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Initial soil development in lignite ash landfills and settling ponds in Saxony‐Anhalt, Germany
Author(s) -
Zikeli Sabine,
Jahn Reinhold,
Kastler Michael
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
journal of plant nutrition and soil science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.644
H-Index - 87
eISSN - 1522-2624
pISSN - 1436-8730
DOI - 10.1002/1522-2624(200208)165:4<530::aid-jpln530>3.0.co;2-j
Subject(s) - gypsum , pedogenesis , weathering , environmental chemistry , subsoil , soil water , mineralogy , anhydrite , chemistry , geochemistry , geology , soil science , paleontology
Weathering and initial soil formation was investigated on 5 sites of lignite ash disposal differing in age (5 to 30 years) and methods of disposal (landfills and sluicing to settling ponds). Soils developed on lignite ash derived substrates were characterized by low bulk densities (< 0.85 g cm —3 ), high contents of gypsum (maximum 27%) and calcium carbonate (maximum 46%), high pH values (7—9), very high contents of organic carbon (about 20%), and high contents of ammonium oxalate soluble Si, Al, and Fe containing compounds. These features depended on the constitution of the lignite and the burning conditions. As the substrates were initially in disequilibrium with their environmental surroundings, they were subjected to rapid weathering. Typical features were the depletion of gypsum and decarbonatization in the topsoils of the profiles. Furthermore, pedogenic organic carbon became enriched by ruderal vegetation despite low contents of plant available P and K and high pH values. The C : N ratios increased with profile depth, which indicated the input of pedogenic OM with low C : N ratios into topsoils and the predominance of lignite with a wide C : N ratio (> 100) in subsoils.