Mineralogy of In Situ Soils Developed from Basalt Weathering in an Arid-Semiarid-Semihumid Climosequence of Middle Alborz

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Assistant Professor, soil science department, Faculty of Agricultural Engineering and Technology, College of Agriculture & Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran

2 (Professor, soil science department Faculty of Agricultural Engineering and Technology College of Agriculture & Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran)

Abstract

Basalt is among igneous rocks that contains susceptible minerals to weathering minerals, and their weathering products are deposited as secondary minerals and different cations in the soil. Soils derived from basalt bedrock have many distinctive properties that are rarely found in other soils. Clay minerals constitute an important component of the soil system, and knowledge of their role in soil fertility is imperative for sustainable soil management and productivity. Therefore, the objective of the current study was to evaluate clay minerals formation of in situ soil derived from basalt in three different climate conditions. In the present study, physicochemical properties of 24 soil profiles, which formed on basalt rocks, were investigated in the arid, semi-arid, and semi-humid regions of middle Alborz and also mineralogical properties were studied in 6 profiles. X-ray diffraction analysis indicated that illite and smectite were the dominant minerals in the arid and semi-arid soils, respectively. Results revealed that the neosynthesis mechanism and deformation process of other minerals (especially illite) confirm the pedogenic formation of smectite soils in semi-arid regions. Evidence suggested that the illite in the studied soils had a pedogenic origin. Also, the vermiculite origin was to affected by the weathering of mica and chlorite within the three study areas.

Keywords


Abdoli, U. and Jafari, S. (2018). The Effect of Topography and Irrigation on Soil Development and Clay Mineral Diversity of Khuzestan's Gypsic Soils. Journal of Water and Soil Science, 22(1), 387-403
Abtahi, A. and Khormali, F. (2001). Genesis and morphological characteristics of Mollisols formed in a catena under water table influence in southern Iran. Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis, 32(9-10), 1643-1658.
Agard, P., Omrani, J., Jolivet, L., Whitchurch, H., Vrielynck, B., Spakman, W., Monie, P., Meyer, B. and Wortel, R. (2011). Zagros orogeny: Asubduction-dominated process. Geological Magazine, 148, 692-725.
Baghernezhad, M. (2000). Variation in Soil Clay Minerals of Semiarid Regions of Fars Province, Iran, Iran Agricultural Research, 19(2), 165-180.
Abbasnejad, A.  (2005) Soil science for geologists. Shahid Bahonar University publication, Kerman.
Bortoluzzi, E. C., Velde, B., Pernes, M., Dur, J. C., and Tessier, D. (2008). Vermiculite, with hydroxy-aluminium interlayer, and kaolinite formation in a subtropical sandy soil from south Brazil. Clay Minerals43(2), 185-193.
Buol, S. W., Southard, R. J., Graham, R. C. and McDaniel, P. A. (2011) Soil Genesis and Classification (6th ed.). New York: Wiley.  
Caner, L., Radtke, L. M., Vignol-Lelarge, M. L., Inda, A. V., Bortoluzzi, E. C. and Mexias, A. S. (2014). Basalt and rhyo-dacite weathering and soil clay formation under subtropical climate in southern Brazil. Geoderma. 235-236, 100-112.
Carter, M. R., and Gregorich, E. G. (2008) Soil Sampling and Methods of Analysis (2nd ed.). Canadian Society of Soil Science.
Caspari, T., Bäumler, R., Norbu, C., Tshering, K. and Baillie, I. (2006). Geochemical investigation of soils developed in different lithologies in Bhutan, Eastern Himalayas. Geoderma. 136(1-2), 436-458.
Chen, H., Liu, X. M., and Wang, K. (2020). Potassium isotope fractionation during chemical weathering of basalts. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 539, 116192.
Chorover, J, Amistadi, M. K, and Chadwick, O. A. (2004). Surface charge evolution of mineral-organic complexes during pedogenesis in Hawaiian basalt. Geochimical Cosmochimistry Acta. 68(23), 4859-4876.
Churchman, G. J., and Lowe, D. J. (2012) Alteration, formation, and occurrence of minerals in soils (pp. 1-72). CRC press.
Dauglas, L. A. (1989) Vermiculites. In Dixon, J. B. and Weed, S. B. (eds.) Minerals in soil environment. Soil Science Society of America, Madison. Wisconsin.
Gitipour, S., Hosseinpour, M. A., Heidarzadeh, N., Yousefi, P., Fathollahi. A. (2015). Application of Modified Clays in Geosynthetic Clay Liners for Containment of Petroleum Contaminated Sites. International Journal of Environmental Research, 9(1), 317-322.
Hassannezhad, H., Pashaee, A., Khormali, F., and Mohammadian, M. (2007). The effect of soil moisture regime conditions and rice plantation on mineralogical properties of paddy soils in Amol region, Mazandaran province. 10th Iranian Soil Science congress, Karaj. (In Farsi).
He, Y., Li, D. C., Velde, B., Yang, Y. F., Huang, C. M., Gong, Z. T., and Zhang, G. L. (2008). Clay minerals in a soil chronosequence derived from basalt on Hainan Island, China and its implication for pedogenesis. Geoderma, 148(2), 206-212.
Karimzadeh, B. (2019). Basaltic and Tuff rocks weathering and relationship with soil organic and inorganic carbon storage, MSc. Thesis, College of Agriculture & Natural Resources, University of Tehran. (In Farsi)
Kiani, F., Jalalian, A., Khademi, H., Pashaei, A. (2007). Clay Minerals In Soil-Loess Sequences In Pasang Area, Golestan Province, Iranian Journal Of Crystallography And Mineralogy,  14(2), 395-412. (In Farsi)
Khademi, H. and Mermut, A. (1999). Submicroscopy and stable isotope geochemistry of carbonates and associated palygorskite in Iranian Aridisols. European Journal of Soil Science, 50(2), 207-216.
Khayamim, F., Khademi, H. and Ayoubi, S. (2018). Capability and Limitations of Clay Minerals Estimation in Surface Soils of the Isfahan Province by Vis-NIR Spectroscopy, Iranian Journal of Soil Research, 32(1), 129-140.
Khormali, F., & Abtahi, A. (2003). Origin and distribution of clay minerals in calcareous arid and semi-arid soils of Fars Province, southern Iran. Clay minerals38(4), 511-527.
Kunze, G.W., and Dixon, J.B. 1986. Pretreatments for Mineralogical Analysis. P91-100, In: Klute, A. (ed.), Methods of Soil Analysis, Part 1, Physical and Mineralogical Methods. 2nd Ed. American Society of Agronomy, Madison, Wisconsin.
Lewis, A. L., Sarkar, B., Wade, P., Kemp, S. J., Hodson, M. E., Taylor, L. L., and Beerling, D. J. (2021). Effects of mineralogy, chemistry and physical properties of basalts on carbon capture potential and plant-nutrient element release via enhanced weathering. Applied Geochemistry, 105023.
Mahjoory, R. A. (1975). Clay mineralogy, physical, and chemical properties of some soils in arid regions of Iran. Soil Science Society of America Journal, 39(6), 1157-1164.
Manafi, SH. (2009). Mineralogical and micromorphological investigation on arid and semiarid soils and possibility of use these data for reconstruction of paleoclimate in some part in Southern Alborz. Ph.D. Thesis, College of Agriculture & Natural Resources, University of Tehran. 334 pp. (In Farsi)
Mirabella, A., Egli, M., Raimondi, S., and Giaccai, D. (2005). Origin of clay minerals in soils on pyroclastic deposits in the island of Lipari (Italy). Clays and clay minerals. 53(4), 409-421.
Nael, M., Khademi, H., Jalalian, A., and Sotohian, F. (2014). Soil-parent material relationship in forest ecosystems of western Alborz: Clay mineralogy, Journal of Water and Soil Conservation, 21(3), 101-122. (In Farsi)
Najafinia, M., Khormali, F., Kiani, F., and Barani motlagh, M. (2018). Comparison of the clay mineralogy of the early Pleistocene paleosols with modern loess-derived soils, Agricultural Engineering (Scientific Journal of Agriculture), 41(1), 127-141. (In Farsi)
Noruzi Fard, F., Salehi, M. H., Khademi, H. and Davoudian Dehkordi, A. R. (2010). Genesis, Classification and Mineralogy of Soils Formed on Various Parent Materials in the North of Chaharmahal-Va-Bakhtiari Province. Journal of Water and Soil Conservation, 24(4), 647-658. (In Farsi)
Omdi, F. E., Daoudi, L., and Fagel, N. (2018). Origin and distribution of clay minerals of soils in semi-arid zones: Example of Ksob watershed (Western High Atlas, Morocco). Applied Clay Science, 163, 81-91.
Oyebanjo, O. O., Ekosse, G. E., and Odiyo, J. O. (2021). Mineralogy and geochemistry of clay fractions in soils developed from different parent rocks in Limpopo Province, South Africa. Heliyon, 7(7), e07664.
Raheb, A., Heidari, A., and Mahmoodi, S. (2016). Storage of Organic and Inorganic Carbon in Arid-Semihumid Soils: A Case Study of the Rangelands of Northwestern Iran. Soil Science, 181(11/12), 473-486.
Raheb, A., Heidari, A., and Mahmoodi, S. (2017). Bioclimatic condition and its effect on the genesis of inorganic carbon in soils developed on basalt. Journal of Water and Soil Conservation, 23(5), 47-65. (In Farsi)
Raheb, A. R. (2017). The effects of bioclimatological factors on soil organic and inorganic carbon contents in basaltic geological formations. Ph.D. Thesis, College of Agriculture & Natural Resources, University of Tehran. (In Farsi)
Rasmussen, C., Dahlgren, R. A., and Southard, R. J. (2010). Basalt weathering and pedogenesis across an environmental gradient in the southern Cascade Range, California, USA. Geoderma, 154(3-4), 473-485.
Sahandi, M. R. and Soheili, M. (2005) Geological map of Iran: scale 1:1000000. Geological Survey of Iran, Tehran.
Shahrokh, V., Khademi, H., and Shariatmadari, H. (2019). Changes in Different Forms of Potassium and Clay Minerals in Soils as Influenced by Different Aged Orange Trees (Citrus sinensis) in Darab, Fars Province, Journal of Water and Soil Science, 23(2), 13-26. (In Farsi)
Shakeri, S., Abtahi, S. A. (2019). Origin and Clay Minerals Characteristics and their Relationship with Potassium Forms in the Calcareous Soils of Kakan Plain in East of Kohgilouye-va-Boyerahmad Province, Water And Soil Science (Journal Of Science And Technology Of Agriculture And Natural Resources), 22(4), 173-188. (In Farsi)
Soil Survey Staff. (2014) Keys to Soil Taxonomy (12nd ed.). United States Department of Agriculture. NRCS.
Sparks, D. L. (1996) Method of Soil Analysis. Part 3. Chemical Methods. American Society of Agronomy.
Srivastava, P., Parkash, B., and Pal, D. K. (1998). Clay minerals in soils as evidence of Holocene climatic change, central Indo-Gangetic Plains, north-central India. Quaternary Research, 50(3), 230-239.
Suárez, M., García-Romero, E., Baz, A., and Pérez, R. (2021). Smectites: The key to the cost overruns in the construction of the third set of locks of the Panama Canal. Engineering Geology, 284, 106036.
Tetsopgang, S. (2021). Increasing Yields and Soil Chemical Properties through the Application of Rock Fines in Tropical Soils in the Western Part of Cameroon, Africa. In Soil Contamination-Threats and Sustainable Solutions. IntechOpen.
Thanachit, S., Suddhiprakarn, A., Kheoruenromne, I. and Gilkes, R. J. (2006). The geochemistry of soils on a catena on basalt at Khon Buri, northeast Thailand. Geoderma. 135: 81-96.
Torabi Gelsefidi, H., Karimian Eghbal, M., Givi, M. J., and Khademi, H. (2001). Clay mineralogy of paddy soils developed on different landforms in the east of Guilan province, Northern Iran. Water Soil Science Journal. 15:1.122-139. (In Farsi).
Van Ranst, E., Kips, P., Mbogoni, J., Mees, F., Dumon, M., and Delvaux, B. (2020). Halloysite-smectite mixed-layered clay in fluvio-volcanic soils at the southern foot of Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania. Geoderma, 375, 114527.
Vingiani, S., Righi, O., Petit, S., and Terribile, F. (2004). Mixed-layer kaolinite-smectite minerals in a red-black soil sequence from basalt in Sardinia (Italy). Clays and Clay Minerals52(4), 473-483.
Vingiani, S., Terribile, F., Meunier, A. and Petit, S. (2010). Weathering of basaltic pebbles in a red soil from Sardinia: A microsite approach for the identification of secondary mineral phases. Catena. 83, 96-106.
USDA-NRCS. (2012) Field Book for Describing and Sampling Soils. Version 3.0, National Soil Survey Center.
Wang, C., Zhao, C., Hong, H., Algeo, T. J., Yin, K., Ji, K., and Christidis, G. E. (2021). Origin of dioctahedral smectites in Lower Eocene Lulehe Formation paleosols (Qaidam Basin, China). Applied Clay Science, 203, 106026.
Waroszewski, J., Sprafke, T., Kabała, C., Kobierski, M., Kierczak, J., Musztyfaga, E., and Łabaz, B. (2019). Tracking textural, mineralogical and geochemical signatures in soils developed from basalt-derived materials covered with loess sediments (SW Poland). Geoderma, 337, 983-997.