Rock Magnetic Studies of Soils and Pedogenic Processes

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Our recent studies of the magnetic properties of soil chronosequences has shown that rock magnetic studies are a powerful tool for studying soils and identifying soil inhomogeneities. Magnetic susceptibility, frequency dependent susceptibility, loss of susceptibility upon treatment with the buffered strong reductant citrate-bicarbonate-dithionite, anhysteretic remanent magnetization, and other rock magnetic properties indicate that pedogenic processes convert non- or weakly-magnetic minerals to strongly magnetic minerals and that the particle size of these magnetic minerals are smaller than the size of the inherited suite of magnetic minerals. The time variation of indices of rock magnetic properties are nearly linear for pedons within three California chronosequences, indicating that rock magnetic properties may be useful in studies of soil chronosequences, indicating that rock magnetic properties may be useful in studies of soil chronosequences. The goal of the research that we propose to undertake is to further the understanding of the processes and relationships discovered in the initial work. In particular, we will further explore the interdependence of rock magnetic properties and particle size, mineralogy, profile location, and soil forming process. In addition, we will test the relationship between the presumed ages of pedons and rock magnetic indices by sampling and measuring rock magnetic properties on a wider range of soils.