HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Foscolos, A. E. Articles by Kodama, H. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Foscolos, A. E. Articles by Kodama, H. Agricola Articles by Foscolos, A. E. Articles by Kodama, H.

Mineralogy and Chemistry of Arctic Desert Soils on Ellef Ringnes Island, Arctic Canada¹

ABSTRACT

Morphological, mineralogical, and chemical characteristics of five soil profiles derived from different parent materials have been studied on the Ellef Ringnes Island, Canadian Arctic Archipelago. The aim was to investigate weathering and pedogenesis of Arctic desert soils.

Morphological, mineralogical, and chemical data of the soil horizons indicate that there is very little soil differentiation between the parent material and the top horizons. However, since the Wisconsin retreat, some 11,000 years ago, bioxidation of pyrite Thiobacillus ferroxidans has converted most of the studied soil to acid sulfate soils containing sulfate-bearing minerals such as natrojarosite and gypsum.

¹ Contribution no. 730060 from the Inst. of Sediment. and Petrol. Geo., Geological Survey of Canada, Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2L 2A7; and no. 1235 from the Chem. and Biol. Res. Inst., Agric. Canada Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1A OC6.

² Research Scientists of the Inst. of Sediment. and Petrol. Geol. and Chem. and Biol. Res. Inst., respectively.

Received for publication November 12, 1980. Accepted for publication April 20, 1981.