The geochemistry of soils on a catena on sedimentary rock at Nam Phong, north-east Thailand
Suphicha Thanachit A , Anchalee Suddhiprakarn A C , Irb Kheoruenromne A and Robert J. Gilkes BA Department of Soil Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Kasetsart University, Bangkok 10900, Thailand.
B School of Earth and Geographical Sciences, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Science, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia.
C Corresponding author; email: agrals@ku.ac.th
Australian Journal of Soil Research 44(2) 143-154 https://doi.org/10.1071/SR05030
Submitted: 1 march 2005 Accepted: 5 December 2005 Published: 27 March 2006
Abstract
The elemental composition of size fractions of soils on the Nam Phong catena, north-east Thailand, has been determined. The catena can be divided into 6 geomorphic positions: summit, shoulder, upper midslope, lower midslope, footslope and toeslope positions where soils have developed on sedimentary rocks under a tropical savannah climate. Factor analysis was used to interpret the large dataset and to determine profile and spatial trends in geochemistry.
Silica is the major component of the soils on this catena, reflecting the presence of much quartz in the silt and sand fractions in soils at all landscape positions. Smaller amount of Al and Fe are also present; these elements are associated with the presence of kaolin and iron oxides. Factor analysis shows systematic differences in chemical composition between soils on higher positions and the soil on the lowest position in the landscape. Small variations in the chemical compositions of the whole soil, fine sand and silt between upslope soils are recognised. Soils on the summit, shoulder, midslope, and footslope exhibit little within-profile variation in chemical composition and the compositions of the profiles overlap closely. The Al affinity group (Al, Co, Ca, Mg, K, Sr, Cs, Rb, Ga, Zn, Ni, Li, Mn, Ti) increases in abundance in the toeslope soil, which is clearly different in chemical composition from the soils on higher positions. For the clay fraction, the differences in concentration of both the Si group (Si, Ni, Mn, Co, Mg, K, Ba, Pb) and Ca group (Ca, Zn, Cu, Sr, Cr, P) result in soils on toeslope and footslope positions being distinctly different from upslope soils, which have similar compositions. Soils at all positions show moderate variation in chemical composition of the clay with depth.
The small variations in the chemical compositions of upslope soils on the Nam Phong catena are due to different degrees of weathering of the same parent rock, whereas soil on the toeslope position has a quite different elemental composition, possibly due to a different parent rock and the authigenesis of minerals in this landscape position where leached ions accumulate.
Additional keywords: tropical soil, factor analysis, major elements, soil mineralogy.
Acknowledgments
This work was supported by the Royal Golden Jubilee Program under The Thailand Research Fund. The authors would like to thank the Centre for Microscopy and Microanalysis, The University of Western Australia for providing access to SEM/EDS analysis, and Michael Smirk for assisting with chemical analysis.
Bakac M, Kumru MN
(2001) Factor analysis applied to distribution of elements in Western Turkey. Applied Radiation and Isotopes 55, 721–729.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | PubMed |
Balakrishnan SP, Bhaumik BK
(1994) Factor analysis of geochemical data of Precambrian granitoids of South India: implication in uranium exploration. Exploration Research for Atomic Minerals 7, 109–124.
Bellehumeur C,
Marcotte D, Jébrak M
(1994) Multi-element relationship and spatial structures of regional geochemical data from stream sediments, Southwestern Quebec, Canada. Journal of Geochemical Exploration 51, 11–35.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Birkeland, PW (1999).
Boonsompoppunth B
(1984) Toposequence of soil in Nakhon Ratchasima province in the north-east Thailand. ‘Proceedings of the 5th ASEAN Soil Conference’. (ASEAN: Bangkok, Thailand)
Bullock, P ,
Fedoroff, N ,
Jongerius, A ,
Stoops, G ,
Tursina, T ,
and
Babel, U (1985).
Chesworth W,
Dejou J, Larroque P
(1981) The weathering of basalt and relative nobilities of the major elements at Belbex France. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 45, 1235–1243.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Chatupa JC, Direng BB
(2000) Distribution of trace and major elements in -180+75 μm and -75 μm fractions of the sandveld regolith in Northwest Ngamiland, Botswana. Journal of African Earth Sciences 30, 515–534.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Cornu S,
Lucas Y,
Lebon E,
Ambrosi JP,
Luizao F,
Rouiller J,
Bonnay M, Neal C
(1999) Evidence of titanium mobility in soil profiles, Manaus, Central Amazonia. Geoderma 91, 281–295.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Darmody RG
(1985) Weathering assessment of quartz grains: a semiquantitative approach. Soil Science Society of America Journal 49, 1322–1324.
Day DR
(1965) Particle fraction and particle size analysis. ‘Methods of soil analysis. Part 1’. Agronomy No 9. (Ed. CA Black)
pp. 545–566. (American Society of Agronomy Inc.: Madison, WI)
Dolcater DL,
Syers JK, Jackson ML
(1970) Titanium as free oxide and substituted forms in kaolinites and other soil minerals. Clays and Clay Minerals 18, 71–79.
Duddy IR
(1980) Redistribution and fractionation of rare-earth and other elements in a weathering profile. Chemical Geology 30, 363–381.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Evans CD,
Davies TD,
Wigington PJ,
Tranter M, Kretser WA
(1996) Use of factor analysis to investigate processes controlling the chemical composition of four streams in Adirondack Mountain, New York. Journal of Hydrology 185, 297–316.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Fanning DS, Keramidas VZ, EL-Desoky HA
(1989) Mica. ‘Mineral in soil environments’. (Eds JB Dixon, SB Weed)
pp. 551–534. (Soil Science Society of America: Madison, WI)
Farrah H, Pickering WF
(1979) Extraction of heavy metal ions sorbed on clays. Water, Air, and Soil Pollution 9, 491–498.
Fritz SJ, Mohr DW
(1984) Chemical alteration in the micro weathering environment within a spheroidally weathered anorthite boulder. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 42, 417–424.
Gallez A,
Juo ASR,
Herbillon AJ, Moormann FR
(1976) Clay mineral of selected soil in southern Nigeria. Soil Science Society of America Journal 39, 577–585.
Jenkins DA, Jones RGW
(1980) Trace elements in rock, soil, plant and animal: introduction. ‘Applied soil trace elements’. (Ed. BE Davies)
pp. 1–20. (John Wiley & Son Ltd: Chichester, UK)
Kabata-Pendias, A ,
and
Pendias, H (2001).
Kheoruenromne, I (1999).
Kilmer VJ, Alexander LT
(1949) Method of making mechanical analysis of soils. Journal of Soil Science 68, 15–24.
Kinniburgh DG,
Jackson ML, Syers JK
(1976) Adsorption of alkaline earth, transition and heavy metal cations by hydrous oxide gels of iron and aluminium. Soil Science Society of America Journal 40, 796–799.
Kumru MN, Bakac M
(2003) R-mode factor analysis applied to distribution of elements in soils from Aydin basin, Turkey. Journal of Geochemical Exploration 77, 81–91.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Loveland PJ, Digby P
(1984) The extraction of Al and Fe by 0.1 m pyrophosphate solution: a comparison of some techniques. Journal of Soil Science 35, 243–250.
Lynch J
(1999) Additional provisional elemental values for LKSD-1, LKSD-2, LKSD-3, LKSD-4, STSD-1, STSD-2, STSD-3 and STSD-4. Geostandards Newsletter: The Journal of Geostandards and Geoanalysis 23, 251–260.
McKeague JA, Day JH
(1966) Dithionite and oxalate-extractable Fe and Al as aids in differentiating various classes of soils. Canadian Journal of Soil Science 46, 13–22.
Mehra OP, Jackson ML
(1960) Iron oxide removal from soils and clays in a dithionite-citrate-bicarbonate system buffered with sodium. Clays and Clay Minerals 7, 317–327.
Middelburg JJ,
Van der Weijden CH, Woittiez JRW
(1988) Chemical processes affecting the mobility of major, minor and trace elements during the weathering of granite rocks. Chemical Geology 68, 253–273.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
National Soil Survey Center
(1995) Soil survey laboratory information manual. United States Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service, National Soil Survey Center, Soil Survey Investigation Report No.45, Version 30.
Norrish K, Hutton JT
(1969) An accurate x-ray spectrographic method for the analysis of a wide range of geological samples. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 33, 431–453.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Schwertmann U, Taylor RM
(1989) Iron oxide. ‘Mineral in soil environments’. (Eds JB Dixon, SB Weed)
pp. 145–180. (Soil Science Society of America: Madison, WI)
Soil Survey Staff (1999).
Soltanpour PN, Johnson GW, Workman SM, Jone JB, Miller RO
(1996) Inductive coupled plasma emission spectrometry and inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. ‘Methods of soil analysis. Part 3. Chemical method’. Agronomy No. 5. (Ed. DL Sparks)
pp. 91–139. (American Society of Agronomy Inc.: Madison, WI)
Song Y,
Wilson MJ,
Moon H-S,
Bacon JR, Bain DC
(1999) Chemical and mineralogical forms of lead, zinc and cadmium in particle size fractions of some wastes, sediments and soils in Korea. Applied Geochemistry 14, 621–633.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Stiles CA,
Mora CI, Driese SG
(2003) Pedogenic processes and domain boundaries in a Vertisol climosequence: from titanium and zirconium distribution and morphology. Geoderma 116, 279–299.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Suddhiprakarn A,
Kheoruenromne I,
Sindhusen P, Yoothong K
(1985) Clay minerals and iron oxides of selected red and yellow soil in northeast plateau and southeast coast Thailand. Kasetsart Journal [Natural Science] 19, 266–271.
Sudom MD, Arnaud RJST
(1971) Use of quartz, zirconium and titanium as indices in pedological studies. Canadian Journal of Soil Science 51, 385–395.
Suwanasing, A (1972).
Tardy Y,
Bocquier G,
Paquet H, Millo G
(1973) Formation of clay from granite and its distribution in relation to climate and topography. Geoderma 10, 271–284.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Thomas GW
(1987) Exchangeable cations. ‘Methods of soil analysis. Part 2’. Agronomy No. 9. (Ed. AL Page)
pp. 159–161. (American Society of Agronomy Inc.: Madison, WI)
Topp SE,
Salbu B,
Roaldset E, Jorgensen P
(1984) Vertical distribution of trace elements in lateritic soil (Suriname). Chemical Geology 47, 159–174.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Vijarnsorn P, Fehrenbacher JB
(1973) Characteristics and classification of three granite derived soil in Peninsular, Thailand. Geoderma 9, 105–118.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Walkley A, Black CA
(1934) An examination of digestion method for determining soil organic matter and a proposed modification of the chroma acid titration method. Soil Science 37, 29–35.
Weber L, Davis JC
(1990) Multivariate statistical analysis of stream sediment geochemistry in the Grazer Paläozoikum Austria. Mineralium Deposita 25, 213–220.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Weitkamp WA,
Graham RC,
Anderson MA, Amerhein CA
(1996) Pedogenesis of a vernal pool Entisols-Alfisols-Vertisols catena in Southern California. Soil Science Society of America Journal 60, 316–323.
