Holocene flood plain soil formation in the lower Mississippi River Valley: Implications for the interpretation of alluvial paleosols
- Univ. of Colorado, Boulder, CO (United States). Dept. of Geological Sciences
- Louisiana Geological Survey, Baton Rouge, LA (United States)
Holocene Mississippi River flood soils representing different depositional environments and ages were sampled along three east-west transects between Vicksburg, MS and Baton Rouge, LA. Flood plain soil development is primarily controlled by episodic flood plain sedimentation and ground water table fluctuations as evidenced by relatively thick cumulative soil profiles with abundant mottles, nodules, and slickensides. Within flood plain deposits of similar age, profile, development is best expressed in moderately-drained silty and sandy soils in natural levee and point bar ridge environmental that occur within and adjacent to meander belts. Soils in natural levee and point bar ridge environments greater than 3 ka generally are acidic and have better-developed Bt horizons and brighter mottles than their younger counterparts. In addition to being acidic and brightly mottled, older back swamp soils have larger and more abundant slickensides and iron nodules. This study suggests that alluvial paleosols formed in aggradational settings may be better suited for interpreting flood plain depositional histories and paleohydrology than climate. Parameters such as solum thickness and clay and carbonate accumulations, routinely used to estimate relative time and climatic effects on soil development in Quaternary studies of stable geomorphic surfaces, may not be applicable to ancient alluvial deposits that reflect continuous sediment aggradation.
- OSTI ID:
- 5590296
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-921058-; CODEN: GAAPBC
- Journal Information:
- Geological Society of America, Abstracts with Programs; (United States), Vol. 24:7; Conference: 1992 annual meeting of the Geological Society of America (GSA), Cincinnati, OH (United States), 26-29 Oct 1992; ISSN 0016-7592
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Eocene hydromorphic paleosols: Significance for interpreting ancient floodplain processes
Interpreting ancient floodplain processes from hydromorphic paleosols