Morphological, physical and clay mineralogy of calcareous and gypsiferous soils in North of Lorestan, Iran

There is limited information about the genesis, classification, properties of calcareous and gypsiferous soils of western Iran. The aim of this research was to investigate the morphological, physical and mineralogical characteristics of soils on different physiographic units including plateau, colluvial fans, and piedmont plain in the Aleshtar region. The results indicated that the parent materials (calcareous and gypsiferous) as well as topographic conditions had the most influence on the soil profile development, pedogenic processes, and clay mineralogy. Illite, chlorite, smectite, palygorskite, and kaolinite clay minerals were identified using XRD, TEM and SEM analysis. Illite, chlorite, and kaolinite have genetically been inherited from parent rocks. Neoformation of smectite and palygorskite other than genetic inheritance was formed as a result of calcite and gypsum precipitation and poor drainage. Calcareous soils with the petrocalcic horizon and gypsiferous soils contained more pedogenic palygorskite. In conclusion, we suggest a new great group of Gypsixerepts is suggested to the soil taxonomy to reflecting the pedogenic gypsum in Inceptisols.The accepted manuscript in pdf format is listed with the files at the bottom of this page. The presentation of the authors' names and (or) special characters in the title of the manuscript may differ slightly between what is listed on this page and what is listed in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript; that in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript is what was submitted by the author