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Soil Properties and Geomorphology

This course explores soil formation, properties of soil horizons, and soil data interpretation through exercises and field trips. Students will learn to calculate soil properties, graph results, and analyze soil chronosequences.

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Soil Properties and Geomorphology

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  1. Soil Properties and Geomorphology Mark Sweeney Earth Sciences – University of South Dakota

  2. ESCI 411: Principles of Geomorphology • Prerequisites: ESCI 101 (Physical Geology) or instructor permission • Audience: Earth Science majors, minors, Anthropology majors, Biology graduate students • NO LAB • Field trips required

  3. Soil Properties and Geomorphology Source of data: • McFadden, LD, 1978, Soils of the Canada del Oro valley, southern Arizona. M.S. Thesis, U of Arizona, 116 p. • Exercise idea was borrowed from Geomorphology labs taught by: • Eric Straffin (UN-L, 1997) • M. Berry (SIU, 1994)

  4. Goals • Understand relative dating of fluvial terraces • Understand basics of soil formation and properties of soils • horizons • additions • transformations • translocations

  5. Goals • Generate graphs to illustrate changes, if any, in certain soil properties over time • Interpret real soil data • Follow up: On a field trip, apply skills to a soil in loess

  6. Goals • Understand and apply Hans Jenny’s (1941) 5 factors of soil formation (clorpt) • Climate • Organisms • Relief • Parent material • Time Assumed relatively constant for our project Varies

  7. McFadden, 1978

  8. Information Provided Diagram of 5 fluvial terraces Soil properties for each: Soil horizons and thicknesses Soil color Soil texture Soil carbonate % Hints on how to calculate weight mean % (clay, CaCO3) for soils

  9. Exercise • Students calculate soil properties in Excel • Students graph results • Students answer questions: • Which properties vary with age? • Which properties are most discriminating? • Which properties are least discriminating? • Make general statements about how soils form through time in this environment

  10. Results • Time is the factor which controls differences in soils among the fluvial terraces • Supports idea of soil chronosequence • Additional factors must explain changes that are not systematic over time

  11. Results • Difficulty with using Excel and calculating despite hints resulted in errors filtering throughout exercise. • Don’t always see appropriate trends • Otherwise, students seem to grasp basic concepts and gain some appreciation for the 5 soil forming factors

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