scholarly journals Arctic soil development on a series of marine terraces on Central Spitsbergen, Svalbard: a combined geochronology, fieldwork and modelling approach

2015 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 1345-1391 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. M. van der Meij ◽  
A. J. A. M. Temme ◽  
C. M. F. J. J. de Kleijn ◽  
T. Reimann ◽  
G. B. M. Heuvelink ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Chemical Weathering ◽  
Soil Formation ◽  
Luminescence Dating ◽  
Field Observations ◽  
Rill Erosion ◽  
Natural Experiments ◽  
Landscape Development ◽  
Marine Terraces ◽  
Arctic Soil ◽  
Soil Landscape

Abstract. Soils in Arctic regions currently enjoy significant attention because of their potentially substantial changes under climate change. It is important to quantify the natural processes and rates of development of these soils, to better define and determine current and future changes. Specifically, there is a need to quantify the interactions between various landscape and soil forming processes that together have resulted in current soil properties. Soil chronosequences are ideal natural experiments for this purpose. In this contribution, we combine field observations, luminescence dating and soil-landscape modelling to test and improve our understanding about Arctic soil formation. Our field site is a Holocene chronosequence of gravelly raised marine terraces in central Spitsbergen. Field observations suggest that soil-landscape development is mainly driven by weathering, silt translocation, aeolian deposition and rill erosion. Spatial soil heterogeneity is mainly caused by soil age, morphological position and depth under the surface. Substantial organic matter accumulation only occurs in few, badly drained positions. Luminescence dating confirmed existing radiocarbon dating of the terraces, which are between ~ 3.6 and ~ 14.4 ka old. Observations and ages were used to parameterize soil landscape evolution model LORICA, which was subsequently used to test the hypothesis that our field-observed processes indeed dominate soil-landscape development. Model results indicate the importance of aeolian deposition as a source of fine material in the subsoil for both sheltered beach trough positions and barren beach ridge positions. Simulated overland erosion was negligible. Therefore, an un-simulated process must be responsible for creating the observed erosion rills. Dissolution and physical weathering both play a major role. However, by using present day soil observations, relative physical and chemical weathering could not be disentangled. Discrepancies between field and model results indicate that soil formation is non-linear and driven by spatially and temporally varying boundary conditions which were not included in the model. Concluding, Arctic soil and landscape development appears to be more complex and less straight-forward than could be reasoned from field observations.

scholarly journals Arctic soil development on a series of marine terraces on central Spitsbergen, Svalbard: a combined geochronology, fieldwork and modelling approach

SOIL ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 221-240 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. Marijn van der Meij ◽  
Arnaud J. A. M. Temme ◽  
Christian M. F. J. J. de Kleijn ◽  
Tony Reimann ◽  
Gerard B. M. Heuvelink ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Chemical Weathering ◽  
Soil Formation ◽  
Luminescence Dating ◽  
Field Observations ◽  
Rill Erosion ◽  
Natural Experiments ◽  
Landscape Development ◽  
Marine Terraces ◽  
Arctic Soil ◽  
Soil Landscape

Abstract. Soils in Arctic regions currently enjoy attention because of their sensitivity to climate change. It is therefore important to understand the natural processes and rates of development of these soils. Specifically, there is a need to quantify the rates and interactions between various landscape- and soil-forming processes. Soil chronosequences are ideal natural experiments for this purpose. In this contribution, we combine field observations, luminescence dating and soil–landscape modelling to improve and test our understanding of Arctic soil formation. The field site is a Holocene chronosequence of gravelly raised marine terraces in central Spitsbergen. Field observations show that soil–landscape development is mainly driven by weathering, silt translocation, aeolian deposition and rill erosion. Spatial soil variation is mainly caused by soil age, morphological position within a terrace and depth under the surface. Luminescence dating confirmed existing radiocarbon dating of the terraces, which are between  ∼  1.5 and  ∼  13.3 ka old. The soil–landscape evolution model LORICA was used to test our hypothesis that the field-observed processes indeed dominate soil–landscape development. Model results additionally indicated the importance of aeolian deposition as a source of fine material in the subsoil for both sheltered and vegetated trough positions and barren ridge positions. Simulated overland erosion was negligible. Consequently, an un-simulated process must be responsible for creating the observed erosion rills. Dissolution and physical weathering both play a major role. However, using present-day soil observations, the relative contribution of physical and chemical weathering could not be disentangled. Discrepancies between field and model results indicate that soil formation is non-linear and driven by spatially and temporally varying boundary conditions which were not included in the model. To conclude, Arctic soil and landscape development appears to be more complex and less straightforward than could be reasoned from field observations.

scholarly journals Influence of Weathering on the Engineering Properties of Dacites in Northeastern Turkey

2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fehmi Arikan ◽  
Nihal Aydin
Keyword(s):  
Laboratory Tests ◽  
Chemical Weathering ◽  
Engineering Properties ◽  
Open Pit ◽  
Major Influence ◽  
Content Increase ◽  
Field Observations ◽  
Loss On Ignition ◽  
Copper Mines ◽  
Weathering Grades

The purpose of this study is to investigate dacites of different weathering grades from the Cakmakkaya and Damar open-pit copper mines in northeastern Turkey based on their mineralogical, petrographical, and geomechanical characteristics. The dacites for which surveys are carried out are mainly subjected to chemical weathering as well as physical disintegration and hydrothermal alteration. Discontinuities in this rock appear to be a major influence on the spatial distribution of weathering profiles, with the intensity of weathering increasing in the plagioclase phenocrystals and microlites as the weathering grade increases. The present results show that the type and amount of clay minerals increase as the weathering grade increases. As the weathering increases, the amount of mobile oxides, such as Na2O, MgO, and CaO, decreases while Fe2O3 and the loss on ignition (LOI) content increase for most of the dacite samples. The microfracture frequency () may be a good indicator of fabric changes, and methylene blue adsorption (MBA) test and LOI may be good indicators of chemical weathering for the dacites. Geomechanical laboratory tests indicate that the strength of the samples is controlled by weathering. Field observations and mineralogical analyses show that the effects of weathering are critical for slope stability.

HIGH RESOLUTION MINERALOGICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF SEDIMENTS - LAKE BOLĂTĂU-FEREDEU (ROMANIA)

2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 199-210
Author(s):  
Máté Karlik ◽  
◽  
Ildikó GYOLLAI ◽  
Anna VANCSIK ◽  
Krisztián FINTOR ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Resolution ◽  
Chemical Weathering ◽  
Soil Formation ◽  
Mineralogical Characterization ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Geochemical Conditions ◽  
Formation Conditions ◽  
Physical And Chemical ◽  
Microbial Mediation

The catchment (bedrock and soil) and sediments of lake Bolătău, Romania were studied by high resolution multi-methodological investigations to characterize paleoenvironmental and formation conditions. Particle size analyses, optical and cathodoluminescence microscopy, FTIR-ATR and Raman spectroscopy, X-ray powder diffraction, and XRF were applied for microtextural, chemical, micro-mineralogical and embedded organic material characterization and distribution of the sediments, especially concerning geochemical conditions, like pH and redox potential change. Our results support physical and chemical weathering in the process of soil formation with appearance of the new minerals appear (10Å sized phyllosilicates and clay minerals). Comparison of these studies offer possible differentiation of syn- and diagenetic mineralization, the clarification of debris contribution, microbial mediation and complex mineralization via decomposition of cell and extracellular polymeric substance. Based on the analyses on the abrasives, a suboxic environment prevailed in the depositional area and considerable microbial contribution is proposed via accumulation of lake sediments.

scholarly journals Modelling soil and landscape evolution – the effect of rainfall and land use change on soil and landscape patterns

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. Marijn van der Meij ◽  
Arnaud J. A. M. Temme ◽  
Jakob Wallinga ◽  
Michael Sommer
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Landscape Evolution ◽  
Vegetation Type ◽  
Soil Formation ◽  
Agricultural Landscapes ◽  
Landscape Patterns ◽  
Dominant Factor ◽  
Natural Soil ◽  
Soil Landscape

Abstract. Humans have substantially altered soil and landscape patterns and properties due to agricultural use, with severe impacts on biodiversity, carbon sequestration and food security. These impacts are difficult to quantify, because we lack data on long-term changes in soils in natural and agricultural settings and available simulation methods are not suitable to reliably predict future development of soils under projected changes in climate and land management. To help overcome these challenges, we developed the HydroLorica soil-landscape evolution model, that simulates soil development by explicitly modelling the spatial water balance as driver of soil and landscape forming processes. We simulated 14500 years of soil – formation under natural conditions for three scenarios of different rainfall inputs. For each scenario we added a 500-year period of intensive agricultural land use, where we introduced tillage erosion and changed vegetation type. Our results show substantial differences between natural soil patterns under different rainfall input. With higher rainfall, soil patterns become more heterogeneous due to increased tree throw and water erosion. Agricultural patterns differ substantially from the natural patterns, with higher variation of soil properties over larger distances and larger correlations with terrain position. In the natural system, rainfall is the dominant factor influencing soil variation, while for agricultural soil patterns landform explains most of the variation simulated. The cultivation of soils thus changed the dominant factors and processes influencing soil formation, and thereby also increased predictability of soil patterns. Our study highlights the potential of soil-landscape evolution modelling for simulating past and future developments of soil and landscape patterns. Our results confirm that humans have become the dominant soil forming factor in agricultural landscapes.

Pedological trends and implications for forest productivity in a Holocene soil chronosequence, Calvert Island, British Columbia, Canada.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lee-Ann Nelson ◽  
Paul Sanborn ◽  
Barbara J. Cade-Menun ◽  
Ian James Walker ◽  
Olav B. Lian
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Chemical Weathering ◽  
Soil Formation ◽  
Forest Productivity ◽  
Parent Material ◽  
Total Carbon ◽  
Genetic Horizon ◽  
Congruent Dissolution ◽  
Physical Barriers ◽  
Chemical Index Of Alteration

Chronosequence studies of soil formation and ecosystem development provide important insights into the pathways and rates of change occurring on centennial and millennial time scales. In cool or temperate humid environments, Podzols are the predominant soil type formed under coniferous forests in coarse-textured parent material and have been a major focus of chronosequence studies. This study examined the rate and mechanisms of Podzol development and related forest productivity in a sand dune chronosequence in a hypermaritime climate in coastal British Columbia (BC). The sequence spans 10,760 ± 864 years over eight sites and is the first documented chronosequence in coastal BC to span most of the Holocene Epoch. Soil samples from each genetic horizon were analyzed for bulk density, pH and concentrations of total carbon (C), pyrophosphate- and oxalate-extractable aluminum (Al) and iron (Fe), and total elements. Within ~3,500 years a mature Podzol had formed, with cemented horizons (ortstein and placic) present. Organo-metallic complexation appeared to be the dominant mechanism involved in podzolization . Despite a mild, moist climate conducive to chemical weathering, all soils had similarly low values for the Chemical Index of Alteration, suggesting that congruent dissolution of primary minerals may be occurring. Ecosystem retrogression is apparent in the latter stages of the chronosequence – a phenomenon not previously documented in coastal BC. Further research is needed to examine the interactions of nutrient limitation, soil physical barriers, and other possible drivers of ecosystem retrogression.

scholarly journals Terrestrial-marine teleconnections in the Devonian: links between the evolution of land plants, weathering processes, and marine anoxic events

1998 ◽  
Vol 353 (1365) ◽  
pp. 113-130 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas J. Algeo ◽  
Stephen E. Scheckler
Keyword(s):  
Algal Blooms ◽  
Chemical Weathering ◽  
Soil Formation ◽  
Land Plant ◽  
Plant Evolution ◽  
Land Plants ◽  
Root Penetration ◽  
Long Term Effects ◽  
Weathering Processes

The Devonian Period was characterized by major changes in both the terrestrial biosphere, e.g. the evolution of trees and seed plants and the appearance of multi–storied forests, and in the marine biosphere, e.g. an extended biotic crisis that decimated tropical marine benthos, especially the stromatoporoid–tabulate coral reef community. Teleconnections between these terrestrial and marine events are poorly understood, but a key may lie in the role of soils as a geochemical interface between the lithosphere and atmosphere/hydrosphere, and the role of land plants in mediating weathering processes at this interface. The effectiveness of terrestrial floras in weathering was significantly enhanced as a consequence of increases in the size and geographic extent of vascular land plants during the Devonian. In this regard, the most important palaeobotanical innovations were (1) arborescence (tree stature), which increased maximum depths of root penetration and rhizoturbation, and (2) the seed habit, which freed land plants from reproductive dependence on moist lowland habitats and allowed colonization of drier upland and primary successional areas. These developments resulted in a transient intensification of pedogenesis (soil formation) and to large increases in the thickness and areal extent of soils. Enhanced chemical weathering may have led to increased riverine nutrient fluxes that promoted development of eutrophic conditions in epicontinental seaways, resulting in algal blooms, widespread bottomwater anoxia, and high sedimentary organic carbon fluxes. Long–term effects included drawdown of atmospheric pCO 2 and global cooling, leading to a brief Late Devonian glaciation, which set the stage for icehouse conditions during the Permo–Carboniferous. This model provides a framework for understanding links between early land plant evolution and coeval marine anoxic and biotic events, but further testing of Devonian terrestrial–marine teleconnections is needed.

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