Genesis of gypsum enriched soils in north-west Isfahan, Iran

Abstract

Most of gypsum-enriched soils in Isfahan and neighboring provinces occur on alluvial fans, dissected flood plains (old dissected alluvium)and piedmont plains. Herein we investigate the processes of formation and alteration of gypsic horizons and their pedofeatures. We described and sampled representative pedons on a transect from the mountain to the piedmont plain. In the study area, different gypsic pedofeatures have various kinds of internal lenticular cryslalitic fabrics. Micromorphologic observations confirmed that gypsic horizons have an evolutionary sequence across the different geomorphic surfaces from the upper fan to the piedmont plain. In primary stages (upper fan), gypsum crystals occur individually in the soil groundmass or as clusters in voids with idiotopic or xenotopic fabrics. Eventually, they form internal coatings or infillings and pendants (in middle and lower fans). In the more developed horizons (dissected flood plains or plateaus), the fibrous gypsum crystals are banded and perpendicularly distributed with reference to the gravels and soil surface. These loosely compacted fibers constitute the bulk of the soil materials, leaving non-gypsic particles as islands between crystals. In these pedofeatures, perpendicularly oriented fibrous crystals, with their lateral inter-connections give rise to a continuous three-dimensional firm structure. The fabric of these lenticular gypsum crystals is xenotopic or hyp-idiotopic. In the piedmont plain, the idiotopic crystals have no preferred orientation and have random distribution. Internal fabric of these pedofeatures is porphyrotopic. This study indicates that, physical environment plays a great role in formation of different gypsic pedofeatures.