Abstract
Nitisols are a soil group whose nature and genesis are relatively poorly documented. In order to better understand the development of nitic horizons, characterized by a blocky structure and shiny ped faces, soil profiles in a major Nitisol region in Ethiopia were analysed, using physico-chemical, mineralogical and micromorphological methods, as well as Mössbauer spectroscopy. Factors that are identified as contributing to Nitisol development are (i) the presence of open 2:1 clays, besides dominant kaolinite, (ii) seasonal cycles of wetting and drying, contributing to strong blocky soil structure development, and (iii) exceptional Fe oxide characteristics, particularly extremely small particle size. Together with the presence of abundant clay coatings, these Fe oxide characteristics may explain the shiny aspect of ped faces that is characteristic of nitic horizons. The profiles are affected by an admixture of surface-derived volcanic ash components, which might be common in Nitisol regions and which puts into question the use of silt/clay ratio as a requirement for this WRB reference soil group.
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