Abstract
Clay-size minerals play important roles in terrestrial biogeochemistry and atmospheric physics, but their data have been only partially compiled at global scale. We present a global dataset of clay-size minerals in the topsoil and subsoil at different spatial resolutions. The data of soil clay and its mineralogical composition were gathered through a literature survey and aggregated by soil orders of the Soil Taxonomy for each of the ten groups: gibbsite, kaolinite, illite/mica, smectite, vermiculite, chlorite, iron oxide, quartz, non-crystalline, and others. Using a global soil map, a global dataset of soil clay-size mineral distribution was developed at resolutions of 2' to 2° grid cells. The data uncertainty associated with data variability and assumption was evaluated using a Monte Carlo method, and validity of the clay-size mineral distribution obtained in this study was examined by comparing with other datasets. The global soil clay data offer spatially explicit studies on terrestrial biogeochemical cycles, dust emission to the atmosphere, and other interdisciplinary earth sciences.
Highlights
Background & SummaryWith an equivalent spherical diameter of o2 μm, clay particles are produced through various geochemical processes such as weathering and metamorphism[1]
Interaction of clays with organic matter facilitated by soil microbial activity leads to the formation of characteristic pore-rich structure in soil called aggregates, which enhance aeration and water retention, and stabilize soil organic matter[6,7]
Clay is a major source of airborne mineral dust, which is mainly contributed to the atmosphere from arid regions
Summary
With an equivalent spherical diameter of o2 μm, clay particles are produced through various geochemical processes such as weathering and metamorphism[1]. Compared with silt (2–20 μm diameter) and sand (> 20 μm diameter), airborne clay dust has a longer residence time in the atmosphere and influences radiation scattering and cloud formation[8] Because of their unique properties and importance in many natural processes, clay-size minerals are frequently of interest in soil biogeochemical and climatological studies. Several dust emission datasets provide global maps of soil clay-size minerals[20,21,22] for dust sources such as the near-surface soils of dry regions These dust source datasets are not useful for hydrological and biogeochemical studies in humid regions where subsoil properties may be required. We developed a dataset of major soil clay-size minerals covering the global land surface for both topsoil (near-surface) and subsoil at different spatial resolutions This dataset is intended for application in a variety of earth science fields that require interdisciplinary data. The dataset should find applications in interdisciplinary studies in fields such as hydrology and agronomy, both as input data for model simulations and for the interpretation of observational data
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