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Clay Skin Genesis in Wisconsin Soils
Author(s) -
Buol S. W.,
Hole F. D.
Publication year - 1961
Publication title -
soil science society of america journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.836
H-Index - 168
eISSN - 1435-0661
pISSN - 0361-5995
DOI - 10.2136/sssaj1961.03615995002500050021x
Subject(s) - soil water , gleysol , loam , podzol , geology , silt , leaching (pedology) , lapilli , mineralogy , clay minerals , soil horizon , horizon , chemistry , soil science , pyroclastic rock , geochemistry , geomorphology , mathematics , geometry , volcano
Clay skins separated from the B 3 horizon of the “Ockley‐like” silt loam, a Gray‐Brown Podzolic soil, were further analyzed and found to contain 186% as much total phosphorus and 177% as much total manganese as the bulk of the same horizon. More than 200 thin sections were made of samples from a variety of Wisconsin soils, including soils of the Podzol, Gray‐Brown Podzolic, Brunizem and Humic‐Gley great soil groups. A study of volume of clay skins, as determined from microscopic views of thin sections, and soluble salt concentration revealed that in the “Ockley‐like” profile maxima of both occurred in the C 1 horizon. By alternately leaching with percolate from a leaching column and drying with a water aspirator, artificial clay skins were produced in “unweathered” loess material. From observations made during this study a definition of the term “clay skin” is proposed and it is concluded that clay skins in Wisconsin soils are formed by the percolation of dilute clay suspension, from which clay is deposited at or below the bottom of the solum as percolation ceases and the larger pores are emptied of water.