ◽  
Warming World

<p>There is a major knowledge gap in the past climate oscillation of the Arabian desert, especially during the past two millennium. Reliable continuous continental records that archives at high resolution past environmental variability are useful sentinels of paleoclimate changes. Reliable interpretation from climatic proxies retrieved from lake records are crucial for identifying periodicities and the onset of climatic events and evaluating inter-annual and decadal trends driven by shifting of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ). A multiproxy approach is presented for a ~3.3 m composite core from a karst lake located in Gayal el Bazal, southern Yemen. Sedimentary proxies, including grain size distribution and magnetic susceptibility (MS) coupled with geochemistry (XRF), provide an initial picture of centennial-scale environmental changes over the southern Arabian desert. The chronology of the core was anchored by five radiocarbon (<sup>14</sup>C) dates of terrestrial plants (wood) extracted from sediment samples and indicates the core extends to ~800 AD. Our data provides a snapshot for better understanding the impact of Indian Ocean monsoon variability at an exceptional resolution for a region that lacks sufficient information. Our data indicates that during the ‘Little Ice Age’ (~1500-1800 AD) was arid relative to the warm conditions that prevailed during the Medieval Warming Period (~800 to 1200 AD). The arid phase was marked by high Ca/(Al, Fe, Ti) values, increased inorganic carbon content, decreased MS values, and gypsum precipitation. Furthermore, end-member mixing analyses (EMMA) derived from the grain-size distribution corroborates the production of carbonate sand probably due to an increase in flash floods occurring concurrently with low lake levels under generally dry conditions. Aridity during the Little Ice Age is consistent with evidence and theory for weakened boreal summer monsoons during intervals of northern hemisphere cooling. Overall, this study will provide insight into the monsoon variability and a record for understanding the interactions between northward migrations of the ITCZ and tropical monsoonal dynamics during the late Holocene. In the context of current climate change and increasing population pressure, a deeper understanding of their long-term hydrological variability, this study is highly essential to satisfactorily forecast the sustainability of lakes as a resource in a warming world.</p>

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