Mineralogical composition of iron oxides in red- and yellow-colored soils from Southern Japan and Yunnan, China

Abstract

Six soil samples from the Bt2 horizon of red- and yellow-colored soils collected in Southern Japan and Yunnan, China, were used in this study. Detailed mineralogical studies by differential X-ray diffraction analysis showed the presence of hematite in association with goethite in the red-colored soils, whereas no hematite was detected in the yellow-colored soils. Among the samples studied, the increase in the hematite contents was as follows: Terra rossa-like/Red-Yellow soil in Kikai Island, Red soil in Toyota City, Lateritic Red soil in Minami-Daito Island and Lateritic Red soil in Yunnan, China. Since Lateritic Red soil and Lateritic Yellow soil are distributed adjacently on the Pleistocene raised coral reef terrace in Minami-Daito Island, having a fairly similar soil temperature regime, soil pH, soil organic matter and iron oxide contents, the difference in the soil color between the two soils may be caused by the difference in the hydrologic conditions.