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Abstract
Micromorphological investigation of soils is a powerful tool for studying the transformation of soils under the influence of various weathering mechanisms. In the Arctic region, under the influence of seasonal freezing/thawing processes, cryohydration is the leading type of weathering. Soils of different-aged islands of the Lena River Delta were investigated. Thin sections of soils were analyzed using a polarizing microscope Leica DM750P (Leica Camera AG, Wetzlar, Germany). X-ray fluorescence analysis was used to determine the chemical composition of the soils. As a result of the work, the rate of weathering of soil minerals was estimated, soil fabric was considered, as well as the chemical composition of the soil. The accumulation of poorly sorted circular striated sand due to active influence of the Lena River was noted on young soil from Samoylov isl. The formation of biogenic sand-silt crumb aggregates was noted at more ancient sites. Physical weathering of soil minerals under the influence of cryogenic processes has been noted.
Highlights
The permafrost-affected soils cover an area more than 8.6 million km2, which is about27% of area above 50◦ N [1,2,3,4]
The soils of the Lena River Delta are formed according to the cryogenic type of soil formation
The local conditions of soil formation bear a strong imprint on the soil fabric
Summary
The permafrost-affected soils cover an area more than 8.6 million km, which is about27% of area above 50◦ N [1,2,3,4]. A distinctive feature of soils at high latitudes is the presence of ice, which is often found in the form of a permafrost layer [11,12]. An important feature of many northern soils is the absence of horizontal layers due to freezing of the soil mass [13]. This process is known as cryoturbation and leads to mixing of soil material, destruction of soil layers, involutions, organic leakage, frost heaving, separation of coarse inclusions from fine-grained soil, cracks, and patterned soil (bumps, mounds, stone circles, stripes, grids and polygonal structures) [16,17,18,19]. The long-term freezing-thawing process makes significant changes in the structure of soils and grounds [20]
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