Calcium carbonate pendants in semiarid soils of Rashakan region (Urmia, Iran) and their paleoclimatic significance

Document Type : Research Paper

Author

Assistant Professor of Soil Science, Department of soil science, Faculty of agriculture, University of Urmia, Urmia, Iran

Abstract

Accumulation of secondary calcium carbonates in arid and semiarid regions is a valuable tool for evaluating the degree of soil evolution, soil age, palaeoenvironmental reconstruction, and soil classification. In particular, laminated pedogenic carbonate pendants are able to provide evidence regarding local environmental and climatic changes. In this study, calcitic pendants from semiarid soils of Rashakan region (West Azerbaijan province, Iran) were investigated. Rashakan region is composed of four physiographic units, including mountains, hills, plateaus, and piedmont plains. A transect of four soil profiles was studied micromorphologically. Based on micromorphic observations, carbonatic pendants are present as mammillary to botryoidally stalactite-like masses, growing downwards from the bottom of coarse fragments. They are multilayered and comprised several light and dark-colored layers, indicating the differences in calcite precipitation conditions. Sequences of light and dark-colored lamina of pendants probably represent climatic changes. We propose that light-colored lamina with relatively pure calcite are precipitated in dry periods that climatic conditions are not favorable for biological activities. However, dark-colored lamina, consisting of calcite mixed with clay and organic impurities, are formed in relatively wet periods with better conditions for biological activities. Therefore, the sequence of light and dark-colored laminae can reflect climatic variations and be employed as a tool for palaeoclimatical and palaeoenvironmental studies.  In the structure of some pendants, there exist some fractures and voids between pendant and skeletal grains. Accordingly, these pendants must be considered for palaeoclimatical and palaeoenvironmental reconstructions.

Keywords

References

Badia, D., C. Marti, E. Palacio, C. Sancho, R.M. Poch, 2009. Soil evolution over the Quaternary period in a semiarid climate (Segre river terraces, northeast Spain), Catena 77: 165-174.
Banaei, M.H., 1998. Soil Moisture and Temperature Regime Map of Iran. Soil and Water Research Institute. Ministry of Agriculture, Iran.
Benyarku, C.A., G. Stoops, 2005. Guidelines for preparation of soil thin sections. Departament de Medi Ambient i Ciències del Sòl. Universitat de Lleida, Spain.
Blank, R.R., M.A. Forsberg, 1990. Micromorphology and classification of pedogenic calcium carbonate accumulations that surround or occur on the underside of coarse fragments in Idaho (USA). In: Douglas, L.A. (Ed). Soi1 Micromorphology (A Basic and Applied Science. Developments in Soil Science Vol. 19, Elsevier), pp. 341–346.
Brock, A.L., B.J. Buck, 2005. A new formation process for calcic pendants from Pahranagat Valley, USA, and implications for dating landforms. Quaternary Research, 63: 359-367.
Courty, M.A., C. Marlin, L. Dever, P. Tremblay, P. Vachier, 1994. The properties, genesis and environmental significance of calcite pendants from high Arctic (Spitsbergen). Geoderma, 61 : 71-102.
Durand, N., C. Monger, M.G. Canti, 2010. Calcium Carbonate Features. In: Stoops G., Marcelino, V. and
Manafi / Desert 24-2 (2019) 267-276
276
Mees, F. (Eds) Interpretation of Micromorphological Features of Soils and Regoliths. Elsevier, pp. 134-186.
Kuzyakov, Y., E. Shevtzova, K. Pustovoytov, 2006. Carbonate re-crystallization in soil revealed by 14C labeling: experiment, model and significance for paleo-environmental reconstructions. Geoderma, 131, 45–58.
Manafi, Sh., 2014. The study soil genesis and carbonate translocation in Rashakan region- Urmia: the effects of toposequence. Final report of research project, Urmia University. 187p. (in persian with english abstract).
Owliaie, H.R., A. Abtahi, R.J. Heck, 2006. Pedogenesis and clay mineralogical ivestigation of soils formed on gypsiferous and calcareous materials, on a transect, southwestern Iran. Geoderma, 134: 62-81.
Owliaie, H.R., M. Najafi Ghiri, S. Shakeri, 2018. Soil- landscape relationship as indicated by pedogenesis data on selected soils from Southwestern, Iran. Eurasian Journal of Soil Science, 7(2): 167 – 180.
Pustovoytov, K.E., 2002. Pedogenic carbonate coatings on clasts in soils as a record of history of grassland ecosystems. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 177: 199–214.
Schoeneberger, P.J., D.A. Wysocki, E.C. Benham, and Soil Survey Staff. 2012. Field book for describing and sampling soils, Version 3.0. Natural Resources Conservation Service, National Soil Survey Center,
Lincoln, NE.
Shankar N., H. Achyuthan, 2007. Genesis of calcic and petrocalcic horizons from Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu: Micromorphology and geochemical studies. Quaternary International, 175: 140–154.
Silva, M.L., A. Batezelli, F.S.B. Ladeira, 2017. Micromorphology of paleosols of the Marília formation and their significance in the paleoenvironmental evolution of the Bauru Basin, upper cretaceous, Southeastern Brazil. Rev Bras Cienc Solo, 1-20.
Soil Survey Staff. 2014. Keys to Soil Taxonomy, 12th Edition. USDA - NRCS.
Soltani Sisi, G. A., 2005. Geological map of Urmia, 1:100000 series. Sheet no. 5065. Geological survey mineral exploration organization of Iran. Tehran. Iran.
Treadwell, C., L.D. McFadden, 2000. Influence of parent material and grain size on carbonate coatings in gravelly soils. Palo Duro Wash, New Mexico. Geoderma, 94: 1-22.
USDA-NRCS. 2004. Soil Survey Laboratory Methods Manual. Soil Survey investigations. Report No, 42. Version 3, 693p.
Zamanian, K., K. Pustovoytov, Y. Kuzyakov, 2016. Pedogenic carbonates: Forms and formation processes. Earth Science, 157: 1–17
Desert
Volume 24, Issue 2
December 2019
Pages 267-276

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics