Genesis and transformation of minerals in the formation of red (Alfisols) and black (Inceptisols and Vertisols) soils on Deccan basalt in the Western Ghats, India

Abstract

SUMMARY Six noncalcareous pedons from the basaltic terrain of the Western Ghats in Maharashtra, India, were identified for the present study. Of these, two red‐soil pedons (Typic Haplustalfs) and one black‐soil pedon (Vertic Ustropept) are from the Bhimashankar plateau at an elevation of 1000 m above mean sea level, experiencing a humid (>5000 mm rainfall) tropical climate. The other three pedons of black soils (Typic Chromusterts and Typic Ustropept) are from the semi‐arid zone (500–1000 mm rainfall), at an elevation of 825–893 m. Clay mineralogical investigation indicated that interstratified smectite‐kaolin (Sm/K) is dominant in red soils whereas smectite is dominant in black soils. The Sm/K is formed by the transformation of montmorillonite, the first weathering product of Deccan basalts in a humid tropical climate. We suggest that the interstratification of kaolin with chloritized smectite may also be an important ephemeral stage during the transformation of smectite to kaolinite. The presence of zeolites provided sufficient bases to prevent the complete transformation of Sm/K to kaolinite. The presence of smectites and zeolites made the formation of black soils possible in microdepressions even in a tropical humid climate. The genesis of Sm/K and smectite in red and black soils, respectively, suggests that these soils formed through a progressive landscape reduction process. The presence of both Sm/K and smectite in black soil clays of semi‐arid climate suggests that the smectite of these soils was formed in an earlier humid climate.

Soil–aquifer phenomena affecting groundwater under vertisols: a review

“…Denitrification in clayey soils is thought to be the major reason for the reduced deep leaching of nitrate in semiarid climates; this reduction of nitrate to gaseous nitrogen is less likely to be significant in lighter soils (Sigunga et al, 2002;Baram et al, 2012b;Boy-Roura et al, 2013;He et al, 2013). Jahangir et al (2012) found that adding carbon to deeper soil horizons significantly enhances denitrification in those layers.…”

“…Hence, the interface between agricultural activity on these soils and the underlying groundwater resources is both complex and relevant. This review focuses on vertisol studies that have implications for the underlying groundwater resources; it does not cover the substantial body of literature concerning shrinking/swelling dynamics and its modeling (e.g., Bronswijk, 1988;Chertkov et al, 2004;te Brake et al, 2013), the purely agricultural and mineralogical aspects of vertisols (e.g., Bhattacharyya et al, 1993;Ahmad and Mermut, 1996;Hati et al, 2007) or environmental topics like the capacity of vertisols to sequester carbon (Hua et al, 2014).…”

Influence of Irrigation Water on Black Soils in Amravati District, Maharashtra

“…This clearly indicates preponderance of Na + ion in irrigated soils due to the use of irrigation water with higher Na + concentration (C3S2). A similar trend was noticed in other irrigated soils except in Warud soils which may be due to presence of Ca-rich zeolites 30,32,[40][41] . Release of Ca ions from zeolites improved the soil water composition as reflected in lower value of soluble Na ions.…”

“…The majority of black soils in India occurs in the lower piedmont plains or valleys or in micro depressions. They are developed in the basaltic alluvium 30 and mostly formed in the Holocene period 31,32 . In Maharashtra, total irrigated area is 4.2 m ha which accounts to 19.6% of the gross cultivated land.…”

Geomorphological, mineralogical, and geochemical evidence of Pleistocene weathering conditions in the southern Italian Apennines

“…9). The K/S formation is in fact generally associated with the formation of soils in warm/humid climate contexts, and represents an important stage of kaolinite formation (Bhattacharyya et al 2006).…”