Soils in the Mediterranean region: what makes them different?

New perspectives on coastal landscape reconstruction during the Late Quaternary: A test case from central Israel

“…These petro-sedimentological characteristics are temporally associated with regional climate proxies that include lower δ 18 O values and oak types ( Fig. 6c to f; Bar-Matthews et al, 2003;Revel et al, Langgut et al, 2011), suggesting relatively wetter climatic conditions during pedogenesis 1997;Tsatskin and Ronen, 1999;Gvirtzman and Wieder, 2001). These wetter climatic conditions, coaeval with Sapropel S2, also enhanced pedogenesis across the Canary Islands, which were influenced by fluctuations in the Saharan dust supply, and are reflected in changes in environmental conditions in the northwest African region (Bozzano et al, 2002).…”

“…There are differences between the two units, with F1 having lower silt and clay concentrations and lower MS values than the Kfar Vitkin palaeosol (Mauz et al, 2013). These sedimentological differences are proposed to be a result of relief differences and slope angle variations between the two areas, leading to lateral erosion of sediments in the sloping areas and re-deposition in the depression (Dan et al, 1968;Yaalon, 1997;Tsatskin et al, 2009).…”

“…CaCO 3 content is derived from shell fragments which have been transported inland from the coastal zone/beach. The extent of the pedogenesis process determines the concentration of CaCO 3 ; the longer the process of pedogenesis, the lower is the concentration of CaCO 3 as seen in the profile as a result of carbonate dissolution due to leaching (Dan et al, 1968;Yaalon, 1997;Tsatskin and Ronen, 1999). Based on the high sand content (higher than 70%) and their associated ages, these palaeosols are presumed to have been formed in the relatively moderate to flat topography of the coastal plain a few hundred metres to several kilometres from the palaeo-coastline when sea level was lower, during most of the last glacial-interglacial period (100-8 ka).…”

“…Additional interconnected factors operating at all scales, such as tides, waves, storms, precipitation, sediment input and vegetation cover, also play important roles in the depositional and erosional phases that shape the litho-stratigraphic architecture. Moreover, local processes, such as stream-courses, modify pre-existing depositional patterns and induce irregular erosion patterns, while local relief variations affect soil formation processes (Dan et al, 1968;Paton et al, 1995;Yaalon, 1997).…”

Clay minerals in cave sediments and terra rossa soils in the Montagnola Senese karst massif (Italy)

“…Thus the "de tri tal" the ory was de vel oped, con sid er ing red soils as formed by the ac cu mu la tion and pedogenetic al ter ation of allu vial mud, vol ca nic ash and/or ae olian dust set tled on the limestone sur face (Yaalon and Ganor, 1973;Jack son et al, 1982;Muhs et al, 2010). Other au thors take into ac count the pos si bility of a poly gen etic na ture of these soils, in vok ing the mix ing of the in sol u ble res i due of car bon ates with other par ent ma te ri als (Yaalon, 1997;Durn et al, 1999). A sim i lar or i gin has been suggested for red soils in the Montagnola Senese dis trict (Costantini and Damiani, 2004;Pri ori et al, 2008;.…”