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Effect of a Saline and Alkaline Ground Water on Soil Genesis in Semiarid Southern Iran
Author(s) -
Abtahi Ali
Publication year - 1977
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/sssaj1977.03615995004100030032x
Subject(s) - soil water , geology , calcareous , clay minerals , groundwater , hydrology (agriculture) , soil science , dispersion (optics) , alkali soil , geochemistry , geotechnical engineering , paleontology , physics , optics
The Marvedasht and Korbal soil series, developed in the Marvedasht area under similar climatic, vegetation, and parent material conditions, but with different topography and depths to saline ground water, were investigated. Marked differences in the morphological, physical, chemical, and mineralogical properties of soil appear to be due to variations in topography and the depth of saline and alkaline ground water. In this toposequence, soils with salic horizons (Salorthid) have formed on the flood plain with shallow ground water and soils with natric horizon (Natrixeralf) on the low terrace with deep ground water. Both soils are calcareous throughout. Exchangeable sodium which is the major cause of clay dispersion and migration is only effective whenever the excess salts have been leached. X‐ray analyses indicate this toposequence has a clear difference in relative occurrence of attapulgite and smectite clay minerals. The attapulgite is replaced by smectite in the drier climatic zones.