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MINERALOGY, GENESIS AND CLASSIFICATION OF FERRUGINOUS SOILS OF THE EASTERN MYSORE PLATEAU, INDIA
Author(s) -
RENGASAMY P.,
SARMA V. A. K.,
MURTHY R. S.,
MURTI G. S. R. KRISHNA
Publication year - 1978
Publication title -
journal of soil science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.244
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1365-2389
pISSN - 0022-4588
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2389.1978.tb00792.x
Subject(s) - colluvium , laterite , geology , soil water , weathering , pedogenesis , plateau (mathematics) , geochemistry , goethite , ultisol , kaolinite , gibbsite , clay minerals , oxisol , mineralogy , soil science , nickel , mathematical analysis , chemistry , materials science , mathematics , organic chemistry , adsorption , metallurgy
Summary The relationship of geomorphic and climatic history and formation of the ferruginous soils, formed on the acidic Peninsular Gneiss, of the Mysore Plateau, India, is discussed. The profiles studied are found on two different land systems. The soils of the older, fairly smooth landscape are composed of colluvium over truncated laterite profiles, with a gravel layer and a prominent kaolin layer over the weathered rock. These soils show an accumulation of pedogenic haematite grains in the sand fraction and have considerable kaolinite and amorphous ferri‐aluminosilicate minerals in the clays. The soils of the younger, rugged landscape have similar clay mineralogy, but do not have a gravel layer, or haematite grains. The influence of the coarse‐grained parent rock is seen in the large amounts of quartz gravel. The absence of granulation is attributed to lack of accumulation of iron. The soils have been formed in an earlier, more humid climate than prevails today. The original laterite profiles were formed on a plane surface, and subsequent change in climate has led to change in the land forms and dissection. Truncation of the profiles was followed by deposition of red colluvium over the resistant ferruginous layer. These ancient soils do not fit the criteria for Oxisols in the U.S. classification, but fit well in the French system as ‘Sols Ferrallitiques’, subclass ‘fiablement désatures en (B)’. The soil from a low lying area, formed from colluvium under hydromorphic conditions. is classified as‘Vertisols et Paravertisols'.