Rock Magnetic Studies of Soil Chronosequences in California:A New Approach to Soil Genesis and the Dating of Geomorphic Surfaces

尽管土壤科学家一直在研究 多年来，土壤中的铁含量相对较少， 研究土壤的磁性。 大多数研究 一直专注于提高磁化率， 土壤的上部。 在过去的一年半里， 首席研究员一直在研究 加州三个土壤时序的性质，注意到 不同层位的岩石磁性不同 同一土壤剖面或土壤层之间以及不同土壤剖面或土壤层之间 年龄在同一母体材料中发展。 结果也 表明，磁化率的增强是一个 比以前想象的更复杂的现象。 这个项目 调查加州的其他时间序列， 以包括额外的岩石磁性参数。 这个目标 研究将是获得新的见解的基本成壤 铁的转运和转化过程 并利用这些信息来制定一个相对的，如果没有 一种测定土壤年代的绝对方法 这样的约会技巧 将具有广泛的适用性，不仅适用于土壤的年代测定， 稳定的地貌表面，而且还用于各种 如山坡发展及山泥倾泻等。

Although soil scientist have been studying the chemistry of iron in soils for many years, there have been relatively few studies of the magnetic properties of soils. Most of the studies have focussed on the enhancement of the magnetic susceptibility in the upper portion of the soil. For the past year and a half, the Principal Investigator has been studying the rock magnetic properties of three soil chronosequences in California, noting that the rock magnetic properties vary within different horizons of the same soil profile or pedon and between pedons of different age developed in the same parent material. Results have also shown that the enhancement of the magnetic susceptibility is a more complex phenomenon than previously thought. This project investigates other chronosequences in California and extends work to include additional rock magnetic parameters. The goal of this research will be to gain new insights into the basic pedogenic processes involved in the translocation and transformation of iron in soils and to use that information to develop a relative, if not an absolute, method of dating soils. Such a dating technique would have wide applicability, not only for the dating of soils on stable geomorphic surfaces but also for the dating of various surficial processes such as hillslope development and landsliding.